Chocolate peanut butter tart madness

Hello there,

I'm mixing things up by posting on a Saturday! Who knows what I'll do next. I'm interrupting the wedding posts to show you the tart I talked about earlier in the week. This dessert should definitely be top priority on your to-bake list. If you bake, that is. Actually, even if you don't bake. Bake this.

I stumbled onto the recipe for this chocolate peanut butter mousse tart last week, and when I volunteered to bring a dessert to a gathering we went to last night, I KNEW it had to be this. 

First of all, the crust of this tart is actually a huge peanut butter cookie. You had me at hello, CPBMT. Then, the 'body' of the tart is a peanut butter mousse. So, that's amazing. And finally, the whole thing is topped with a chocolate ganache. Ohhh yeah.

I'd never made this dessert before, so I was kind of concerned that it might totally fail. Each individual part of the tart was easy to make, but it did take a while since it had three separate parts. Overall it was worth it and the tart was tasty and very well received. Here's the process:

These are the ingredients for the crust. I made it a day ahead of time and kept it in the fridge overnight.

 In the food processor, process the sugars for a few minutes until they're fine. With the food processor on, add the butter cubes. Then add the peanut butter and process until smooth and creamy, about 10 seconds. Finally add the egg and vanilla and process until incorporated.

 Scrape the sides of the bowl. Add the flour, salt, and baking soda and pulse just until mixed. It will look like this--a crumbly but stuck together dough.

 Gather the dough into a ball and chill it for at least 1 hour. Press the dough evenly into the tart pan. If it tears or crumbles, press it back together. I didn't take pictures of this part because my hands were covered in dough.

Since my tart pan was 11.5 inches instead of the suggested 10.5, I made a batch and a half of dough and ended up with extra. The cookies it made were the best peanut butter cookies I've ever had.

The next day, I baked the dough at 375F for 12 minutes, and this is what it looked like.

Next it was time to make the mousse and ganache.

For the mousse, first softly whip the cream. Then beat the cream cheese, peanut butter, and sugar with an electric mixer just until the mixture is uniform in color. Reduce the speed to low and add the vanilla. Beat in 1/4 cup of the whipped cream just until incorporated. With a large rubber spatula, fold in the rest of the whipped cream, mixing until the mixture is well blended but still airy.

 Then spoon the mousse into the cooled crust and refrigerate it while you make the ganache.

Process both chocolates in the food processor with a metal blade until finely ground. Bring the cream to a boil in a small saucepan. With the food processor on, pour the hot cream through the feed tube into the chocolate mixture. Process until smooth, scraping the sides of the bowl once or twice. Add the vanilla and pulse a few times to incorporate it.

Transfer the ganache to a bowl. Cool to room temperature.

Finally, pour the ganache over the peanut butter mousse in a circular motion, trying not to pour too much in one place. Spread the ganache to the edges of the pastry, then spread it evenly to cover the entire surface of the tart. Refrigerate the tart for at least 2 hours to set or up to 5 days.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Mousse Tart

Crust Recipe 

Ingredients:
1/2 cup (2.5 ounces) bleached all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda 
1/16 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup  brown sugar
2 tablespoons sugar 
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold, cut into cubes 
1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
1/2 large egg (beat the egg lightly before measuring out half of it)
1/4 teaspoon vanilla 

Directions:

1. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt.

2. In a food processor with the metal blade, process the sugars for several minutes or until very fine. With the motor running, add the butter cubes. Add the peanut butter and process until smooth and creamy, about 10 seconds. With the motor running, add the egg and vanilla and process until incorporated. Scrape the sides of the bowl. Add the flour mixture and pulse just until incorporated.

3. Scrape the dough into a bowl and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to overnight.

4. Press the dough evenly into the tart pan. If the dough softens and sticks, refrigerate it until the plastic wrap doesn’t stick. If the dough tears, simply press it together or use the scraps to press into any empty areas. Cover the tart pan with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 1 week.

5. Bake the tart shell, without weights, in a preheated 375°F (190°C) oven for 10 to 12 minutes, or until golden. It will puff at first and then settle down toward the end of baking. Cool on a wire rack. 

For the peanut butter mousse:

7 tablespoons cream cheese
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup heavy cream, softly whipped

1. In the bowl of a standing mixer fit with the whisk beater, beat the cream cheese, peanut butter, and sugar just until the mixture is uniform in color. Reduce the speed to low and add the vanilla. Beat in 1/4 cup of the whipped cream just until it is incorporated. With a large rubber spatula, fold in the rest of the whipped cream, mixing until the mixture is well blended but still airy.
2. Scrape the mousse into the sweet peanut butter cookie tart crust and smooth the surface so that it is level. Refrigerate the tart while preparing the ganache.
 

For the milk chocolate ganache:

3 ounces milk chocolate
2 ounces bittersweet  chocolate
1/3 cup heavy cream
1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Break the milk and bittersweet chocolates into several pieces and place in the bowl of a food processor fit with the metal blade. Process until the chocolate is very finely ground.
2. Bring the cream to a boil in a small saucepan over medium heat or in a heatproof glass measure in the microwave. With the food processor’s motor running, pour the hot cream through the feed tube into the chocolate mixture. Process until smooth, scraping the sides of the bowl once or twice, about 15 seconds. Add the vanilla and pulse a few times to incorporate it. Transfer the ganache to a bowl. Cool to room temperature.
 

Assemble the tart:

1. Pour the ganache over the peanut butter mousse in a circular motion, trying not to pour too much in one place to avoid denting the mousse. Using a small metal spatula, start to spread the ganache to the edges of the pastry, then spread it evenly to cover the entire surface of the tart. Refrigerate the tart for at least 2 hours to set or up to 5 days.

2. Remove the tart from the refrigerator at least 15 minutes before serving.

Enjoy your weekend!
-T, K, J, & C