Peanut Butter Chocolate Tart

Chocolate and peanut butter is a match made in heaven. As in all good marriages, they bring out the best in one another, enhancing their finest qualities. There’s nothing quite like the taste of sweet, rich chocolate mixed with salty, creamy peanut butter.  Most North Americans are crazy about the combination, which is why we see these two ingredients used together in so many desserts. The recipe that I’m sharing with you today for a peanut butter chocolate tart, is from Elizabeth Baird and the talented bakers in the Canadian Living test kitchen, published in The Complete Canadian Living Baking Book. A small slice of this impressive dessert is a very satisfying treat.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Tart

Chocolate and peanut butter are powerful  flavor partners that can quickly overwhelm any willpower you have. Research has shown that chocolate and peanut butter are even more wonderful in combination with each other, than each one on their own.  According to Gregory Ziegler, a Penn State University professor of food science, interviewed in Mic, there are sound reasons why chocolate and peanuts are such an addictive combination. Our taste buds love when foods have differing textures. “The smooth melt of the chocolate and the crunch of the nut pieces” provide a pleasing contrast, according to Ziegler. Furthermore, “chocolate and peanuts are complementary because they produce flavor through the Maillard reaction. That’s the reaction you get whenever you roast nuts, grill steak or bake bread. The reaction produces flavors that have a unique pull to people”, says Ziegler. He adds that the salt in the nuts also provides “an attractive contrast” to the sweet chocolate. Salty and sweet, is a flavor fusion that gives your brain a positive biological response. That’s three more good reasons to enjoy this dynamic dessert duo.

Use a 10-inch tart pan with a removable bottom to make this tart, although a 10-inch spring form pan will also work. Spray the sides and bottom of the pan with cooking spray and line the bottom with a circle of parchment paper. Use a sleeve of chocolate graham crackers and process them in the food processor to make fine crumbs. You will need two cups. Melt 1/3 cup of butter or margarine and combine it with the chocolate cracker crumbs. Dump the moistened crumbs into the pan and spread them evenly over the bottom and up the sides of the tart pan. Bake in a preheated oven at 350 F. for eight minutes. Let the crust cool completely.

Using a stand mixer, whip 1/2 cup of cream (I used Rich’s non-dairy whipping cream) and transfer it to a medium bowl . This is to save you from washing the mixing beaters more than once. You don’t have to wash out the bowl either. In the mixer bowl combine the cream cheese (I used a container of Tofutti plain cream cheese to ensure that this dessert is non-dairy), creamy peanut butter, icing sugar and vanilla. Beat until smooth. Fold 1/4 of the whipped cream into the peanut butter mixture to lighten it. Fold in the remaining whipping cream. Spread the peanut butter cream mixture over the cooled crust. Freeze the tart for one hour or more, so that it will firm up.

To make the chocolate glaze for the top of the tart, measure out 2/3 cup of whipping cream in a microwavable bowl or measuring cup and heat in the microwave on high for 30-45 seconds, until hot. Add the chopped chocolate to the whipping cream. Stir the chopped chocolate until it melts and is smooth and glossy. Pour the glaze over the top of the tart and spread over the filling with a  metal spatula. Decorate the edge of the tart with honey-glazed peanuts if desired. Refrigerate until set.

To unmold the tart, perch the tart pan on a 28 ounce can. Gently slide off the tart pan rim. The tart can be refrigerated for two days or wrapped in plastic wrap and frozen. Once frozen you can safely remove the bottom of the tart pan and refreeze the tart. 

Print Recipe

Peanut Butter Chocolate Tart

Cookies, Cakes, Pies and Desserts

Serves: 16

Prep Time: 20 minutes + 1 hour chilling – Cooking Time: 8 minutes – Total Time: 28 minutes + 1 hour chilling

Peanut butter mousse topped with a rich and creamy bittersweet chocolate glaze, in a crispy chocolate graham cracker crust.

Ingredients

• Tart crust
• 2 cups chocolate graham cracker crumbs (1 sleeve of crackers, crushed finely)
• 1/3 cup butter or margarine, melted
• Filling
• 1 8 ounce package cream cheese or plain Tofutti cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1 cup icing sugar
• 1 cup creamy (smooth) peanut butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 cup whipping cream or non-dairy whipping cream such as Rich's whip
• Chocolate Glaze
• 5 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped finely
• 2/3 cup whipping cream or non-dairy whipping cream such as Rich's whip
• 1/2 cup of honey glazed peanuts for decorating the edge of the tart (optional)

Instructions

Crust

1

Preheat the oven to 350 F.

2

Spray a 10-inch tart pan with a removable bottom or a 10-inch spring form pan with cooking spray. Cut out a circle of parchment paper using the bottom of the pan as your guide. Line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper. (This is so that you can retrieve the bottom of the tart pan if desired, after the tart has been frozen.)

3

Chop one sleeve of chocolate graham crackers in the food processor, to make two cups of fine crumbs. Heat 1/3 cup of butter or margarine in the microwave, on high for about 20-30 seconds, in order to melt it. Pour the melted butter or margarine over the crumbs and mix them together in order to moisten them. Press the crumbs over the bottom and sides of the tart pan. If using a spring form pan, spread the moistened crumbs over the bottom of the pan and about one inch up the side of the pan. Bake at 350 F. for 8 minutes on the middle rack of the oven. Let cool completely on the rack.

Filling

4

In the bowl of a stand mixer, using the whipping beater, whip the 1/2 cup of whipping cream or non-dairy whipping cream until soft peaks form. Place the whipped cream in a medium bowl and set aside.

5

Add the cream cheese OR Tofutti cream cheese, icing sugar, peanut butter and vanilla to the bowl of the mixer. Beat together using the same beater that you used to whip the cream. Mix until smooth. Fold 1/4 of the whipped cream into the peanut butter mixture to lighten it. Fold in the remaining cream until it is well combined. Spread the peanut butter mixture evenly over the cooled crust with a metal spatula. Place the tart in the freezer for one hour to firm up.

Chocolate Glaze

6

Chop 5 ounces of bittersweet chocolate into very small pieces using a knife and cutting board. Heat 2/3 cup of whipping cream or non-dairy whipping cream in a microwaveable bowl or measuring cup for 30-45 seconds on high, until hot. Add the chopped chocolate to the hot cream. Stir until the chocolate is melted and the glaze is smooth and glossy. Pour the glaze over the top of the tart. You can place honey glazed peanuts around the edge of the tart for decoration if you like.

7

To unmold the tart, lift the tart holding on to the edges of the pan and perch it on a 28 ounce can. Gently slide off the rim of the pan.

8

This tart can be refrigerated for two days or wrapped well with plastic wrap and frozen. If frozen, remove the parchment paper and bottom of the tart pan after it has been frozen. Let the refrigerated tart stand at room temperature for 15 minutes before serving.

Notes

This is a very rich dessert. A small slice goes a long way.