Sunday, July 10, 2016

Chocolate Peanut Butter Tartlets


Crust Ingredients

  • 1 c all purpose flour
  • 1/2 c cocoa powder
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/2 cup butter, cold
  • 1 lg egg

Filling Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup (4 ounces or 115 grams) cream cheese, softened
  • 2 tablespoons (1 ounce or 30 grams) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1/3 cup (40 grams) powdered or confectioners’ sugar
  • 1/2 cup (130 grams) creamy peanut butter
  • 1/4 teaspoon coarse or kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Chocolate Ganache Ingredients

  • 1 cup (about 6 ounces or 170 grams) semisweet chocolate chips
  • A pinch of salt
  • 1/2 cup (120 ml) heavy cream
  • Crushed peanuts (optional)
  • Flaky sea salt, to finish (optional)
Garnish Ingredient
  • Crushed dry roasted peanuts

Make the crust:

  1. In the bowl of a food processor, combine flour, cocoa powder, sugar and salt. Pulse to combine.
  2. Cut butter into several pieces and add to flour mixture. Pulse until mixture is sandy and butter is well-incorporated.
  3. Add egg and pulse to mix completely.
  4. Form dough into a disk, wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
  5. For a single large tart,  press disk  into a circle by hand on a lightly floured surface and carefully place into a 9 or 10-inch tart pan (for 6 individual tartlet pans cut disk I to sixths and press out 6 smaller circles and place into  tarlet pans.) Press firmly up the sides and into an even layer on the bottom of the pan..
  6. Bake at 350F for 15-20 minutes, until firm. Allow to cool before using.

Make the filling:

  1. In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese, butter, sugar, peanut butter, salt and vanilla together until fluffy with an electric mixer or with good elbow grease, a big whisk.
  2. Scrape the mixture into the tart shell and smooth the surface with a spatula.
  3. Chill this while you prepare the topping — again, I just slide it into the freezer for 10 minutes.
  4. A cold surface helps the chocolate set faster.

Make the topping:

  1. Heat chocolate, pinch of salt and cream together in a microwave or saucepan until the chips are mostly melted.
  2. Stir until smooth.
  3. Let sit for 5 minutes to cool slightly then pour over peanut butter filling and gently spread smooth.
  4. Sprinkle with flaky salt, if desired.
  5. Chill the tart until firm in the freezer for 15 minutes or an hour in the fridge.

Assemble

  1. Spoon about 1/2 teaspoon of crushed peanuts to garnish

Blueberry-Cheesecake Tartlets



Crust

  • 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 ½ sticks cold butter, 6 ounces, cut in small pieces
  • 1 lg egg

Cheese filling

  • 2 pkg cream cheese, softened
  • 3/4 c white sugar
  • 1 1/2 t lemon juice
  • 1 t vanilla extract
  • sour cream

Berry topping

  • 3 c washed, fresh blueberries

Make the Crust

  1. Lightly spray an 11-inch tart pan with removable bottom with cooking spray. Line a sheet pan with foil or parchment paper for easy clean up (just in case any of the filling bubbles up over the top) if desired.
  2. Combine all ingredients in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse, with 10 second pulses, until dough starts to form clumps. This will take anywhere from 30 seconds to a minute. Stop as soon as the mixture clumps and turn out into a tart shell. Don't worry if it seems quite powdery at first. It will take longer than a regular pie crust dough. Just keep pulsing until it begins to clump.
  3. Using your fingertips, press dough evenly up sides of pan and onto the bottom.
  4. Prick the dough lightly with a fork.
  5. Cover with plastic wrap or foil and place in refrigerator for 1 hour. This will help keep the crust from shrinking when it hits a hot oven.
  6. Preheat oven to 425˚F.
  7. Place tart on prepared sheet pan and bake for 10-12 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool completely.

Make the filling

  1. In a large bowl, mix together cream cheese, white sugar, lemon juice, vanilla extract and sour cream.
  2. Scoop out by tablespoons and coat the bottom of the baked crusts about 1/4\" thick. (Alternatively, you can use a pastry bag and pipe in the filling.)

Assemble

  1. Sprinkle a single layer of blueberries over the top of each tartlet.

S’Mores Tartlets



Crust Ingredients

  • 3 pkgs (about 30 rectangular crackers with four sections each) graham crackers
  • 3/8 c sugar
  • 3/4 c melted butter
  • 2 lg egg whites
Chocolate (Ganache) Ingredients
  • 12 oz milk chocolate chips
  • 4 oz heavy cream
Garnish Ingredients
  • Marshmallow cream

Make the Crust

  1. Put crackers in a food processor and process until fine even crumbs are formed.
  2. Add sugar and blend.
  3. Add butter and blend.
  4. Add egg whites and blend.
Make the chocolate (ganache)
  1. Microwave chocolate in a glass bowl for 1 1/2 minutes
  2. Microwave cream for one minute
  3. Add cream to chocolate and whisk. If chocolate is not melted, microwave an additional minute. Repeat until the chocolate us soft and you can whisk until completely blended and smooth.
Assemble

  1. Drop a dollop of about 2-3 Tablespoons of the soft ganache in the center of the crust. Allow to set.
  2. Drop a dollop of about 2-3 Tablespoons of marshmallow creme.
  3. Use a brulle torch and gently toast the surface of the marshmallow cream like a fire toasted marshmallow.