Swirls and Chocolate Peanut Butter Tarts
By vealam
The same laws of nature that cause the half and half to swish through my iced coffee preside over the universe, and hence the universe resides in a cup. The swishes and swirls, on a macro level, remind me of photos I’ve seen of nebulae, frozen moments of a frenetic, cosmic dance. They’re gossamer and ghostly and seem to encompass all that is mysterious, ephemeral, and otherworldly. I like the juxtaposition of the two ideas as I prepare my morning cup.
- 1
Ingredients
- For the crust:
- 1/4 cup (half a stick) unsalted butter, melted
- 2 T granulated sugar
- pinch salt
- 1/2 cup + 2 T all-purpose flour
- For the filling:
- 6 oz. semi-sweet chocolate
- 2 T unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 2 T granulated sugar
- pinch salt
- 2 to 3 T smooth peanut putter for swirling
Preparation
Step 1
For the crust: In a small bowl, mix the butter, sugar, and salt. Add the flour and gently mix until just combined. Divide the dough into four equal pieces and press each piece evenly into 3.5″ tart pans, including up the sides. Trim the tops and place the tart pans in the fridge until firm, 15 – 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
When firm, remove the crusts from the fridge and prick evenly with a fork. Bake about 20 minutes until golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool.
For the filling: While the crusts are cooling, melt the chocolate and butter in a double-broiler. In a small saucepan, heat the heavy cream, sugar, and salt until boiling, then reduce heat to low and simmer for 1 minute. Pour the cream mixture over the chocolate and stir until evenly combined. Pour the chocolate mixture evenly into the tart pans and let cool for about 10 minutes.
Heat up the peanut butter (the microwave works best) so that it’s runny, about 20 seconds. Using a teaspoon, drop mounds of peanut butter onto the chocolate ganache. Use as much or as little as you want; you’ll have to experiment to discover your preferences. Using a skewer or a chopstick, gently swirl through peanut butter in swoops. Don’t overdo it or the pattern will dilute.
Let set for another hour or so until the tarts aren’t quite as jiggly. You can also refrigerate the tarts at this point, but they taste better at room temperature, so remove them from the fridge about an hour before serving.