Chocolate Peanut Butter Tart
How did we get to Labor Day Weekend already? It feels like it was just yesterday I was sharing the best side salad for all summer picnics! Sigh. The summer is always so short lived. But if we have to say goodbye to summer, I’ll send it off with a bang in the form of one decadent, chilled dessert!
Chocolate with peanut butter is one of those crowd-pleasing combinations that just about everyone loves. I think it’s an affinity that stems from childhood, but those flavor profiles really do feel like a match made in heaven. Personally, I’m a sucker for any dessert that contains both peanut butter and chocolate, and Smitten Kitchen’s Chocolate Peanut Butter Tart fits that bill.
The crust is made of crumbled shortbread cookies—pure brilliance in my opinion—while the peanut butter filling is whipped with cream cheese for a tangy, smooth center. And let’s not forget the topping! It’s a rich chocolate ganache that accentuates the buttery crust and creamy filling. It’s an elevated version of a childhood favorite (I’m looking at you, Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups) and tastes like sweet decadence fit for an adult.
This tart is best served cold, right out of the fridge, making it ideal for a summertime soirée…or the ultimate dessert for the last summer weekend of the year.
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Chocolate Peanut Butter Tart
(barely) adapted from Smitten Kitchen
Serves: 8 people
Prep Time:
Cook Time:
Ingredients:
Crust:
10.6 ounces shortbread cookies (usually sold in 5.3 ounce packages)
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Filling:
½ cup cream cheese, at room temperature
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/3 cup confectioners’ sugar
½ cup creamy peanut butter
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Topping:
1 cup bittersweet chocolate chips (I use Ghirardelli, 60% cacao)
½ cup heavy cream
Pinch of kosher salt
Flaky sea salt, to finish (optional)
Directions:
Crust:
Heat oven to 350°. Place shortbread cookies in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until ground completely. Add sugar and salt, pulse to combine. Drizzle melted butter over the top and pulse until the dough comes together in clumps. Gently press the dough into a 9-inch tart pan (the kind that has a removable bottom) and place the pan on a baking sheet. Bake for 12-15 minutes, until the crust is set and starting to brown. Let the crust cool completely.
Filling:
In a stand mixer, beat cream cheese, butter, sugar, peanut butter, salt, and vanilla until light and fluffy. Pour the filling into the cooled tart shell. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, until the filling is set and cold.
Topping:
Place a small pot of water on high heat. Once boiling, set a heat-proof bowl on top of the pot and turn off the heat. Add chocolate to the heat-proof bowl and swirl with a spatula until melted. (This method—the double boiler—is the best way to melt chocolate.) Add pinch of salt and cream, mixing until smooth. Remove from stove and allow chocolate to cool slightly, about 5 minutes. Pour the chocolate over the peanut butter tart. Use a spatula to make sure the chocolate is evenly distributed, then chill for an hour.
When ready to serve, sprinkle the tart with sea salt.
