Peanut Butter Tart (for Mikey)

August 12, 2011 5 Comments

Like so many Food Bloggers out there I was devastated to hear the sad news from fellow blogger Jennifer Perillo this week. She suddenly and sadly lost her beloved husband Mikey last weekend.  My heart breaks to think about the loss and pain she and her family must be feeling. It is hard to understand why someone so young and loved would be taken from the earth so soon. Though I never met Jennie, I love her blog and felt need to remember her and Mikey today with the rest of the blog community.

On her blog she asked that we all make and enjoy Mikey’s favorite peanut butter pie today in his honor.  I am planning on whipping in up later today, but thought I’d also re-post a very similar recipe I made a few months ago. Nothing is more comforting than making something sweet and delicious and feeding to to your loved ones. Though there is nothing I could write in this blog to really capture how sad I feel for her loss, I hope she feels the love coming from all the bloggers that support her.

Make up a delicious peanut butter pie or tart or whatever your loved ones would enjoy. And cherish them.

Read Jennie’s loving thoughts here

Peanut Butter-Chocolate Tart with a Pretzel Crust
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
1 1/4 cups coarsely crushed thin pretzels
3/4 cup confectioners sugar
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 large egg
2 oz. bittersweet chocolate, melted
Filling:
3 oz. best quality dark or milk chocolate, plus more for curls
1 3/4 cups heavy cream
3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup cream cheese (4 oz.)
1/3 cup sweetened condensed milk
Directions:
MAKE THE CRUST:
1. In a large bowl using an electric mixer, beat the butter with 3/4 cup of the pretzels and the confectioners’ sugar at low speed until creamy. Beat in the flour and egg. Add the remaining 1/2 cup of pretzels, being sure to leave some pretzel pieces intact. Flatten the dough between 2 sheets of plastic wrap and refrigerate until chilled, at least 30 minutes.
2. Preheat the oven to 350°. Roll out the dough between the sheets of plastic wrap to a 12-inch round. Peel off the top sheet and invert the dough over a 9 or 10-inch fluted tart pan with a removable bottom. Press the dough into the corners and patch any tears. Trim the overhanging dough and refrigerate the shell for 30 minutes or until firm.
3. Line the shell with parchment paper and fill with pie weights (or beans.)  Bake for about 30 minutes, until nearly set. Remove the parchment and weights and bake for 10 to 15 minutes longer, until the tart shell is firm; cover the edge with foil if it darkens too much. Let the shell cool completely. Brush the melted chocolate over the bottom and up the side and refrigerate for 10 minutes, until set.
*I thought that brushing the melted chocolate on the shell didn’t seem necessary so I skipped it. I realized after that it was supposed to make a seal on the crust and without it the chocolate ganache leaked through the bottom. It wasn’t a huge deal, but I would go ahead and leave that one in :)
MAKE THE FILLING:
1. Fill a large bowl with ice and water. Finely chop chocolate, and place in a medium bowl. Place 1/2 cup cream in a small saucepan over medium heat, and bring to a boil. Pour over chopped chocolate, and set aside for 5 minutes to yield chocolate ganache. Whisk to combine. Set in ice bath until ganache is cool, whisking constantly. Once cool, remove from ice bath, and whisk until ganache is just thick enough to hold its shape; do not overbeat. (Mine was thick and creamy.) Spread in the bottom of the prepared crust, and return to the refrigerator until set.
2. Combine peanut butter, cream cheese, and sweetened condensed milk in the bowl of a food processor; process until smooth. Transfer to a mixing bowl.
3.Whip 3/4 cup heavy cream to soft peaks. Add whipped cream to peanut butter mixture; whisk to combine.
4. Spoon mixture into prepared crust; and sprinkle with chocolate shavings. (Use a vegetable peeler or buy shavings from a specialty store.) return to the refrigerator for 2 hours or overnight. Remove tart from refrigerator, and transfer to a serving platter 10 minutes before serving. Whip remaining 1/2 cup cream. Top tart with dollops of whipped cream.
Sources:

Tart: Martha Stewart.

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Filed Under: Life

Comments

  1. Di-licious says:
    August 13, 2011 at 6:27 am

    A beautiful tribute.

    Reply
  2. Ann says:
    August 13, 2011 at 1:32 am

    Beautiful tart…it is such a sad time and such a beautiful tribute day.

    Reply
  3. L!$@ says:
    August 13, 2011 at 12:24 am

    Such a sad story to hear. Enjoy that pie for Mikey! Let’s celebrate the life he lived, rather than his death.

    Reply
  4. Erin says:
    August 12, 2011 at 3:49 pm

    What a great post! I had never found her blog before this morning. My heart just breaks for her and her family. Can’t even fathom that happening. Love the blogging community – SO supportive!

    Reply
  5. Claire says:
    August 12, 2011 at 3:46 pm

    very heartbreaking. my heart goes out to her and her family. i love how the blog community is showing support through making his favorite pie.

    Reply

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