After more than a handful of days of warm, sunny days I was lulled into believing the wintery weather would be nothing more than a memory. Having grown up and lived in the midwest for almost my entire life I should have known better. But optimism and gullibility are just two of my middle names. More than several inches of snow fell here on Monday morning creating a beautiful, yet unwelcome, winter landscape. In looking at the weather forecast for the next ten days, it doesn't seem likely March will be going out like a lamb. Although anything is possible here. With being able to leave the monotony of running on a treadmill in the last several weeks, I am keeping my fingers crossed it will at least get warm enough for the snow to melt on the running path over the course of the next few days. Being able to endure the cold weather is one thing, navigating an icy, slippery trail is another. Over the course of our lives we go though various stages of fears, some that help us to grow, some that hold us back. Currently the 'fear of falling' (literally) is holding me back.
Speaking of falling, I had taken a cake decorating class this past weekend and dropped my finished, decorated cake as I walked out of the store. It may have only been a cake, but it was seriously injured. In an instant I went from being really happy with my finished cake to experiencing a moment of sadness (yes, I know it was only a cake). But not all was lost. How I envisioned making the Peanut Butter Mousse Chocolate Ganache Tart changed as a result of nursing my bruised ego with a little imagination and a pastry bag.
The peanut butter mousse and peanut brittle portions of the recipe came from Julia Baker who served them together as a 'martini' rather than as a tart. You can find her presentation here. For me chocolate and peanut butter go together like Batman and Robin, Ben and Jerry, Mickey and Minnie, Popeye and Olive Oyl, Simon and Garfunkel, Bonnie and Clyde, and Romeo and Juliet. From my affinity for two inseparable, complimentary flavors came the creation of an oreo cookie crust, a layer of chocolate ganache, peanut butter mousse and chards of peanut brittle confection. If there was ever a cure for sadness, any sadness, it would be this Peanut Butter Mousse Chocolate Ganache Tart. Well, maybe not a permanent cure, but for as long as you take in and enjoy it, you will be in a state of bliss.
If this tart looks complicated, let me assure you it is not. I absolutely love when simple ingredients come together to make something that looks anything less than simple. Who does not enjoy bringing a dessert to the table having the possibility of eliciting a 'wow' or better yet, changing the minds of those who thought they were going to skip dessert. Even those that pride themselves on self-control and restraint will find the Peanut Butter Mousse Chocolate Ganache hard to resist it.
This tart requires a baked cookie crust. Oreos, granulated sugar and melted butter are mixed together, pressed into a 9 inch tart pan (with removable bottom) and baked in a preheated 350 degree oven for 8 minutes. You might think there is too much butter for this crust, but it's not as it critically important the crust remains intact after baking and when it is being filled. This was a lesson learned when making the tart.
Most ganache recipes call for equal parts of whipping cream to chocolate. However, this ganache was made with 1/2 cup of heavy whipping cream and 3/4 cup chocolate chips. When chilled the ganache had just the right texture, not too creamy, not to hard.
The ganache is poured into the cooled oreo cookie crust and chilled in the refrigerator until it sets (at least 15-20 minutes or as long as it takes you to finish making the brittle and peanut butter mousse.
In a heavy bottomed sauce pan over medium-high heat, sugar will melt. The keys are using a heavy bottomed sauce pan and stirring often. When the sugar liquifies, you will continue to cook until a medium caramel color (if you go too dark your sugar will take on a burnt taste). The dry roasted peanuts are stirred in until fully coated. Immediately removing the pan from the heat the tablespoon of unsalted butter and pinch of sea salt are added in (it will bubble up slightly). Working quickly, the mixture is poured on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and allowed to cool completely. Once cooled, the brittle is broken up into pieces. Note: If you don't want to make the peanut brittle, you can sprinkle chopped salted, roasted peanuts along the edge of the finished tart.
The peanut butter, sifted confectionary sugar, milk and room temperature cream cheese are whipped together until smooth and creamy in a standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. The cream you have whipped is folded in with a spatula until there are no white streaks of the whipping cream.
Whether you put the mousse in a pastry bag or not is optional. It can simply be spooned into the chilled tart and ganache shell, and spread to a smooth finish with an offset spatula. But if you do use a pastry bag, choose a pastry tip you like working with. For this tart I used a French Star pastry tip.
To finish the tart, decorate with broken pieces of the brittle (the recipe makes more than you need so you can serve them as a garnish on the plates or in a bowl for noshing). Keep the Peanut Butter Mousse Chocolate Ganache Tart chilled in the refrigerator until ready to serve. This decadent, yet not overly sweet tart tastes even better than it looks. Just don't drop it on the way to the table!
Peanut Butter Mousse Chocolate Ganache Tart (Inspired by Julia Baker's Peanut Butter Martini Mousse with Caramelized Peanuts)
Ingredients
Crust
28-30 Oreo cookies, finely crushed
1/4 cup granulated sugar
7-8 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Brittle
3/4 cup granulated sugar
pinch of sea salt
1/2 cup roasted, salted peanuts
1 Tablespoon unsalted butter, room temperature
Ganache
3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
Mousse
2/3 cup creamy peanut butter (recommend Creamy Jif)
1 1/2 cups confectionary sugar, sifted
1/4 cup whole milk
8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1 1/4 cups heavy whipping cream, whipped to medium peaks
Directions
Crust
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F)
2. Combine crushed oreos, sugar and melted butter in a medium bowl. Mix well.
3. Press mixture into a 9 inch tart pan. P
4. Place tart pan on a baking sheet. Bake for 8 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool.
Brittle
1. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
2. Place sugar in a small, heavy bottomed or copper saucepan over medium heat. Melt sugar to a golden brown color, swirling the pan to cook evenly (approximately 4-5 minutes).
3. Remove from heat and immediately stir in peanuts until coated. Immediately add and stir in butter and pinch of sea salt (it will bubble up slightly).
4. Immediately pour mixture (as evenly as possible) on the prepared baking sheet. Allow to cool.
5. Break into pieces when cool.
Ganache
1. Place chocolate chips in a small-medium sized bowl.
2. In a small saucepan, heat whipping cream until it almost boils (small bubbles will appear at edges).
3. Pour hot cream over chocolate chips. Allow to sit for 1 minute.
4. Whisk the cream and chocolate together until smooth.
5. Pour ganache on bottom of cooled crust.
6. Place crust in the refrigerator for 15-20 minutes or until ganache has hardened slightly.
Mousse
1. In the bowl of a standing mixer with a paddle attachment, add peanut butter, sifted confectionary sugar, milk and cream cheese. Beat until smooth.
2. Fold in whipped cream with a rubber spatula until fully incorporated and no streaks are evident.
3. Place mixture in a pastry bag fitted with tip of choice. Pipe mousse on top of chilled ganache. Note: For a simpler presentation, spoon mousse on top of the chilled ganache and smooth or swirl top.
4. Place broken brittle pieces along edge of finished tart.
5. Keep chilled in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
Flowers in the Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix, Arizona
