Peanut Butter and Cocoa Tart with Peanut Brittle
By OcadoLife
Published on 17 February 2022
For a dinner party dessert, pastry chef Adiyatu Sambu-Balde’s Peanut Butter and Cocoa Tart with Peanut Brittle is set to impress. Creamy, crunchy and decadent, it’s surprisingly easy to put together – and any leftover peanut brittle makes a great topping for ice cream, or can be blitzed up and spread on toast. For a dairy-free version of this tart, swap the milk chocolate for 70% dark and use coconut cream and dairy-free butter.Time and servings
1 hrTotal time
12Servings
30 minsPrep time
30 minsCooking time
Ingredients
- 185 g of unsalted butter
- 225 g of plain flour, plus extra for dusting
- 1 pinch of of salt
- 100 g of caster sugar
- 25 g of cocoa powder, sifted
- 2 large eggs
- 50 g of milk chocolate
- 225 g of cocoa peanut butter
- 1 tbsp of cocoa powder, sifted
- 25 g of icing sugar, sifted
- 450 ml of double cream
- 1 pinch of sea salt flakes
- 150 g of caster sugar
- 125 g of unsalted peanuts
Method
Step 1
For the pastry, put the butter, flour and a pinch of salt in a bowl. Rub the butter into the flour with your fingertips until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Stir in the sugar and cocoa powder. Beat 1 egg with 1tsp cold water and stir into the flour mixture to make a soft dough. Wrap and chill for 20 mins.Step 2
Preheat the oven to 190°C/170°C fan/gas 5. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface to 3mm thick and a little bigger than a 23cm loose-bottomed tart tin. Lift the pastry by folding it over the rolling pin, then lower it into position in the tin, gently pressing it into the sides and leaving an overhang. Line with baking paper, fill with baking beans (or uncooked rice) and bake for 20 mins.Step 3
Remove the baking beans and paper. Beat the remaining egg and lightly brush over the pastry, then return to the oven for 10 mins. Remove and set aside to cool a little, then carefully trim the excess pastry with a sharp knife.Step 4
For the filling, combine the chocolate, butter, cocoa peanut butter, cocoa powder and icing sugar in a bowl. Put the cream in a saucepan and heat gently until small bubbles form on the surface. Pour it over the chocolate, leave to sit for 1 min, then add a pinch of salt and stir until smooth. Pour into the pastry case and chill for at least 3 hrs, or overnightStep 5
For the brittle, put the sugar in a deep, heavy-based saucepan with 4tbsp cold water. Place over a low heat until the sugar has melted, stirring occasionally. When all the sugar has melted, increase the heat; let the mixture bubble for 10-15 mins until the caramel turns a copper colour; swirl the pan occasionally but don’t stir! Line a baking tray with non-stick baking paper; put on a heatproof surface.Step 6
Tip the peanuts into the caramel and gently swirl them around. Working quickly, tip the caramel mixture out onto the lined tray. Immediately place a sheet of non-stick baking paper on top and use a rolling pin to spread and flatten the mixture. Remove the top sheet of paper; leave to set hard. Once hard, break the brittle into pieces with your hands; store in an airtight container while the tart sets.Step 7
To serve, transfer the tart to a serving plate and decorate the edges with the brittle. Cut into slices and serve.