Do you ever want to pick up your computer and throw it across the room? …
Peanut
Peanut butter and chocolate tart
Don’t forget to get a copy of my first ever baking book, you can get it right here, just head to the shop page.
A few months ago I joined a Baking Meet up, its a group of people from all walks of life who love to bake, from beginners through to experts working in the industry. The group meets up whenever someone suggests something to do or somewhere to go and there are enough people wanting to be involved.
I have been to two so far we had a afternoon tea in the park one week, which was a blast. Then another one when we all meet at a little cafe. Everyone normally bakes something and brings it along, then we spend a few hours just chatting about baking and getting to know everyone. Its such a great way to get inspiration for the blog and just to enjoy and sample everyone’s baked goods.
Its also a very good excuse to bake something myself, but really who am I kidding, what excuse do I need. I first thought awesome this is going to be a great way to get rid of all the things I bake so I don’t end up eating them all, gaining weight and feeling sick from all the sugar . However when everyone brings such lush baked goods, you simply must try everything, well I have to. So I end up coming away feeling sick and I’m sure I’m stacking on the pounds, so my plan to get rid of cakes and sweets was a big fat fail. But hey its great meeting up with people who share a common interest and what else is life for if you can’t enjoy it a little once in a while. For the last meet up I baked a Peanut butter and chocolate tart as it was a tart theme, and everyone come with different tarts and magically there was no doubling up of the same type.
A few weeks before one of the girls who is a pastry chef, ran a tart making class for everyone at a commercial kitchen in South Melbourne. I unfortunately couldn’t make it, but it sounded amazing and such fun. So the last meet up was a spin off from that, so that everyone who went could practice their skills. Boy oh boy they didn’t disappoint, everyone’s tarts where super amazing. Elaine will be running more classes, I think there is a bread making one come up soon too, I will have to try to get to that one.
If you live in Melbourne and feel like getting out and meeting other people who love to bake you should join up, you can find all the details here. Its open to anyone you should just love to bake.
Happy Baking. xxx
Peanut Butter and Chocolate Tart
Author:
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 8
Ingredients
- PASTRY
- 150 g butter
- 2 cups plain flour
- ¾ cup white sugar
- 1 egg
- FILLING
- 200g dark chocolate
- 125g butter
- 1 tbsp coffee granules
- 200ml sour cream
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 3 eggs lightly beaten
- ½ cup of peanut butter
Instructions
- Place the butter and flour into a food processor and pulse until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Add the sugar and pulse to combine. Add the egg and pulse until the mixture combines and forms a dough, add a small about of water if the mixture is to dry. Wrap the mixture into cling wrap and place in the fridge for 1 hour.
- Pre-heat the oven to 160C
- Remove from the fridge and roll out and place into a 12x30cm tart tin. Blind bake for 10 minutes, then remove the beans and bake for 5 minutes.
- To make the filling, place the chocolate, butter and coffee into a saucepan on a medium heat. Stir until the chocolate and butter have melted and the ingredients combine. While still on the heat add the sour cream and stir until combined then remove from the heat and whisk in the eggs. Pour the mixture into the tart case and place small dollops of peanut butter through the tart.
- Place the tart into the oven and bake for 30-40 minutes or until cooked.
Peanut Brittle Slice
Well… doesn’t time fly when your having fun? It seems to be flying for me even when I’m not. I can’t for the life of me believe how quickly the weeks are blurring together to form months. Its been nearly 3 weeks since my last post, I think thats a bit of a record. Its not that I haven’t had recipes to put up, in fact I have a number of them, its just that I haven’t found the time. So I hope no one has been waiting for their next sugary fix.
Wedding season is back in full gear and between that and spending every free minute sanding little Miss Daisy, which has had its fair number of dramas I might add, I have just lost track of time,
This next recipe is one I made months ago, so many months ago I can’t even recall why. but its good, supper tasty in fact, just a little on the hard side to eat.
Peanut Brittle Chocolate Slice
Base
200 g butter
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup brown sugar
1 egg
Filling
1/2 cup corn syrup
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/4 water
50g butter
2 cups unsalted peanuts
1/4 cup cream
Topping
250g dark chocolate
50g butter
pre heat the oven to 170C
To make the base, cut the butter into cubes and rub into the flour and baking powder until it resembles fine bread crumbs. Then stir through the sugar and combine the egg until the mixture forms a dough. Press this into a 20 x 30 cm tin and bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown, remove from the oven and set aside.
To make the filling, place the corn syrup, sugar and water into a saucepan and heat until the mixture becomes golden, swirl the pot rather than stirring the ingredients, or alternatively use a wet pastry brush to brush down the sides. Remove from the heat and stir through the butter and cream, be very carful as the mixture with splatter and rise up. Stir through the peanuts and pour into the base immediately.
To make the topping, place the chocolate and butter into a double boiler and heat until the chocolate has melted. Pour over the slice and leave to cool. Cut when cooled.
Pumpkin Reese Cookies
Om nomm nomm, mmmmmmm cookies…. That about sums it up.
These little ones are my tribute to spooky Halloween, not that it is really celebrated in this part of the world. Why I’m not sure, who wouldn’t love to get bags full of sweet lollies and candies from people, I know I would. As a kid I dreamed of living in the US, or at least visiting during Halloween, so I could get bucketfuls of sweets. But sadly that never happened. But now I’m old and no one can tell me what to do, I can buy all the sweets and lollies I want arrrrrhaaa haaa haaa. So when I was in this candy shop the other day just breathing in the sweet aromas, I spied a huge packet full of little Reeses, which are American chocolate covered peanut butter cups. So I thought it was more than fitting to make some pumpkin reese cookies, for you all to celebrate the spookiest night of the year.
Happy Baking and eating xxx
Pumpkin Reeses Cookies
2/3 cup pumpkin puree
1/2 vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
2/3 cup sugar
2 1/3 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
15 mini Reeses
Pre heat oven to 150C
Place pumpkin, oil, vanilla and sugar into a bowl and mix to combine. Sift the flour, baking powder and soda into a bowl and then add to the pumpkin mixture and stir. Chop the Reeses into half’s and sprinkle through the dough and combine. Spoon the mixture onto a lined tray and bake for 15 minutes or until cooked.
Makes 10
