Saturday, April 10, 2010

Chocolate Peanut Butter Butter-Tarts





I've been doing some Easter-Egg hunting of my own the past few days. Grocery stores are selling Easter candy at discounts of 50% off or more so I've been scooping up pastel M&M's, foil-wrapped lilliput eggs and Reese's PB bunnies. I'll admit, a few of the PB bunnies were sacrificed in the making of these tarts but it's all for a good cause: dessert!

This recipe was heavily adapted from the recipe for Chocolate Mixed-Nut Pie by Better Homes and Gardens. I have so many 'all-purpose' cookbooks - JOY, Betty Crocker, Gourmet Today, America's Test Kitchen - that I have developed a blind spot for this 3-ring-bound kitchen stand-by. I had forgotten what a wealth of recipes it contained.

Flaky pastry encases a sensory delight of flavors and textures. Melty chunks of Reese's pb cups (in my case, PB bunnies) are suspended in a buttery creamy filling. Salted peanuts provide a nice crunch and add depth to these rich little treats.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Butter-Tarts
Makes 24 | adapted from Better Homes & Gardens

1 batch - Double Crust Pie Dough
3 eggs
1 cup corn syrup
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cups chopped salted peanuts
1 cup coarsely chopped peanut butter cups

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. On a lightly floured surface, roll chilled pastry dough to 1/4" thick. Lightly grease 24 standard sized muffin tins or tart tins. Cut pastry into circles and place into prepared tins, pressing the pastry up the sides slightly.

2. For filling: In a large bowl, beat eggs lightly. Whisk in corn syrup, sugar, butter, vanilla, and salt. Stir in the nuts and the peanut butter cup pieces. Spoon Pour filling into pastry-lined tart tins, filling right to the top. I pur 2 tbsp filling in each tart tin and ended up with 23 tartlets.

3. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until center seems set when gently shaken. Cool on a wire rack. Store in refrigerator and drizzle with melted chocolate and a dollop of sweetened whipped cream to serve, if desired.

14 comments:

Jennifer said...

YUM! These look delicious!

You can never go wrong with chocolate and peanut butter.

(and the very minute the cadbury eggs went half price, I am not ashamed to admit, I scooped a bunch of them up!)

Holly said...

These look delicious!!!

Chef Aimee said...

Wow...if this was my introduction to your blog, I am HOOKED! :) Thanks for stopping by today! What a delight to come here...and what a fantastic dessert you made!

Joanne said...

I didn't even think to go easter candy scavenging but that is such a good idea! Maybe that will be my mission tomorrow.

these little tarts look delicious! Reese's are one of my favorite Easter candies.

Anonymous said...

Tia, these look and sound fantastic. I absolutely love butter tarts, I'll have to try these soon!

Sinful Southern Sweets said...

My favorite combo!! I believe this may be the yummiest tart recipe ever!

Helen said...

These look so cute. I love getting discounted sweets after Easter. I never really buy any beforehand, then stock up after they've been reduced!

Wandering Coyote said...

OMG...these look sinfully amazing...Anything with chocolate & peanut butter just rocks my world!

Lot-O-Choc said...

Omg wow chocolate & peanut butter is always such a good combo, these look so delicious!

Autumn @Good Eats Girl said...

Wow. These look absolutely amazing! You can't beat a peanut butter and chocolate combo!

Natalie said...

I have a bunch of discount-bought Easter candy I need to use...any ideas for almond m&ms (NEED to bake with these so I stop eating them ha)?

Juliana said...

Wow, this little tarts sure looks delicious, love the combination of chocolate and peanut butter :-)

Mary said...

OMG--this is like butter tarts with peanut butter cups in them! Sounds yum:)

Elle said...

Such darling little tarts! Sounds like across between peacan pie (but with peantus) and chocolate peanut butter candy...what could be sweeter?