FOR THE CHOCOLATE CRUST
1 box (9 ounces) chocolate wafer cookies, finely ground (2 1/3 cups)
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
Salt
1 stick unsalted butter, melted
FOR THE CARAMEL SAUCE
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
1/4 cup water
1 cup heavy cream
1/3 cup creme fraiche
1 cup roasted salted peanuts
FOR THE PEANUT BUTTER MOUSSE
8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
Salt
11/4 cups smooth peanut butter
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup heavy cream
FOR THE CHOCOLATE GANACHE
7 ounces semisweet chocolate (preferably 56 percent cacao), chopped
1 cup heavy cream
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Make the chocolate crust: Combine cookie crumbs, granulated sugar, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a bowl. Stir in butter. Press mixture into bottom and 2 1/2 inches up sides of 9-inch springform pan. Bake until dry and firm, 8 to 10 minutes. Let cool.
Make the caramel sauce: Heat granulated sugar and water in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, washing down sides of pan with a wet pastry brush to prevent sugar crystals from forming, until medium amber, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat, and carefully add heavy cream (mixture will bubble and steam). Return to heat, and bring to a boil, making sure caramel that seized up when cream was added melts. Transfer to a bowl, and stir in creme fraiche. Refrigerate until cool but still pourable, about 45 minutes. Fold in peanuts.
Meanwhile, make the peanut butter mousse: Beat cream cheese and confectioners' sugar with a mixer on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy. Beat in 1/2 teaspoon salt. Add peanut butter and vanilla, and beat until combined. Whisk heavy cream in a separate bowl until medium-stiff peaks form. Fold one-third of the whipped cream into peanut butter mixture. Fold in remaining whipped cream in 2 additions.
Assemble the tart: Pour caramel sauce into cooled chocolate crust. Gently spread peanut butter mousse over caramel in an even layer, making sure they don't blend together. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Make the chocolate ganache: Place chocolate in a small heatproof bowl. Bring cream to a simmer in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Pour cream over chocolate, and let stand for 1 minute. Whisk to combine. (Use immediately.)
Remove tart from refrigerator, and pour in ganache to cover surface. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. * My family found out that you needed to refrigerate it for a lot longer than that. Try overnight...or freeze it for awhile.
My sweet kiddos and husband made this tart for my birthday on Friday. As with most things Martha, there is a bit of work to this baby. My hubby said that they had a little trouble with the caramel sauce, and didn't get the caramel color. The good news is that it tasted great, and I really appreciated the effort that went into it.
This recipe is inspired by the Snickers bar....and the tart tastes like a very rich Snickers. I love sweets, so this was a perfect birthday cake!
ohmygosh - i can't believe they made this for you! this is one of those recipes that i see the picture and i am like ooooooooooooooohhhhhhhhhhhhh (in a good way) and then i see all the ingrideitns and steps to it and i say ooooooooooooooooohhhhhhhhhhh (in a bad way). so i'm so impressed they tackled this - how sweet!
ReplyDeleteI know your husband and kids.... can they please call my husband and kids and suggest I get one for my birthday in March... or sooner if they can! -Tracy
ReplyDeleteI made this and it was AMAZING. Sooo much work though- geez! And everything has to be done perfectly or else it's a disaster. My caramel sauce did not solidify or turn a caramel color and I couldn't have followed those directions any closer.
ReplyDeleteI think one way to make it easier would be to just buy a permade chocolate pie crust and use the pre-made caramel in the jar. It would take away a bit from the prettiness of it, but hey, if you want an awesome dessert and don't have 4 hours to devote to this, it works.
You can also just buy cool whip for the peanut butter mousse instead of whipping the heavy cream yourself.
If you make your own crust, do NOT follow the directions and substitute Oreo. I did that and it was a disaster! I used chocolate graham crackers the second time around and it came out well.