Peanut Butter Chocolate Cups

Photo: flickr user SanFranAnnie

Ingredients

1/4 cup unsalted, roasted peanuts

1/4 cup sugar

1 cup all purpose flour

1/4 cup cocoa

1/4 teaspoon salt

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces and chilled

3 egg yolks

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Ganache

3/4 cup whipping cream

6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped

Filling

cups peanut butter

1/2 cup cream cheese

2/3 cup icing sugar

2 1/2 tablespoons condensed milk

cups whipping cream

1 tablespoon vanilla

Preparation

To Assemble:To prepare crust, pulse peanuts in food processor with sugar, flour, cocoa and salt (to prevent peanuts from becoming peanut butter). Add butter and pulse in until even crumbly texture. Add egg yolks and vanilla and pulse just until dough comes together. Wrap in a disc and chill for 30 minutes.

Press dough into greased muffin tins.

Preheat oven to 350 F. Dock tart shells by marking with a fork and bake for 12 to 15 until centre of shell is dry. Allow cool.

For ganache, heat whipping cream to just below a simmer and pour over chopped chocolate. Let sit for 1 minute. Stir until evenly blended then spoon into prepared shells, reserving 1/4 cup ganache for garnish.

For filling, beat peanut butter with cream cheese until smooth. Stir in icing sugar until smooth. Add condensed milk. Whip whipping cream with vanilla to soft peaks. Fold into peanut butter mixture. Spoon or pipe into tart shells.

To garnish, drizzle with remaining ganache (if has cooled and set while preparing filling, melt in microwave for 15 seconds). Chill until ready to serve.

Yield: 1 dozen cups.

Be honest - you love those chocolate peanut butter cups, don't you! These tarts are as decadent and even more delicious than their original inspiration.