Hot New Dessert: Peanut Butter!

Bon Appetit Names It Dessert Trend Of The Year; Magazine's Dede Wilson Shares Recipes

(CBS) 

Chocolate Cake with Milk Chocolate-Peanut Butter Frosting and Peanut Butter Brittle

Ingredients

Brittle:
Vegetable oil
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1/4 cup water
1 cup chopped lightly salted dry-roasted peanuts
1 teaspoon creamy (smooth) natural peanut butter (made with only peanuts and salt)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Cake:
Nonstick vegetable oil spray
3 cups all purpose flour
2 cups sugar
2/3 cup sifted natural unsweetened cocoa powder (sifted, then measured)
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups water
2/3 cup vegetable oil
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Filling and frosting:
4 oz imported milk chocolate, chopped
5 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
2 1/4 cups powdered sugar
1 1/2 cups chilled heavy whipping cream
3/4 cup creamy (smooth) natural peanut butter (made with only peanuts and salt)
3/4 cup chilled mascarpone cheese

Method

Brittle:
Line large rimmed baking sheet with foil; brush with oil. Bring sugar, corn syrup, and 1/4 cup water to boil in heavy medium saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Boil without stirring until syrup is deep amber, swirling pan occasionally, about 10 minutes. Immediately stir in peanuts and all remaining ingredients. Scrape out mixture onto prepared sheet; spread out to about 13x9-inch rectangle. Cool completely. Coarsely chop enough brittle to measure 1 cup and finely chop enough to measure 1/2 cup.

Cake:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray two 9-inch-diameter cake pans with 2-inch-high sides with nonstick spray. Line pan bottoms with parchment paper. Sift flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, and salt into large bowl. Whisk 2 cups water, oil, vinegar, and vanilla in medium bowl to blend. Gradually add water mixture to dry ingredients, whisking until batter is smooth. Divide batter between prepared pans (scant 3 cups each). Bake cakes until tester inserted into center comes out with a few crumbs still attached, about 28 minutes. Cool cakes in pans 15 minutes. Cut around cakes and turn out onto racks. Peel off parchment and cool.

Filling and frosting:
Place chocolate in medium bowl. Bring 5 tablespoons cream just to simmer in small saucepan over medium heat. Pour cream over chocolate; whisk until melted and smooth. Let stand until thick enough to spread, whisking occasionally, about 30 minutes. Beat powdered sugar, 1 1/2 cups chilled cream, and peanut butter in large bowl just until blended. Add mascarpone; beat frosting just until thickened (do not overbeat). Place 1 cake layer, flat side up, on platter. Spread milk chocolate filling evenly over; sprinkle with 1/2 cup finely chopped peanut brittle. Spread with 1 cup frosting. Top with second cake layer, flat side down. Spread remaining frosting over top and sides of cake. Cover with cake dome and chill 1 hour
Sprinkle 1 cup coarsely chopped brittle over top of cake and serve.

Peanut Butter-Honey Tart with Ganache Glaze

Ingredients

Crust:
Nonstick vegetable oil spray
1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
5 tablespoons sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) chilled unsalted butter, diced
1 large egg, separated
2 (or more) teaspoons ice water

Filling:
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1/2 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
Pinch of salt
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1/3 cup honey
1 cup lightly salted dry-roasted peanuts
1 cup powdered sugar
1/3 cup creamy (smooth) natural peanut butter (made with only peanuts and salt)
2 tablespoons plus 1 to 2 teaspoons milk

Ganache glaze:
6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
3 tablespoons lightly salted dry-roasted peanuts, coarsely chopped

Method

Crust:
Spray 9-inch square or 10-inch-diameter tart pan with removable bottom with nonstick spray. Blend flour, sugar, and salt in processor 5 seconds. Add butter and blend until coarse crumbs form. Add egg yolk and 2 teaspoons ice water. Blend until moist clumps form, adding more ice water by teaspoonfuls if dry. Gather dough into ball; flatten into square or disk (depending on shape of pan). Wrap and chill 1 hour. Soften slightly at room temperature before rolling out. Roll out dough to 11- to 12-inch square or round.
Transfer dough to prepared pan. Cut off all but 1/2 inch of overhang. Fold overhang in, creating double-thick sides. Freeze until firm, about 15 minutes. Preheat oven to 350°F. Bake crust until pale golden, checking every 5 minutes and pressing bottom if bubbling and pressing sides up with back of fork if slipping, about 28 minutes. Beat egg white in small bowl until foamy. Brush some white over hot crust to coat inside. Bake 1 minute longer. Cool on rack. Increase oven temperature to 375°F.

Filling:
Melt butter in heavy medium saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in brown sugar and salt, then cream and honey. Bring to rolling boil, swirling pan occasionally. Boil 1 minute. Whisk in 1 cup peanuts. Pour filling into crust. Bake tart until filling is bubbling thickly, about 15 minutes. Cool on rack until firm, about 2 hours; freeze 15 minutes. Beat powdered sugar and peanut butter in medium bowl until blended. Gradually beat in 2 tablespoons milk, then more by teaspoonfuls to thin slightly; spread evenly over peanut filling. Refrigerate tart while preparing glaze.

Ganache glaze:
Place chocolate in medium bowl. Bring cream to simmer in small saucepan; pour over chocolate. Whisk until smooth. Spread glaze over tart. Sprinkle chopped peanuts around edge. Chill tart until glaze sets, at least 1 hour.
Let stand at room temperature 1 hour before serving. Using tip of small knife, gently loosen crust from pan. Push up pan bottom, releasing tart.
Cut square tart in half and cut each half crosswise into 7 or 8 slices or cut round tart into wedges.

Peanut Butter-Milk Chocolate Puddings

Ingredients

Peanut butter pudding:
1/2 cup sugar
5 teaspoons cornstarch
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 3/4 cups whole milk
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup creamy (smooth) natural peanut butter (made with only peanuts and salt)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Chocolate pudding:
6 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons natural unsweetened cocoa powder
Pinch of salt
1 1/2 cups whole milk
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
4 ounces imported milk chocolate, chopped
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Topping:
1 cup chilled heavy whipping cream
1 tablespoon powdered sugar

Method

Peanut butter pudding:
Whisk first 3 ingredients in large saucepan to blend. Gradually whisk in milk, then cream. Whisk over medium heat until mixture comes to boil. Then boil until thick, whisking constantly, about 30 seconds. Whisk in peanut butter; boil until thick again, whisking often, about 1 minute longer. Remove from heat; whisk in vanilla. Divide pudding among six 1-cup glasses or dishes (generous 1/3 cup each). Chill uncovered while preparing chocolate pudding.

Chocolate pudding:
Whisk first 4 ingredients in heavy large saucepan. Gradually whisk in milk, then cream. Whisk over medium heat until mixture comes to boil. Boil until thick, whisking constantly, about 30 seconds. Add chopped chocolate. Boil until chocolate melts and pudding is thick again, whisking often, 1 to 2 minutes longer. Remove from heat; whisk in vanilla. Cool pudding 5 minutes.
Spoon atop peanut butter pudding, dividing equally (about 1/3 cup each). Chill puddings uncovered until cold, at least 2 hours.

Topping:
Whisk cream and powdered sugar in medium bowl to soft peaks. Spoon topping onto puddings and serve.