Chocolate peanut butter pie

For the crust:

2 cups peanut butter cookie crumbs
2 tablespoons sugar
6–7 tablespoons melted unstalted butter

For the cookie crumbs, you can either process them in a food processor or put them in a Ziplock bag and crush them with a rolling pin. To make the crust, combine the crumbs and the sugar. Add about 6 tablespoons of the butter and combine with a fork. If the mixture is very dry, add the rest of the butter.

Butter a 9 inch springform pan, then press the cookie mixture firmly onto the bottom and about halfway up the sides. Chill in the freezer while you make the filling.

For the peanut butter filling:

1 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon vanilla

Combine all the ingredients EXCEPT the vanilla in a saucepan. Heat, stirring constantly, until everything is combined and the sugar is dissolved. Add the vanilla and set aside.

For the chocolate cream filling:

6 egg yolks
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup corn starch
2  1/2 cups milk, divided
1 cup cream
60 grams (4 tbsp) unsalted butter
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 tsp salt
200 grams dark chocolate (70%)
2 teaspoons vanilla

Whisk the egg yolks in a small bowl, then add the flour, corn starch, and 1/2 cup milk. Whisk until fairly smooth, then set aside. In a small saucepan, combine the rest of the milk with the cream, butter, sugar, and salt. Heat, stirring constantly with a heatproof spatula, until the sugar is dissolved. Add a small spoonful of hot milk to the eggs and mix; repeat a few times to fully temper the eggs, then pour the the egg mixture into the hot milk. Whisk until fairly smooth, then switch back to the heatproof spatula. Bring the mixture to a simmer and continue simmering for one minute, stirring constantly but gently. After the minute is up, turn off the heat and add the chocolate. When the chocolate has melted, add the vanilla and whisk to blend. Strain the filling.

To assemble the pie, quickly reheat the peanut butter filling so that it is a little runny. Remove the crust from the freezer. Pour half the warm chocolate mixture into the pan, carefully spoon on the peanut butter filling and smooth evenly over the pie, then top with the rest of the chocolate. Cover with plastic wrap (I lightly buttered the plastic first, which kept it from sticking but also left a little butter on the top of the pie) and chill for at least four hours. Remove the outer rim of the springform pan before serving.

Chocolate raspberry ice cream

1 cup strained raspberry puree (see below)
3 ounces unsweetened chocolate
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1  1/2 cups heavy cream
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup whole milk

For the raspberry puree, I blended about 4 cups of fresh raspberries and then strained out the seeds (stir the puree in the strainer to help it pass through faster).

Melt the chocolate in the top of a double boiler. Add the cocoa powder and whisk to blend. The chocolate will clump around (and in) the whisk. Add about a half cup of the cream and continue whisking to blend in the chocolate–you may want to use a knife to push the seized chocolate out of the whisk. Unsweetened chocolate is not very cooperative, so it may take a little while (and a lot of whisking) to incorporate it into the cream. Add the remaining cream and the sugar and whisk to blend, heating until the sugar is dissolved into the cream. Transfer the mixture to a blender and add the raspberry puree and the milk. Blend thoroughly to ensure that the chocolate is smoothly incorporated. Chill for at least two hours or overnight and then freeze in an ice cream maker per the manufacturer’s instructions.

For this chocolate raspberry tart, I used the coulis both in the ganache and as a sauce on top. My usual choice for a sweet pastry crust is Daniel Boulud’s pâte sablée from the  Café Boulud Cookbook. The recipe makes enough for two tarts; you can freeze the other half for later use. (Chef Boulud recommends freezing for up to a month, but I admit to having used a dough that was older than that, with good results.) I’ve included the recipe below. The original recipe calls for using an electric mixer or a food processor. I’ve included instructions for making the pastry the old-fashioned way.

Chocolate raspberry tart

pâte sablée for one tart crust (recipe follows)

1 1/3 cups heavy cream
1/2 cup sugar
100 grams dark chocolate (such as Lindt 70%), broken into small pieces
1 cup raspberry coulis, divided
Additional raspberries to decorate the finished tart

Prebake the pastry crust: Preheat the oven to 350 F (150 C). Roll out the dough and line a 9 inch tart pan. Cover the dough with a sheet of parchment paper, then fill with dried beans. Bake for 15 minutes, then remove the parchment and beans. Continue baking until golden (probably about 10 minutes).

To make the filling, heat the cream and sugar, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Do not boil the cream, as it might separate. Add the chocolate, wait a minute to melt the chocolate, then whisk to blend. Whisk in 1/2 cup raspberry coulis. Chill for about an hour, until it is fairly cold but not yet thickened.

Transfer the mixture to the bowl of an electric mixer and beat on high speed with the whisk attachment until the mixture thickens to the consistency of a very thick whipped cream. Pour into the pastry shell and chill until ready to serve.

To serve, pour the remaining raspberry coulis over the top and cover with a single layer of raspberries.

Daniel Boulud’s pâte sablée

9 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 large egg, lightly beaten
Note: I usually need a tablespoon of water to pull the dough together, probably because my farm eggs are too small.

For an electric mixer: Place all the ingredients except the egg in a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium-low speed until the mixture is crumbly. Add the egg and continue to mix only until the mixture comes together to form a moist soft dough—then stop. You don’t want to overmix the dough. You may have to lightly knead the dough a couple of times to finish pulling it together. Divide into two, press into rounds, wrap in plastic (or use a sealable plastic container), and refrigerate at least one hour or up to two days.

For a food processor: use the metal blade to process the sugar and butter until smooth. Add the flour and salt and process until the mixture is smooth again. Add the egg and process only unitl the dough forms curds and clumps. You may have to lightly knead the dough a couple of times to finish pulling it together. Divide into two, press into rounds, wrap in plastic (or use a sealable plastic container), and refrigerate at least one hour or up to two days.

By  hand: combine the sugar, flour, and salt in a bowl. Cut the butter into one-tablespoon-sized pieces and rub it into the flour mixture with your fingers until you have a course meal, with no large lumps of butter. Add the egg and stir to combine. Lightly knead up to ten times to pull the dough together. Divide into two, press into rounds, wrap in plastic (or use a sealable plastic container), and refrigerate at least one hour or up to two days.