Chocolate Peanut Tarts

Total Time: 2 hrs 15 mins Preparation Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 1 hr 45 mins

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 1 pinch salt
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 10 tablespoons butter, very cold (can be frozen)
• 2 extra-large eggs
• 2 egg yolks
• 2 1/4 cups chunky peanut butter (super-chunk skippy brand suggested)
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 10 ounces semisweet chocolate, cut into very small pieces

Recipe

• 1 to make the pastry, blend flour, salt, sugar and butter in a food processor, using the metal blade, until the butter is in pieces the size of peas.
• 2 add the eggs and the extra yolks and process briefly until the mixture is uniform but does not form a ball.
• 3 place the crumbly dough on a board and knead, using he heel of your hand, until the ingredients are incorporated. a second kneading may be necessaary to make sure the dough forms into a ball easily.
• 4 divide the dough into two balls, using a metal scraper to push and scrape. cover with plastic wrap and chill for about an hour.
• 5 preheat the oven to 400 degrees. using butter or vegetable shortening, grease 20 shallow 3-inch tart pans. roll out the dough to 1/8-inch thickness and cut circles with a 3-1/2 inch round cutter. place the circles of dough in the tart pans and press the dough down with your fingers, creating a tiny ridge all the way around the edge of the pan. prick the bottoms with a fork and place the shells on a heavy duty baking sheet. refrigerate for half an hour.
• 6 (if you don't have 20 tart pans, bake a few at a time -- you can roll out the dough, cut the circles and chill them, and then pop the into the pans after the previous batch is baked.).
• 7 bake the shells in the preheated oven for 12-15 minutes, until the edges are brown. remove from the pans and cool on a rack.
• 8 when the shells are completely cooled, spread a tablespoon of peanut butter in the bottom of each one.
• 9 to make the chocolate glaze, scald the cream in a small saucepan. remove from heat and add the chopped chocolate. stir very gently with a rubber scraper. when the mixture is combined, strain it through a fine sieve to get rid of any lumps. pour the glaze over the shells up to the very edge. let them sit in a cool pace until the glaze becomes firm.