Makes eight 4½” tarts
For the Tart Shells- (slightly adjusted from Rose Levy Beranbaum)
¾ cup all-purpose flour
¼ cup white whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
⅛ teaspoon salt
½ cup dark brown sugar
¼ cup granulated sugar
4 oz. (1 stick) cold, unsalted butter cut into cubes
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1 egg
½ teaspoon vanilla
Butter and flour 8 tartlet pans (with removable bottoms) measuring 4½” across by ¾” deep. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flours, baking soda and salt. Place the brown and granulated sugars in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the blade attachment. Pulse once or twice to combine, then add the cubed butter, peanut butter, egg and vanilla. Pulse several times until the mixture is combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the dry ingredients and pulse just until the mixture is combined; do not over mix. Scrape the dough onto a large piece of plastic wrap, pat it into a disc, thoroughly wrap in plastic and refrigerate for several hours before rolling out. When ready to roll out the dough, lightly flour a sheet of parchment paper. Turn the dough out onto the parchment and place a large sheet of plastic wrap on top of the dough. Roll the dough to a thickness of about ⅛”. Cut out 8 circles of dough about 6” in diameter. Fit the dough into the tartlet pans, smoothing it evenly across the bottom and up the sides of the pans. Place the tartlet pans on a baking sheet and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or pop them into the freezer for 15 minutes to firm up before baking. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Bake the tartlet shells on the middle rack of the oven for 12 minutes, rotating the pan once halfway though. The tart shells will puff up in the middle; when you remove them from the oven, use a ¼ cup metal measuring cup to gently pat the dough down. Place the baking sheet with the tartlet shells on a rack to cool completely.
For the Fillings-
1 cup of good quality jam (concord grape, strawberry or raspberry)
8 oz. milk or dark chocolate, melted and cooled
one pint of your favorite ice cream
Salted Caramel* (see recipe below)
coarsely chopped peanuts
coarsely chopped pretzels
fresh berries or grapes
Handle the baked, cooled tart shells with care. Use an offset spatula to spread about 1 tablespoon of jam or a thin layer of cooled, melted chocolate in the bottom of the tart shells. Add a few scoops of your favorite ice cream and drizzle with caramel, peanuts or pretzels. Or all three. Garnish with fresh berries or if you're lucky, concord grapes.
Salted Caramel (from Leslie Mackie)
1 cup granulated sugar
½ cup water
½ cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
½ -1 teaspoon sea salt (adjust to your liking)
In a heavy bottomed saucepan, combine the sugar and the water. Whisk to combine, then bring to a simmer. Brush the sides of the pan with a pastry brush to keep sugar crystals from forming. Cook until the liquid turns amber. Carefully add the cream, which will cause the caramel to bubble up. Mix with a whisk until combined and cook over low heat until the sauce thickens slightly. Whisk in the butter and sea salt to taste. Cool slightly before serving.
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