Valentine's Dessert - Chocolate and PB heaven

Peanut Butter and Chocolate Tart

Do you like peanut butter and rich chocolate together?
Then this tart is for you.

This recipe is actually two recipes that I merged together.  The peanut butter crust comes from Kraft Canada – from their Peanut Butter Cookie recipe located here.  Instead of making cookies, I used the dough and made the crust for my tart.

The chocolate decadence comes from Rachel Ray, she made Pots de Creme recipe on the Oprah Show years back, but you can find it here.  Instead of pouring the chocolate into small cups, I pour it into the cooked peanut butter crust.

Here's my merge of the two recipes:

Ingredients:

Crust:
1 cup Peanut Butter, smooth is best
1/2 cup Sugar
1 tea of Vanilla
1 large Egg (room temp, lightly beaten)

Filling:
2/3 cup of Homo Milk (don’t use 2% or nonfat)
1 large Egg (room temp) lightly beaten
2 Tbs Sugar
Pinch of salt
1 cup of Good quality Semi Sweet Chocolate chips
2 Tbs of either Frangelico or any chocolate Liqueur (optional)

Topping: (optional)
2 cups of Whipped Cream or cool whip (optional)

Tools:  Mixing bowl, small bowl, measure cups and spoons, stir spoon, 9” spring form pan or pie plate, blender or food processor, sauce pan/pot.

Step 1:

Preheat oven to 325.  In a mixing bowl, mix all the crust ingredients together with a spoon.  

Take the dough and press on the bottom of the pan to make the crust.  Make sure the dough is pressed evenly throughout the pan and up the sides about ½   ¾” to hold in the filling.  Take a fork and pierce the bottom only a 2-3 times to release steam.

Bake, for about 10-15 minutes until it’s golden brown.  Remove and let it cool completely before going to step 2.

Step 2:

Heat the milk in the sauce pan until it almost comes to a boil.  Must be hot, too hot to drink but not boiling.  Don't let the milk separate.

Put the rest of the filling items in a blender or processor.  
Add the hot milk slowing as you slowing whip together.  Go in stages. The hot milk will cook the egg and melt the chocolate.

Once all the milk has been used and the chocolate is melted, take the liquid and pour over the cool crust.  Make sure the liquid is spread over the crust equally.

Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 – 2 hours to set.

Step 3:
Remove the sides of the spring form (gently) and place onto a serving dish.  If you can remove from the bottom, try but don't force.  You can cut into the tart using a dull edge.

Serve with whip cream on the side, or on top if you wish (optional).

This is the chocolate I used.  It's delicious!

Enjoy!

Cookbook: Flavours of Edmonton (for our Valentine's entree dish)

 Culina's Grilled Sirloin with Blue Cheese and Red Wine Chocolate Sauce

I am cooking dinner this Valentines and wanted to incorporate an ingredient that is pretty popular on this day: chocolate. In keeping with the chocolate theme, I found this recipe in a cookbook I bought a few years ago for the main entree.  

Flavours of Edmonton is a cookbook that was compiled by CBC Edmonton and Lovoni Walker.  It's a collection of recipes from local restaurants and citizens of Edmonton.  A potluck sort of collection.  CBC Edmonton radio made a call out for any recipe people would want to share.  (I wished I could have sent one if I known sooner)  The proceeds of each cookbook went Edmonton's Food Bank.

Did you know that the Edmonton Food bank was the first in Canada?  It started in 1981, and feeds +15,000 people - 40% of whom are children.  Sad, if you think of it. 

I highly recommend getting this book (if it's still available)  I bought my cookbook at Audrey's Bookstore on Jasper avenue and 107 street.   I just love that bookstore.  The cookbook is a great collection of recipes, including this amazing dish from Culina's restaurant.

I've been to Culina (so YUMMY) a few times, but seem to miss this entree.  It's their grilled sirloin steak with blue cheese and red wine/chocolate sauce.  I guess it's a popular dish, and even made it onto this month's Avenue magazine.   It includes blue cheese, which some people don't like - but luckily my hubby and I love the cheese on steak. To have them share their recipe is awesome.  Maybe, the next time I go to Culina I'll order this dish.  Until then, I'll try the recipe and show you below.

That's medium, I think the red accents are making it look more rare.

The recipe is made for four people, but I sized it down to two, but kept the sauce amount the same.  I just didn't want to mess much with measurements, and I always love sauce.  Oh, and this recipe asks for two wines: red and white.

Ingredients:

4 x 9 oz Beef Sirloin Steaks (I used 2 steaks instead)

Potatoes, cooked and mashed to serve (make your favourite recipe)

Blue Cheese Cream Sauce:

3 Tbsp butter

2 Tbsp finely chopped onion

1 tsp minced garlic

1/4 cup dry white wine

1 cup whipping cream

1/2 cup creamy blue cheese

salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Chocolate Sauce:

1 cup demi glaze* (see note below)

1/4 cup red wine

pinch of salt

1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper

3 Tbsp grated dark chocolate (I used only 2 Tbsp)

Tools:  Around four sauce pan/pots, a grill pan, potato masher, spoons, measure cups and spoons, grater, knife, cutting board and a wine opener.

Step 1:
Grill steaks over medium-high until cooked to your likeness.  Cover and set aside.

Step 2: Blue Cheese Sauce
To make blue cheese cream, heat the butter in medium frying pan over medium.  Add onion and garlic.  Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened.  Add wine and simmer until wine is reduced by about half.  Add cream and cook until thickened (about 5 - 10 minutes).  Stir in blue cheese, salt and pepper.  Simmer for 5 minutes.  Keep warm.

Step 3: Chocolate Sauce
To make chocolate sauce, combine demi glaze*, wine, salt and pepper in a medium fry pan over medium heat.  Simmer for 5 minutes to cook alcohol off wine.  Remove from heat, add chocolate and stir to combine.

To serve, place steaks on mashed potatoes.  Drizzle with blue cheese cream and chocolate sauce.

I went a little crazy with the sauce, but this dish is pretty tasty.

All in all, I really liked the recipe, and I think I will do it again (maybe be a bit lighter on the sauce). 

If this recipe doesn't appeal to you, don't give up on the book. There's lots of other recipes you can try.

Note: Demi -Glace (Glaze)
When I first saw this recipe, I honestly had to look up demi-glaze.  I had a feeling it was a gravy - but wasn't sure.  Demi Glace is generally made with beef stock, beef/veal bone broth, butter and flour.  I guess you can make your own, or you can do what I did and buy the packaged style.  I found Knorr package next to the spices and it's really easy, just add water.  

Where did we buy our sirloin steaks?  

Acme Meat Market

Phone: (780) 433-1812

Email: acme.meatmarket@gmail.com
Address: 9531 76 Ave NW, Edmonton
They know their meats and know how to cut/butcher meat.  My hubby and I like shopping here and recommend anyone looking for a special cut of meat.  Give them a call. They are very accommodating.