CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER POT DE CREME with PEANUT BRITTLE TOPPING

Filling the ramekins with the peanut butter mixture 

before topping them with the chocolate

I usually use Valrhona Chocolate that I buy at Trader Joe's but 

semi-sweet Chocolate Chips work perfectly too.

Topped with freshly whipped cream and Peanut Brittle

My first party to cater in Alabama was in inspiration.  I had the pleasure of meeting the Bean and Ryan families to cater Elizabeth and Will's rehearsal dinner in Mountain Brook.  As with all of my clients I ask them to send the longest list they can of all of the foods they love (and equally important the foods they dislike) so that I can create a menu based on their personal taste.

In the three page list, chocolate and peanut butter came up numerous times.  So I thought it would be fun to create a dessert based on what they love.  I will type a separate recipe just for the peanut brittle because it is fabulous on its own but I will also include it here for ease in making the recipe.

The recipe I made was for 20 servings.  I'm going to try to half the recipe to make ten servings.  If anyone would like the exact larger recipe please email or DM me and I'll happily send it to you. 

CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER POT DE CREME

with PEANUT BRITTLE TOPPING

For the Peanut Butter Mixture:

2 cups peanut butter

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

2 cups powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract, optional

Mix the peanut butter and softened butter in a bowl until completely combined.  Slowly mix in the powdered sugar a half cup at a time.  Add the vanilla extract and combine.

Place a dollop of peanut butter in the middle of each ramekin.  It doesn't need to be perfect because it will be covered in chocolate.  Set on the counter near where you will be preparing your chocolate mixture.

For the Chocolate Mixture:

5 3.5-ounce bars of Valrhona 85% Cacao OR 

        1 16-ounce bag of semi sweet chocolate chips 

1 cup heavy cream

1 cup half and half or whole milk

2 eggs, beaten well 

1 tablespoon vanilla

6 tablespoons butter

1/3 cup powdered sugar

Remember that chocolate is finicky so watch the heat on this and be careful not to get it too high.  

Beat the eggs well and combine them with the heavy cream and milk.

Pour everything into a heavy bottomed saucepan.  If you do not have a heavy bottomed pan then you will need to use a double boiler.  But if the pan is heavy enough on the bottom and you keep the heat low you will be fine.  

Slowly melt the chocolate in with the cream, eggs and half and half, stirring occasionally.  When the chocolate begins to melt stir in the vanilla and butter.  Then stir in the powdered sugar.  

When the mixture is warm pour it over the peanut butter mixture in the ramekins.  Let cool for 5 to ten minutes and then cover each ramekin tightly with plastic wrap.  The dessert can be made at this point up to five days in advance and refrigerated.

For the whipped cream:

1 cup heavy whipping cream

2 tablespoons powdered sugar

I always make this about 30 minutes to an hour before I serve it.  I use a hand held blender because that is the easiest for me.  I don't like a lot of sugar in my whipped cream because the rest of the dessert is already rich and sweet that I want the whipped cream to be a light refreshing addition.  You can even put less sugar in if you wish.  

Whip the cream in a larger bowl than you think you will need because the cream will triple in volume.  Whip until you can see a pattern from the beaters in the cream and it forms soft peaks if you put a spoon in and lift it out.   If you overwhip the cream you will make butter.  So be careful not to overbeat the cream.

For the Peanut Brittle:

2 cups sugar

1 cup corn syrup

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup unsalted butter, cubed

2 cups roasted salted peanuts

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon baking soda

Extra butter to grease the baking sheet

Line a half-sheet baking pan with heavy duty aluminum foil or parchment paper.  Cover the foil or parchment paper and sides in butter.  Set right next to where you will be making the brittle.  (And you don't have to use the aluminum foil if you don't want to.  You can just butter the pan.  I personally find that the aluminum foil makes for super easy cleanup!)

In a heavy bottom saucepan with a candy thermometer attached to the side, put the sugar, corn syrup and water in a pan.  Turn the heat to medium and stir with a wooden spoon until the sugar dissolves. After the sugar dissolves you can add the butter and stir until it is melted.

Once the sugar mixture starts bubbling you can let it do its thing and not worry about stirring until it reaches 280 degrees on the candy thermometer (soft crack stage.  Which means if you took a spoonful of the candy mixture and put it in water it would make a pliable ball.)

When it hits 280 degrees stir in the peanuts.  At this point you have to stir constantly until the color darkens and it hits 300 degrees.  When it reaches the hard crack stage at 300 (which you can also tell by the dark amber color) then quickly remove it from the heat stir in the vanilla and baking soda.  It will foam and lighten.  (kind of a cool science trick!)  Stir quickly and then pour immediately onto the buttered baking sheet.  Spread it evenly on the sheet and let it cool.

Again, this is where the aluminum foil comes in handy.  Once the peanut brittle cools, I lift the foil up from the pan and gently pull the foil off the back of the brittle.  When I'm pulling the foil off of it, I break it into large pieces.  For this specific dessert I tried to break the brittle into triangle shaped shards so that it had a point on one end when I put it in the whipped cream.  Break it into whatever shaped pieces look pretty to you!

The peanut brittle can be made up to two weeks in advance and stored in an airtight tin, container or sealable plastic bag.  Just know that it may all get eaten by then because everyone loves it.  I had to make two batches of peanut brittle because we were all eating too much of the first batch. 

TO PUT THE WHOLE THING TOGETHER 

Let the chocolate peanut butter mixture be at room temperature for 2-6 hours so it isn't too hard when it is served.  Top with the freshly whipped cream and shard of peanut brittle and serve.