TWD: Peanut Butter Torte

This weeks recipe, peanut butter torte, was picked by Elizabeth of Ugg Smell Food. Here in the Netherlands we really like peanut butter, we don't put jelly on it, but just put it on a slice of bread with some butter. The major brand is Calve which is made less than 20 km from my home, they have been making peanut butter for almost 125 years now. This is the stuff I grew up on! So instead of buying a jar of Jif at the import section of the supermarket I used my favorite local brand, which tastes better also of course ;-)

I didn't have enough oreo crumbs to get up the full 2 inch, but the result was that you get a nice layering if you see it from the side.

It was my niece's 12th birthday last week so I made this torte to go with the coffee. Everybody liked it, but we all thought that it was very rich, which makes a lot of sense if you look at the ingredients.

(I cut a slice of torte for the picture when the chocolate ganache wasn't fully set, that's why it isn't picture perfect, sorry!)

Ingredients:
1 ¼ c. finely chopped salted peanuts (for the filling, crunch and topping)
2 teaspoons sugar
½ teaspoon instant espresso powder (or finely ground instant coffee)
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
½ c. mini chocolate chips (or finely chopped semi sweet chocolate)
24 Oreo cookies, finely crumbed or ground in a food processor or blender
½ stick (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
Small pinch of salt
2 ½ c. heavy cream
1 ¼ c confectioners’ sugar, sifted
12 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1 ½ c salted peanut butter – crunchy or smooth (not natural; I use Skippy)
2 tablespoons whole milk
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate finely chopped

Preparation:
Getting ready: center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter a 9-inch Springform pan and place it on a baking sheet lined with parchment or a silicone mat.
Toss ½ cup of the chopped peanuts, the sugar, espresso powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and chocolate chops together in a small bowl. Set aside.
Put the Oreo crumbs, melted butter and salt in another small bowl and stir with a fork just until crumbs are moistened. Press the crumbs evenly over the bottom and up the sides of the spring form pan (they should go up about 2 inches on the sides). Freeze the crust for 10 minutes.

Bake the crust for 10 minutes, then transfer it to a rack and let it cool completely before filling.
Working with a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, whip 2 cups of the cream until it holds medium peaks. Beat in ¼ cup of the confectioners’ sugar and whip until the cream holds medium-firm peaks. Scrape the cream into a bowl and refrigerate until needed.
Wipe out (do not wash) the bowl, fit the stand mixer with the paddle attachment if you have one, or continue with the hand mixer, and beat the cream cheese with the remaining 1 cup confectioners’ sugar on medium speed until the cream cheese is satiny smooth. Beat in the peanut butter, ¼ cup of the chopped peanuts and the milk.

Using a large rubber spatula, gently stir in about one quarter of the whipped cream, just to lighten the mousse. Still working with the spatula, stir in the crunchy peanut mixture, then gingerly fold in the remaining whipped cream.

Scrape the mousse into the crust, mounding and smoothing the top. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or overnight; cover with plastic wrap as soon as the mousse firms.

To Finish The Torte: put the chopped chocolate in a heatproof bowl and set the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Leave the bowl over the water just until the chocolate softens and starts to melt, about 3 minutes; remove the bowl from the saucepan.
Bring the remaining ½ cup cream to a full boil. Pour the cream over the chocolate and , working with a a rubber spatula, very gently stir together until the ganache is completely blended and glossy.
Pour the ganache over the torte, smoothing it with a metal icing spatula. Scatter the remaining ½ cup peanuts over the top and chill to set the topping, about 20 minutes.
When the ganache is firm, remove the sides of the Springform pan; it’s easiest to warm the pan with a hairdryer, and then remove the sides, but you can also wrap a kitchen towel damped with hot water around the pan and leave it there for 10 seconds. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Comments

Engineer Baker said…
Who needs picture perfect when it tastes that good? :)
Heather B said…
Yum! Great looking torte!
CB said…
I say its a perfect looking slice! Happy 12th birthday to your niece! Tort-tastic job! :)
Clara @ I♥food4thought
Anonymous said…
Peanut butter with butter? Shut. Up. And what a lucky niece! A very chic birthday treat for 12.
Anonymous said…
we eat PB the same way where i come from... and completely agree on the richness of the torte. more cheese, less PB for me...!
Sarah said…
Your torte looks picture perfect! I didn't get the cookie crust to go up the sides either. Great job!
welcome back--i'd dream of visiting mexico city one day!

your torte looks great, especially with locally made PB!
Andrea said…
Lovely looking torte. My ganache did the same thing. But chocolate doesn't cope well with 33C heat...
Mumsy said…
Great job, Noskos!
kimberly salem said…
your torte looks beautiful! it was *very* rich... i couldn't even finish licking the bowl ;)
Di said…
I agree--no need for jelly with peanut butter. =) I've never tried peanut butter with butter on bread, though I do like peanut butter and cream cheese. Your torte looks great!
Bumblebutton said…
Nice job--and nice way to pass along the fat and calories!
marae said…
thanks for the comment on my torte, yours looks wonderful too and i bet it was TASTY. you can't go wrong with PB.
PheMom said…
Yum is much more important then pretty - looks great to me anyway!
Christine said…
Your niece is one lucky girl to get such a beautiful torte on her birthday! Happy Birthday and good job!
Anne said…
What a great birthday treat! Great job, that Peanut Butter sounds wonderful and the torte looks amazing!
Mary Ann said…
quit apologizing please! It looks delicious- I am interested in tasting the pb there, how good can it be? hmm
PheMom said…
Oh I'll bet it was alot better with your local brand. Peanut butter is just one of those things that is always better when it is the kind we grew up with - its such a nostalgic flavor. Great job on your torte!
Anonymous said…
The picture doesn't have to be perfect - it looks great as it is.
Annemarie said…
I think it looks perfect! I didn't wait even 5 min for the ganache to set, but I loved the gooiness of it! Welcome back!
ostwestwind said…
A perfect slice of torte.

Thanks for the help with the graham crackers

Ulrike from Küchenlatein
Anonymous said…
It looks great! My oreos didn't make it up the sides of my pan either. I did a coarse chop so they sort of stayed at the bottom, but it worked in the end. :)
Cheryl said…
Looks good! That's great that you could use your favorite brand of peanut butter. : )
Mari said…
Your niece is a lucky lady! Love the square plate!
Anonymous said…
That's a good lookin' slice!
I definitely had mine with a cup o' joe too! :)
Melissa said…
That's a great looking slice...and "rich" is an understatement!!!

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