Tuesdays with Dorie: Peanut Butter Torte

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Peanut butter. Chocolate. Cream cheese. Heavy cream. All of these are ingredients which, in and of themselves, are enough to jump start ones taste buds into high gear. When combined all together in one dessert, the result can be downright dangerous! This week's Tuesdays with Dorie recipe is just that - deliciously and decadently dangerous. I'm just still undecided as to whether or not that is a good thing.

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Elizabeth of Ugg Smell Food, chose Dorie's Peanut Butter Torte for our latest installment of TWD. In addition to the above ingredients this coma-inducing confection also boasts an Oreo cookie crust and lots of chopped peanuts. While there are quite a lot of steps involved in creating this torte, there is nothing really difficult about it. The only baking required is a ten minute stint in the oven for the crust.

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After being a bit underwhelmed by last week's recipe, I was really excited to whip up this dessert. I'm a big fan of all of these ingredients and I could only imagine how wonderful they would be all rolled up into one fabulous torte. And fabulous it was!

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I didn't deviate from the recipe at all, except that I used honey roasted peanuts instead of the salted ones. That was because I had one and not the other. If I make it again, I think that I would top the torte with a thick fudge sauce instead of the chocolate ganache. The ganache got pretty hard and it cracked when I cut into it. Other than that, I think the recipe is terrific as it stands.
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The torte was creamy and crunchy and absolutely delicious. The texture of the filling was kind of like a whipped peanut butter mousse. It was also incredibly rich. So rich that, after just a few bites, no one could eat any more, including the five year-olds that I served it to. Now, THAT'S rich!

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Dorie's Peanut Butter Torte is definitely a dessert to make when your goal is to impress. I certainly would. It's a showstopper! But, I do think that like everything else, too much of a good thing can be.....well.....too much.

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Peanut Butter Torte

(Printable Recipe)

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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

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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.

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Toss ½ cup of the chopped peanuts, the sugar, espresso powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and chocolate chops together in a small bowl. Set aside.
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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.

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Bake the crust for 10 minutes, then transfer it to a rack and let it cool completely before filling.

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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.

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Wipe out (no need to 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.

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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.
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Scrape the mouse 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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Refrigerate until ready to serve.

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Enjoy!