Peanut chocolate caramel cups

Crunchy peanut butter gives added texture to the biscuit dough used as the pastry for these little tarts, which are filled with a delicious chewy caramel.

Peanut chocolate caramel cups. Credit: The Chocolate Queen

• makes

  12

• prep

  30 minutes

• cook

  1 hour

• difficulty

  Mid

Ingredients

Peanut cookie cups

• 85 g unsalted butter
• 65 g brown sugar
• 65 g caster sugar
• 95 g crunchy peanut butter
• ½ (30g) egg
• 125 g plain flour
• pinch of baking powder
• pinch of sea salt
• 75 g good quality milk couverture chocolate, chopped
• plain flour, for dusting

 

Caramel filling

• 250 g thickened cream
• 1 tsp vanilla bean paste
• pinch of sea salt
• 185 g caster sugar
• 65 g liquid glucose
• 35 g water
• 150 g unsalted butter
• 25 g honey
• ½ tsp bicarbonate soda
• 75 g good quality milk couverture chocolate

Cooling time: 1 hour.

You will need a confectionery thermometer for this recipe.

Instructions

1. For the cookie cups: Heat the oven to 190°C (170°C, fan forced).
2. Beat the butter, brown and caster sugar until the butter is completely smooth and combined.
3. Add the peanut butter followed by the egg and mix to combine. Mix in the flour, baking powder and salt until almost combined. Lastly, add the chopped milk chocolate and mix until the ingredients just come together as a dough.
4. On a lightly floured workbench, divide into 12 even portions. Place each piece of dough into a greased muffin tin and press it into the base and sides to form a cup.
5. Line each cup with scrunched baking paper, and fill with uncooked rice.
6. Blind bake in the pre-heated oven for 8 minutes.
7. Remove the lining and bake for a further 10 minutes.
8. Allow to cool slightly. When the cookie cups are firm enough to handle but still warm, remove them from the tin and allow to cool completely at room temperature. Clean and dry the muffin tin.
9. When the cookie cups have cooled completely, return them to the clean tin.
10. For the filling: Place the cream, vanilla and salt into a saucepan and heat until it almost boils.
11. In a large saucepan, heat the sugar, glucose and water until it reaches 145°C. Reduce to low heat and immediately add the butter and honey and whisk by hand to incorporate.
12. In 3 additions, pour the hot cream mixture over the caramel and whisk to combine.
13. Carefully add the bicarbonate soda then increase the heat and bring to 118°C. Once the caramel reaches temperature, remove from the heat and immediately add the chocolate, whisking to incorporate.
14. Pour the caramel into the prepared peanut cookie cups and allow to set at room temperature for 1 hour.

Note

Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 7 days.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.