Chocolate, Pretzel, Peanut Butter, Dulce De Leche, Banana Insanity Tart
 
You know how sometimes you get one of those ideas for a recipe and it kinda sticks with you in the front of your mind until you make it? That was this. It's indulgent, but it all works together, not surprisingly, very well. It's really not hard to make, but there are a lot of steps. Don't let that intimidate you!
Ingredients
  • 6½ oz pretzels
  • ¼ tsp baking powder
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • 11 Tbsp butter, room temperature, divided
  • ¼ c powdered sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 10 oz dark chocolate, chopped fine
  • 2 Tbsp smooth peanut butter
  • 2 1 /4 cups heavy cream, divided
  • 1 banana, ripe - but not banana bread ripe
  • ⅓ c dulce de leche (recipe below)
  • 2 Tbsp granulated sugar
Method
  1. Prepare the crust
  2. Using a food processor, grind the pretzels, baking powder, and salt into a very fine powder. Set aside.
  3. In the bowl of your stand mixer, cream 7 Tbsp of butter with the powdered sugar until very light and fluffy. Add the egg and beat well to combine, stopping frequently to scrape the bowl. Add the pretzle mixture and blend just to combine. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate about 30 minutes until firm but not rock hard.
  4. Press the crust into a 6" - 9" round fluted tart pan with tall sides and a removable bottom. I used a 6" pan. Be sure to firmly pack the edges and the bottom, aiming for a 90 degree angle between the edge and base. You want the crust to be about ¼" thick. When the shell is totally filled, place in the freezer for about 30 minutes, or until completely frozen.
  5. When the shell is chilled, preheat your oven to 350F. Bake shell for 10 minutes, then rotate and bake for another 10 minutes, or until slightly browned. Carefully remove from oven and cool completely on a rack. The shell will be very delicate when warm, but I promise it will get sturdier as it cools!
  6. Prepare the chocolate and peanut filling
  7. Place the chopped dark chocolate in a large, heat proof bowl. Chop the remaining 4 tablespoons of softened butter into ¼" dice and sprinkle over the chocolate. Add the peanut butter in two tablespoon sized scoops. Set aside.
  8. Place 1¼ cups of heavy whipping cream in a small saucepan. Return the remaining 1 c to the fridge to chill - you'll be whipping this later. Heat the 1¼ cup of cream gently to a simmer, stirring occasionally. When you see bubbles forming on the surface, pour evenly over the chopped chocolate mixture. Cover the bowl tightly. Let set 10 minutes, then whisk gently to completely melt the chocolate and incorporate the cream.
  9. Pour half of the chocolate mixture into the cooled tart shell. Slice the banana and layer evenly over the surface of the chocolate. Top with the remaining chocolate mixture and place in fridge to cool completely, about an hour.
  10. When the chocolate is firm, gently spread the dulce de leche over top. If you'd like to use more than ⅓ of a cup, then by all means - go crazy!
  11. Prepare the Whipped Cream
  12. For the last element, whip the remaining 1 cup of cream in a medium sized bowl with the sugar. Beat at high speed until stiff peaks form and then spread evenly over the tart. Serve chilled.
Notes
Crust and chocolate filling slightly modified from <a href="http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2012/12/chocolate-pretzel-tart-recipe.html" data-mce-href="http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2012/12/chocolate-pretzel-tart-recipe.html">Serious Eats</a><br data-mce-bogus="1">
Recipe by Whisk Kid at https://whisk-kid.com/2015/05/road-trip-chocolate-pretzel-peanut-butter-dulce-de-leche-banana-insanity-tart/