Little Box Brownie

A Baking Blog from Melbourne, Australia

Tart

Peanut butter and chocolate tart

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Don’t forget to get a copy of my first ever baking book, you can get it right here, just head to the shop page.

A few months ago I joined a Baking Meet up, its a group of people from all walks of life who love to bake, from beginners through to experts working in the industry. The group meets up whenever someone suggests something to do or somewhere to go and there are enough people wanting to be involved.

I have been to two so far we had a afternoon tea in the park one week, which was a blast. Then another one when we all meet at a little cafe. Everyone normally bakes something and brings it along, then we spend a few hours just chatting about baking and getting to know everyone. Its such a great way to get inspiration for the blog and just to enjoy and sample everyone’s baked goods.

Its also a very good excuse to bake something myself, but really who am I kidding, what excuse do I need. I first thought awesome this is going to be a great way to get rid of all the things I bake so I don’t end up eating them all, gaining weight and feeling sick from all the sugar . However when everyone brings such lush baked goods, you simply must try everything, well I have to. So I end up coming away feeling sick and I’m sure I’m stacking on the pounds, so my plan to get rid of cakes and sweets was a big fat fail. But hey its great meeting up with people who share a common interest and what else is life for if you can’t enjoy it a little once in a while. For the last meet up I baked a Peanut butter and chocolate tart as it was a tart theme, and everyone come with different tarts and magically there was no doubling up of the same type.

A few weeks before one of the girls who is a pastry chef, ran a tart making class for everyone at a commercial kitchen in South Melbourne. I unfortunately couldn’t make it, but it sounded amazing and such fun. So the last meet up was a spin off from that, so that everyone who went could practice their skills. Boy oh boy they didn’t disappoint, everyone’s tarts where super amazing. Elaine will be running more classes, I think there is a bread making one come up soon too, I will have to try to get to that one.

If you live in Melbourne and feel like getting out and meeting other people who love to bake you should join up, you can find all the details here. Its open to anyone you should just love to bake.

Happy Baking. xxx

Peanut Butter and Chocolate Tart
Author: Sophia Purvis
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 8
Ingredients
  • PASTRY
  • 150 g butter
  • 2 cups plain flour
  • ¾ cup white sugar
  • 1 egg
  • FILLING
  • 200g dark chocolate
  • 125g butter
  • 1 tbsp coffee granules
  • 200ml sour cream
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 3 eggs lightly beaten
  • ½ cup of peanut butter
Instructions
  1. Place the butter and flour into a food processor and pulse until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Add the sugar and pulse to combine. Add the egg and pulse until the mixture combines and forms a dough, add a small about of water if the mixture is to dry. Wrap the mixture into cling wrap and place in the fridge for 1 hour.
  2. Pre-heat the oven to 160C
  3. Remove from the fridge and roll out and place into a 12x30cm tart tin. Blind bake for 10 minutes, then remove the beans and bake for 5 minutes.
  4. To make the filling, place the chocolate, butter and coffee into a saucepan on a medium heat. Stir until the chocolate and butter have melted and the ingredients combine. While still on the heat add the sour cream and stir until combined then remove from the heat and whisk in the eggs. Pour the mixture into the tart case and place small dollops of peanut butter through the tart.
  5. Place the tart into the oven and bake for 30-40 minutes or until cooked.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Super Yummy Raspberry Tart

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Let me introduce you to the newest member of the Little Box Brownie Family, My newest Toy, the most exciting purchase ever, the cuties thing you ever did see………….. Drum roll please……….

My little 1950’s bondwood caravan. Isn’t she a dream? Granted she needs a lot of work, but isn’t she cute?

I told you a few months ago about my mid life crisis and how I was looking for a little caravan well I found her just a couple of k’s down the road, there she stood in the middle of a huge paddock, with daises spring up around her. I didn’t even look inside her as the owner couldn’t find the key but she was just what I was looking for so I told him I would take her. Well he looked at me like are your serious, your going to take her? Yep I’ll take her! He asked me quite a few times if I wanted to think about it, nope I said I’ll take her.
You realise she needs a lot of work he asked, and you don’t want to look inside?, yep thats fine I’ll take her. So I gave him a deposit and said I would be back. I was going to have to get new tyres for her before I could drive her as hers tyres where flat and cracked. So the lovely gentleman I brought her off said he would get some and change them for me.
In order to thank him for changing the tyres for me and selling me his awesome caravan, I baked him and his wife this little tart. Nothing is better than home baked goodness, well not in my book there isn’t.

I haven’t thought of a name for her yet any ideas?
My list so far is…

  • Little B
  • Cookies and cream (because she will be cream) I can’t take credit for this name, it was my sisters.
  • truly scrumptious (because when I drive around with her I sing the song from chitty chitty bangbang, your truly scrumptious, yes truly, truly scrumptious. (at the top of my lungs I might add)
  • Miss daisy (Because I’m driving miss daisy)
  • Gerty
  • lola
  • Cupcake (cos she is so cute)
Raspberry Tart
 
Pastry
125g butter
1 3/4 cup flour
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup almond meal
1 egg
 
 
Filling
 
75g butter
1 Tablespoon flour
3 Tablespoons sugar
1 egg
1 cup raspberries 
 
 
To make the base, place the butter, flour, sugar and almond meal into a food processor, and process until fine breadcrumbs form. Then add the egg and pulse a few times until a dough forms.
Roll out and place in a lined 12x35cm tray, place in the fridge for 30minutes.
Pre heat the oven to 160C
Blind bake the tart case for 10 minutes then remove the beans and bake for another 10minutes or until golden.
 
To make the filling,place the butter into a saucepan and heat until the butter melts and starts to foam, remove from the heat and set aside.
Place the flour, sugar and egg into a bowl, using and electric beater, whisk until light and fluffy. Slowly pour in the butter while whisking until it is all incorporated. 
Place the raspberries into the tart case and pour over the mixture. 
Place in the oven and bake for 30 minutes. or until golden
 
 
 

Chocolate tart

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I was going to see my little friend Joe and his baby sister, and thought I should take him a little something, after all he had only just celebrated his 3rd birthday. I decided upon a brownie tart, with extra chocolate chips in it just for him. Well it was a hit, he gobbled it up and declared me his new best friend:) So if your looking for a great chocolate tart to make this one will appeal to the young and old and might even make you a new best friend. Happy baking.

Sophia

 Joe’s Chocolate Brownie Tart  
Pastry
 
1 1/2 cups plain flour
2/3 cup white sugar
1/4 cup cocoa powder
250g butter
1 egg
 
Brownie filling
 
200g butter
150g milk chocolate
1 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
1/4 cup milk
1 cup plain flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 tablespoon cocoa
1/2 cup walnuts (plus extra to sprinkle)
1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
 
Pre heat the oven to 150°C
 
Place the flour, sugar, cocoa and butter in to a food processor and pulse until combined. Then add the egg and pulse again until a dough starts to forms. Remove from the processor, and kneed on a floured surface until just smooth. Wrap it in plastic wrap and place in the fridge for 1 hour.
 
Remove from the fridge and roll out of a floured surface until about 2mm thick, then place into 20cm tart tin. Blind bake for 15 minutes, remove the beans and place back in the oven for a further 10minutes, remove from the oven.
 
To make the brownie filling, melt the buter and chocolate in a double boiler until they combine, remove from the heat and set aside. Mean while whisk the sugar, eggs and vanilla essence together using and electric beater. Slowly pour in the cocolate and butter mixture, then add the milk while constantly beating. Sift the flour, baking powder and cocoa into the mixture and stir to combine. Add the walnuts and chocolate chips, then pour into the tart case. Bake for 1 hour or until cooked.
 

Chai and Caramel Pear Tart

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Pear Tart

Are you a coffee drinker? I’m not I can’t stand the stuff. Coffee has the most amazing aroma though it really is quite deceiving, it smells so sweet and caramelised yet tastes so incredibly bitter. If I do drink it I have to add in piles of sugar and I prefer to use my sugar intake a little more wisely on something I enjoy eating….. such as cake!!! More than a few years ago I was with someone who ordered a chai tea. I remember smelling it thinking wow that smells amazing with all the Indian spices and to my surprise tasted equally as good, so from then on in I have been a chai convert, swapping my hot chocolates to a Chai tea. Sometimes though it is a bit of a hit and miss with chai as there are different forms of the tea, you can get syrups and powders, but my favourite would have to be the actual tea spices, when they are infused into the milk and some honey added. Yum its like a warm comfort drink, perfect for the winter. I have wanted to use it in my baking for ages as I see all these wonderful chai recipes on other sites so finally decided to give it a whirl in this next tart I came up with.
If you don’t feel like making the tart, as it does require a bit of time, the poached pears are amazing on there own or would be perfect with some creamed rice:)

Chai and Pear Caramel Tart
 
Pastry
150g butter
1 1/2 cups plain flour
1/2 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 egg
1 tablespoon water 
 
Pears
5 small pears  (all the same size)
3 cups water
1/2 cup white sugar
2 tablespoons chai tea (I used T2)
 
Caramel
50g butter
390g sweetened condensed milk
1 1/2 tbsp golden syrup 
 
Topping
1/2 cup thickened cream
50g butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon golden syrup
Bouquet garni of chai*
1 cup plain flour
1 egg
 
pre heat oven to 170C
 
To make the pastry, place the butter, flour, sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg into a food processor and pulse until fine breadcrumbs form. Then add the egg and water, pulse until a dough starts to form. Turn onto a floured surface and knead gently until smooth. Place in cling wrap and put in the refrigerator for 30mins (now is the ideal time to start the pears). Remove from the fridge and roll out until about 2mm thick, turn into a 25cm lined round tin and blind bake for 10 mins. Remove the beans and bake for another 10mins. set aside
 
Peel the pears and then place into a saucepan with the water, sugar and chai. Let this simmer for about 30minutes on a medium heat or until the pears are soft. Remove from the heat and set aside. 
 
To make the caramel place the butter, condensed milk and golden syrup into a saucepan, and on a medium heat boil until the mixture becomes golden brown. Make sure you constantly stir otherwise it will stick to the bottom and burn.
 
To make the topping, Place the cream, butter, sugar, golden syrup and the bouquet of chai into a saucepan and slowly simmer until the ingredients combine, and the chai infuses into the mixture. Remove from the heat and remove the bouquet. Stir in the flour and the egg until well combined.
 
To assemble, pour the caramel into the tart case, then place the pears in so they are evenly spaced. Pour in the topping and bake for 45 mins or until cooked.

*chai tea wrapped in muslin and tied with string, you could also use two chai teabags.

Pear and Chai Tart