Chili Peanut Butter Tart

This is a rich, dense peanut butter tart with a sprinkling of chili flakes on top. 

These photos do it no justice.  I wish I had a slate board. This pie would look really good on a black slate board.  This is all just so..neutral and nude when put on my wooden chopping board.  Everything's just.. sepia. Like some hipster instagram. 


I tried photoshopping it some more, and now here it just looks over-dramatic, doesn't it?  I think I overdid it with the contrast.

Anyway.  Chili and peanut butter - obvious combination.  You see it in South East Asian cooking all the time.  So if the combination proves to be popular, why not exist in a different setting? If there's chili chocolates, why not chili peanut butter tarts?  It adds such a nice kick.

This would do great with a bit of creme fraiche on top.  


Ingredients
Pastry crust (recipe from here)
200g flour
113g butter
1 egg
50g sugar

Filling
1/2 cup peanut butter
2 tbsp melted butter
sugar, to taste
chili, to taste

Garnish
1/4 cup sugar
2 tbsp roasted peanuts

Method
For the pastry:
Beat the butter and the sugar together until fluffy.  Mix in the flour and the egg until a dough forms.  Wrap in cling film and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. 

Lightly grease a tart pan.  Roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface to about 5mm thick.  Lightly pat the dough onto the bottom and sides of the pan - don't worry if it hangs, just leave it.  Cover with cling film and let rest for another 30 minutes in the fridge.  Preheat the oven to 180C.

Prick the bottom of the pastry all over with a fork.  Bake for about 20 minutes or until golden.  Remove from oven and let cool.

Make the filling by heating the peanut butter and butter over a double boiler and mix in the sugar.  Then fill the tart shell with the mixture and allow it to cool and set in the fridge for about 30 minutes.  Sprinkle with chili flakes.

For the garnish:
Put the sugar in a pan over medium high heat, and without stirring, let the sugar melt. Shake the pan around to allow it to evenly heat the sugar, and once it begins to melt and turn amber, toss in the chopped roasted peanuts, then pour the mixture out onto a sheet of baking paper and allow to cool.  Then break into pieces and put on top of the tart.