A very special someone had a birthday this past week. A lover of all things peanut butter, I wracked my brain to come up with just the right dessert to present for his birthday ‘cake’.

I remembered when I was growing up, my Maw-maw would make my brother a peanut butter chocolate pie every year for his birthday. As simple as it seemed, it was so decadent and delicious with the perfect balance of salty, smooth peanut butter and rich chocolate filling. Her pie mixed the two flavors together in a simple classic buttery pie crust, creating the perfect combination of salty and sweet with a terrific crunch from the flaky crust.

I knew I had to attempt to recreate that taste memory in a dessert for my favorite human, so I opted to remake her pie into a delicate tart instead. I liked the idea of keeping the two flavors separate for a layered effect similar to a Reese’s Peanut Butter cup (one of my favorite candies). My crust is made from the cookie bits of an entire package of Oreos, because I couldn’t find chocolate cookies without the middle. Painstakingly removing the goopy cream was totally worth it though. It’s the perfect crunchy base to the super creamy whipped peanut butter.

Needless to say, this tart hit it out of the park, and I’m sure it will be the star of many future birthdays.

Whipped Peanut Butter & Chocolate Ganache Tart

Ingredients

Chocolate Cookie Crust
1 package Oreo cookies, middles removed
4 oz. bittersweet chocolate, chopped
4 Tbsp salted butter, cubed

Creamy Peanut Butter Filling
8 oz. room temperature cream cheese
1 cup smooth peanut butter
1 cup sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup cold heavy cream

Chocolate Ganache
4 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
1/2 cup heavy cream
Mini Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, halved

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Grind the cookies in a food processor. Combine the chopped chocolate and butter in a pot and heat until chocolate melts, stirring constantly. Once melted, immediately remove from heat. Combine with the cookie crumbs. Press the mixture evenly over the bottom and up the rim of a 10-inch tart pan with a removable bottom, keeping it even throughout. Bake the crust for 10 minutes, then let cool on a rack.

Meanwhile, in a standing mixer, beat the cream cheese and peanut butter. Once fluffy, add sugar and vanilla and blend thoroughly. Transfer to a large glass bowl. Using the whisk attachment, whip the chilled cream until firm. Fold one-third of the whipped cream into the peanut butter mixture, then fold in the remaining whipped cream. Spoon the filling into the crust, smoothing the surface. Refrigerate uncovered 1 hour.

For the ganache, combine the chocolate with the heavy cream in a pan and heat until the chocolate is just melted and the cream is steamy. Stir the ganache until blended, then let cool, stirring occasionally. Spread the chocolate topping over the chilled peanut butter filling, rotating to cover completely, then sprinkle the Reese’s cups around the edges of the pie. Refrigerate for an additional 3 hours.

Serve chilled, cut into wedges, cleaning the knife between each slice.