Made By Melis: Peanut Butter & Chocolate Bars

WORDS & PHOTO Melissa Tsai

I’m one of those people who eats something delicious and immediately wants to go home and recreate it. And so I did, but not quite immediately. A couple of years ago, while traveling through  Hong Kong Airport (HKG), I picked up a chocolate/fruit/nut bar from a Starbucks. It was delicious and hearty. After studying the list of ingredients, I realized it was grain/wheat free and rather healthy. Save: it was mentally stored in my back of brain to make later. 

Fast-forward two years later to one random morning: I have a craving for something comforting and (ideally) healthy. Most of the time, these two things don’t come hand in hand. I raided my pantry and gathered a bunch of ingredients on the counter. Oh! There is nothing more comforting than the combination of peanut butter and chocolate. Spotting dates and almonds, it brought me back to that yummy breakfast bar I had in Hong Kong. The best part of this recipe is that it is no-bake.

Peanut Butter & Chocolate Bars

ingredients:
chocolate layer
1 cup dates, pitted
1 cup almonds
½ cup sunflower seeds
1 tbsp flaxseeds
¼ cup milk chocolate chips
½ cup unsweetened cocoa

peanut butter layer
½ cup dates, pitted
½ cup peanut butter
½ cup almonds
¼ cup sunflower seeds
1 tbsp flaxseeds

directions:
For the chocolate layer, mix the dates in a food processor until they come together in a ball. Remove and set aside. Then process the almonds, seeds, chocolate chips, and cocoa together. Add the dates back in and blend until the mixture is well incorporated. Add in a few more dates if the mixture is too dry.
Pour into a 8” x 8” pan lined with parchment paper. Using a spatula, press until you have a flat and even layer of chocolate mixture. Place in the freezer.
For the peanut butter layer, process the dates in a food processor (after cleaning it out). Remove and set aside. Then process almonds, and seeds together until it is a fine crumb. Add the peanut butter and dates and blend until the mixture is well incorporated.
Pour the mixture over the chocolate layer. Using a spatula, press until you have a flat and even layer over the chocolate mixture. Freeze for 20-30 minutes. Remove from pan and cut into squares.

Follow Melissa's blog at www.madebymelis.com 

Made By Melis: Summer Berry Tart

Tarts and pies are my latest summer obsession. They are versatile, easy, familiar, and can always be eaten with a scoop of ice cream. What more can you ask for? One of my first memories of fruit tarts are from a Japanese bakery where my family had breakfast every Sunday during my childhood. The tarts were perfectly round and topped with blemish-free fruit glistening with shiny, sugary glaze. Sandwiched between the crust and fruit was a creamy, sweet custard. From then on, I’ve had a soft spot for fruit tarts. I eat them so often at bakeshops that I realize I’ve never actually made my own. So after 30-something years, here is my first fruit tart with pastry cream.  The best part of this recipe is each component can be eaten on its own. The shortbread crust is the perfect balance of sweetness and butter. The custard is creamy and tangy. And there is no need to state why fresh summer berries are awesome. But why would you eat them separately if you have all three on hand?

summer berry tart recipe

crust ingredients:
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
⅓ cup confectioner’s sugar
¼ tsp salt
1 stick (8 tbsp) very cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1 large egg

crust directions:
In a food processor, pulse flour, sugar and salt together. Add butter pieces over the dry ingredients and pulse until the butter looks like crumbles. Add in the egg and pulse until it comes together into a ball. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill for 4 or more hours.
To roll the dough: Butter a two 6.5 inch fluted tart pan with a removable bottom. Roll out chilled dough on floured surface to 8-inch round, lifting and turning dough occasionally to free from surface. Place the dough into the tart pans. Seal any cracks in dough. Fold any extra overhang in, making the sides thicker. Pierce crusts all over with fork.
Freeze the crusts for at least 30 minutes, preferably longer, before baking.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Put the tart pans on a baking sheet and bake the crusts for 20 to 25 minutes.
If the crust has puffed, press it down gently with the back of a spoon. Bake the crust about 10 minutes longer or until  golden brown.

pastry cream ingredients:
½ cup milk
2 large egg yolks
1 tbsp corn starch
4 oz cream cheese, softened
2 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
⅛ tsp salt
½ cup confectioner’s sugar

pastry cream directions:
Bring ¾ of the milk in a saucepan to a low simmer over medium heat.
In a large bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, cornstarch and the remaining milk.
Remove the milk from the stove and add the hot milk to the yolk mixture to warm it, whisking constantly to keep the yolks from cooking. Pour the mixture back into the saucepan and return the custard to the stove. Bring to a boil, whisking constantly. Cook for 1-2 minutes until it thickens. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
With a hand mixer, blend the cream cheese, butter, salt, and vanilla together. Add the custard and sugar. Blend until the ingredients are well incorporated and the custard is smooth.

to assemble:
Divide up the custard between the two tart shells. Top with fresh berries of your choice. Garnish with chopped nuts. Serve immediately after assembling.

Recipe: Chef David Bancroft's Beet Hot Sauce

Serve with Southern tacos or tamales.
Yields 6 pint-size Mason jars.

2 roasted beets, chopped
1 diced medium red onion
8 crushed garlic cloves
2 chopped red bell peppers
4 chopped cayenne peppers
2 cups water
2 cups red wine vinegar
1 1/4 tbsp kosher salt
1 tablespoon paprika
1 tablespoon chili powder
1/2 tablespoon ground cayenne
1 teaspoon ground cumin
Add all veggies except beets to medium sauce pot and set to medium high heat. Place lid on pot to allow veggies to steam. Cook for five minutes. Add water, beets, spices and cook with lid on for 15 minutes. Remove lid, add vinegar and cook with lid on for 5 minutes. Remove from heat, puree in blender until smooth. Strain sauce through a fine mesh colander. Pour hot sauce into bottles to serve or pressure seal in mason jars for longer storage.

From August 2013 Issue 04