Peanut Butter Louis

By Carla Henriques

The legendary Peanut Butter Louis is one of many delicious desserts the Hawksmoor serves. With a variety of Original Beans chocolates, peanuty-biscuity pastry case, and salted caramel ganache it leaves the sweetest aftertaste one could ask for.
  • Prep Time:

    90 minutes

  • Category:

    Dessert

  • Servings:

    4

Ingredients

Peanut Brittle
  • 80g caster Sugar
  • 60g Glucose
  • 90g Peanuts unroasted
  • 1⁄2 teaspoon fine Salt
  • 60g Butter
  • Vanilla
  • 1⁄2 teaspoon Bicarbonate Soda
Peanut Butter Shortbread
  • 60g icing Sugar
  • 90g AP Flour
  • 30g smooth Peanut Butter
  • 90g Almond flour
  • 30g unsalted Butter
  • 60ml heavy Cream
  • 100g smooth Peanut Butter
Nut Feuilletine
Salted Caramel Ganache
Nut Mix
  • 45g chopped roasted Peanuts
  • 75g chopped Peanut brittle
  • 4g sea Salt
Caramel Mousse
Peanut Praline Paste Mix
  • 600g roasted Peanuts
  • 600g caster Sugar
  • 100ml Peanut oil
Milk Chocolate Praline Glaze
Chocolate Crumble
  • 75g unsalted Butter
  • 50g light muscavado Sugar 
  • 15g Cacao powder
  • 25g Almond Flour
  • 55g AP Flour
  • 2g sea Salt

Preparation

Peanut Brittle
  1. Combine sugar, glucose and 35ml water and cook until 115°C or 239°F.
  2. Add peanuts and cook to 155° C or 311° F stirring constantly.
  3. Remove from the heat and add salt, butter, and vanilla. Mix well and add bicarbonate soda and pour in a tray and let cool.
  4. After the brittle has cooled, chop the peanuts thinly and place on the side.

Peanut Butter Shortbread
  1. Sift the icing sugar, and flour in a bowl and mix well.
  2. Add the ground almonds then add the smooth peanut butter and butter. Mix with a paddle until the mix starts to crumble.
  3. Mix in the cream until it forms a dough.
  4. Roll mixture between 2 sheets of paper until it is 2 to 3mm thick. Place in the fridge to rest for 30minutes or freeze until required.
  5. Bake the shortbread in 8cm square metal frames. Prick the top with a fork.
  6. Cook the shortbread mixture at 170° C or 333°F for 20 to 24 minutes, until golden brown.
  7. Remove from the oven and spread the 100g of smooth peanut butter on top.
  8. Set aside and let it cool.

Nut Feuilletine
  1. Melt chocolate and butter in a water bath.
  2. Add praline paste, peanuts, feuilletine, and press directly into the frame on top of the cold baked shortbread and peanut butter.
  3. Keep in the fridge until it’s set.

Salted Caramel Ganache
  1. Mix the cream, glucose, butter, and vanilla in a pan until it boils and then set aside.
  2. Make a caramel with a sugar until it reaches a golden, nut brown.
  3. When the caramel is ready remove from the heat and add slowly the cream, always whisking.
  4. Return to the heat and boil for 2 minutes adding in the milk chocolate and whisking until it is all melted.
  5. Let cool until the mixture reaches room temperature. Pour on top of the nut feulletine into the mold.

Nut Mix
  1. Mix all together and sprinkle on top of the salted caramel from the last step.

Caramel Mousse
  1. Boil the milk and 100ml of heavy cream. Mix with the yolks and sugar to make a crème anglaise. Let this set over ice until it reaches room temperature.
  2. Melt the milk chocolate over a double-boiler and mix with the crème anglaise. Semi- whip the rest of the heavy cream and fold in to the chocolate mix.
  3. Pour this mixture over the salted caramel and nuts and place in the fridge to set over night.

Peanut Praline Paste Mix
  1. Preheat the oven to 205° C or 400° F. Spread the peanuts on a tray and cook for 3 minutes to get them hot.
  2. Transfer to a hot pan and over medium heat add the sugar gradually. Continuously stir to cook until the mixture becomes an amber caramel. Pour in silicone molds.
  3. When the mixture has cooled put into the food processor and blend. Add the peanut oil in while blending and ensure there are no lumps.

Milk Chocolate Praline Glaze
  1. Soak the gelatin leaf in ice cold water.
  2. Place the chocolate and praline in a bowl. Set over a pan of gently simmering water; make sure the water doesn’t touch the base of the bowl. Melt the two items together.
  3. Add 80ml of heavy cream and slowly incorporate into the chocolate praline mixture. Beat vigorously until the mixture is smooth and glossy.
  4. Put the cristale glaze into a pan with the water. Once the glaze is fully dissolved, pour it into the chocolate and stir gently.
  5. Bring the rest of the cream to a boil and then mix in the gelatin leaf to the cream and dissolve. Add all components together, stir, and blitz. Set aside to reach room temperature.
  6. Cut the bar into individual servings and pour the glaze over the top while still warm (not hot).

Chocolate Crumble
  1. Set oven to 170° C or 338 °F and set a tray with baking paper.
  2. Beat butter and sugar until pale and creamy. Then add the cacao powder and almond flour and beat for 1 minute. Mix in the AP flour and salt. Pour into the tray and let bake for 16 minutes or until cooked.
  3. Set aside while it cools and blend into fine crumbs.

Plating
  1. Serve alongside salted caramel.
  2. Serve immediately.

Chef Carla Henriques

"To my mind Original Beans is the best tasting chocolate in the world and also the most ethical."
In 2010 Clara joined Hawksmoor London as a Head Pastry Chef and quickly worked her way up to become the Group Pastry Chef. In 2020, Carla made the trip across the pond as the Executive Pastry Chef on the opening team of Hawksmoor NYC. She continues to develop Hawksmoor’s dessert menus, adding to some of the most beloved desserts such as; Peanut Butter Louis, Grand Rocher, Maple Tart, Sticky Toffee Pudding, and Hawksmoor’s signature chocolates: Tributes.