Penny Sous * Part 1 Of 2

Equipment: 3 baking sheets with sides, film wrap, instant-read test thermometer, cake spatula, 1 1/2-inch round cookie cutter, parchment paper, pastry bag, medium straight tip Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Toast the peanuts on a baking sheet in the preheated oven until golden brown, about 6 to 7 minutes. Remove the peanuts from the oven and set aside until needed.

Heat the heavy cream and the peanut butter in a 1 1/2-qt saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir with a whisk to combine thoroughly. Bring the mixture to a boil. Place 6 ounces of semi-sweet chocolate in a stainless steel bowl. Pour the boiling cream and peanut butter mixture over the chocolate, and allow to stand at room temperature for 5 minutes. Stir until smooth. Refrigerate the peanut butter ganache for 30 minutes.

Cover the bottom of a baking sheet with film wrap.

Heat 1 inch of water in the bottom half of a double boiler over medium heat. Place the remaining 8 ounces of semi-sweet chocolate in the top half. Heat the chocolate uncovered, while stirring constantly, until it has melted, about 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer the melted chocolate to a stainless steel bowl, and continue to stir until the temperature of the chocolate is reduced to 90 degrees, about 5 minutes.

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