The Monkey Tart

I really like tarts a lot.

They're these little dainty things that just make you feel like you really belong somewhere like Downton Abbey, at tea time with the Crawleys.

Matthew I'm coming!....Only to get some tart, not to steal you away from Mary (look what happened to Lavinia...)

Which on that topic- What the heck happened to Matthew's eternal anguish after having caused poor Lavinia to die of a broken heart? I feel like that torment didn't last nearly as long as expected. Not that I'm complaining. I LOVE Mary and Matthew together.

But..back to tarts.

The monkey tart is named such as it has banana in it. Which happens to be my favorite fruit- it's so naturally creamy and delicious. It's practically dessert by itself in my book.

But let's add some peanut butter, cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla. And a sweet crust.

Now it's a dessert in anyone's book.

Monkey Tart
For the Crust via Baked 
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup sugar
8 tablespoons cold butter, cubed
1 egg, beaten
For the Filling
1 large banana
1, 8oz pkg cream cheese, softened
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/4 cup peanut butter
1 heapin cup powdered sugar

1) To make the Crust: Put the sugar, flour, and salt in a food processor and pulse until combined. Add the butter and pulse until sandy (about 6 to 10 quick pulses). Add the egg and pulse just unitl the dough begins to form a mass. Form the dough into a disk, wrap it up tightly in plastic, and refrigerate it overnight (or at least 1 hour).

2) I did things a little differently then the guys at Baked did at this step in making the crust. I found that the dough was so sticky that no amount of flour could really keep it under control while rolling (which really surprised me, I've made a ton of crusts and have never had that hard of time with sticking before). So instead of rolling it out, I just floured my fingers and pressed it into my 9-inch tart pan. Which turned out to be way easier (for me). Place in the freezer for a couple hours.

3) Preheat your oven to 375F. Line crust with foil and fill it 3/4-full with pie weights or dried beans. Bake for 15 minutes, then remove the foil and weights and bake for another 10 minutes, or until lightly browned. Remove from the oven and let cool.

4) To make the Filling: Slice your banana and place slices, scattered evenly, in the bottom of your baked and cooled crust. In a stand mixer (or an electric mixer) beat together the cream cheese and peanut butter on medium (high if your using a hand held electric mixer) for about a minute or two until combined and creamy. Add vanilla and powdered sugar. Continue to beat for another 3 minutes until light and creamy. Pour and spread evenly over the banana slices in your crust. Serve.