From: Chef Mark Cleveland & Chef Tanya Fuqua, Avanti Café, Costa Mesa, CA. This recipe was a runner-up in the Southern Peanut Growers 2012 Chefs’ Recipe Contest.

Yield: 1 tart.

1 cup peanuts, dry roasted
½ cup granulated sugar
1 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
4 oz. butter, salted
1 egg, large
3 Tbsp. dark rum
1⁄8 tsp. almond extract
1⁄4 tsp. salt
1 tart shell, 9”, par-baked
1¼ cups red seedless grapes
1 Tbsp. 10X confectioners’ sugar

Combine peanuts, sugar and flour in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Grind to a fine consistency. Add the butter, egg, rum, almond extract and salt; puree for 1 minute. Stop the processor and scrape down the sides of the bowl. Puree for an additional 1 minute to a smooth consistency. Pour mixture into the tart shell and spread evenly. Evenly distribute grapes over the surface and press them into mixture. Bake at 350°F for 25 to 30 minutes until golden and slightly puffed. Cool completely and dust with confectioners’ sugar. Serve.

PHOTO: SOUTHERN PEANUT GROWERS