I should've made and published this recipe in late March. Everyone could snack on this tiger swirled butter while their mouths hung open at the shenanigans of Netflix's Tiger King. But shoulda coulda woulda... March was an insane month for most of the world, especially those who updated websites with important health information (not this one, the ones I manage for my day job!).
Despite that it seems like everyone who was going to (and a few who weren't) still made time to watch the Netflix documentary that began like it was about exposing animal abuse in tiger zoos, but ended up detailing more than we wanted to know about the overly insane human drama behind it all. The three specific South Carolina references were unappealing, as is the overall awful way some of these people treat other people, and animals too. Did you watch it?
I binged the entire series in a DAY, but I don't feel bad admitting it because I was holed up in the house anyway, beginning my recovery from a nasty bout of poison oak. You don't need an excuse like that though, it's worth watching just to be able to converse about it with people about one of the biggest shared phenomenons of 2020.
Let's Talk About Double Boilers
Most people freak out at the idea of having to use a double boiler to melt chocolate because they don't have one. Let me tell you a secret... I don't either, and I never have.
A double boiler simply refers to using one vessel of hot water to heat up another vessel full of something you don't want to get wet, like chocolate chips. Use one saucepot, and another that fits nestled on top, or even a heatproof Pyrex measuring cup that balances well over the pot opening without the Pyrex touching the bottom of the pot of hot water.
This is my double boiler set up — two pots of the same size, one nestled on top of the other. At one point I had a great saucepan that fit a large Pyrex measuring cup, but no more. This setup works great! It's two IKEA pots, if you're looking for a similar set up.
Then, the trick to not causing issues with making a double boiler set up like this to not boil the water below, just get it hot. Boiling the water can cause it to boil over, spatter, or cause the pans to expand together too much. Plus, it can make the chocolate heat up too quickly and burn. We want to avoid all of these things, so be careful and be present when you're using a double boiler.
Peanut Butter and Chocolate Swirl Tiger Butter
Equipment
- 9x13 casserole dish
Ingredients
- 12 oz bag of semisweet chocolate chips
- 12 oz bag of white chocolate chips
- 1 cup smooth peanut butter
- orange food coloring (or red + yellow)
Instructions
- Set up two double boilers with water in the bottom pots, and pour the semisweet chocolate chips in one pot.
- Pour the white chocolate chips in the second double boiler, along with the peanut butter.
- Heat the double boilers over medium heat, using a separate spoon to stir each. Once the chips begin to melt, turn the heat to medium low.
- Once the chips are all melted, turn the heat off and leave the pots on the hot eyes.
- Stir the food coloring into the peanut butter mixture until it's a satisfactory shade of orange.
- Line the casserole dish with parchment paper (I used clothespins to keep the paper in place!) and use a spatula to evenly spread the peanut butter mixture in the dish.
- Drizzle the chocolate on top of the peanut butter, making swoops and swirls. Once al of the chocolate is added, use a butter knife to swirl the peanut butter and chocolate into eye catching designs, taking care not to cut the parchment paper.
- Refrigerate for at least three hours. Remove from the fridge and cut into squares, by lifting out by the parchment paper and placing on a cutter board. Clean the knife in between cuts for the cleanest cuts.
- Keep tiger butter refrigerated.
And finally, my own personal Carol Baskin theory: hello, her husband was rich in his own right, and he had been making monthly trips to Central America. He probably got sick of her single-minded focus and spent those trips setting up a new life there and disappeared into it 1997. Before there was widespread internet and smartphones, it was a lot easier to become a new person with a new identity, especially in places like Central and South America.
People are to quick to try and pin a woman as a problem, which is why gender relations are as messed up as they are in the world. Munch on that while you enjoy your tiger butter! What do you think?
Looking for other easy desserts? Try gelatin-free mango pudding, no-bake mini key lime pies, and chocolate filled strawberries.