butter

Chocolate-Dipped Baguettes and Raspberry Jellies

Our main challenge for the August Daring Bakers challenge was to temper chocolate. And a challenge it would be for many people - chocolate tempering in August isn't exactly simple with the soaring heat in many places. That said, I'm happy with the results of my candy making, and I think we'll be nibbling on the fruit jellies for a few more days.

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Homemade Cracker Jack

It was 40 degrees outside and I was craving a hot fudge sundae with salty roasted peanuts on top. Spanish peanuts.

I dug through the freezer and found the peanuts, but there was no ice cream, and I was too lazy to make it and the hot fudge sauce from scratch. Jonesing for salty and gooey, I settled on homemade Cracker Jack, sprinkled with Secret Stash Salt vanilla salt. Just the thing. If I'd had any leftover, I'd have gone to the store for vanilla bean ice cream and folded it all in.

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Brown Butter Rice Krispie Treats

Years and years ago, my mother indulged us and bought giant boxes of Rice Krispies and Corn Flakes to make all sorts of holiday treats. We brought out the green and red food coloring and made hideous stars, trees, and wreaths with the sticky goo, dotting every one liberally with red hots (because they look like tree ornaments) and staining the countertops along the way. I remember the wreaths in particular - made with dyed green cornflakes, they looked like little holly rings, but they didn't have enough structure to survive the hand-to-hand transfer that was inevitable with little mitts.

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Lemon Curd and Grape Butter Crostatas

I had never baked an Italian crostata before, but pies and tarts are fairly close cousins, so I went into this challenge with a comfortable familiarity. In fact, for once I didn't prepare days in advance. I started one perfect fall morning, and by lunchtime I'd baked two mini crostata. I used the same dough for each, a variation on Simona's version 1 of pasta frolla in which I substituted some local whole wheat flour I'd received as a gift, and a healthy amount of orange zest.

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