The DIY Pantry (34 page)

Making hard taco shells needn’t be difficult. All you need to do is form them and dry them out, which can be done surprisingly easily in a regular kitchen oven.

1. Preheat the oven to 200°F.
   
2. First, steam and warm the tortillas by laying the tortillas in an overlapping pattern on a barely moist cotton sack, dishtowel, or tea towel. Pull the ends of the towel up over the tortillas to enclose them; then place the towel on a baking sheet and set in the oven to warm for 5 minutes.
   
3. Remove the tortillas and increase the oven to 375°F. Keep the tortillas wrapped—you want them to be soft, warm, and pliable.
   
4. When the oven is fully preheated, drape each tortilla over two bars of the top oven rack so that the sides hang down, placing one row in the front and one row in the back, if possible. Bake until crispy but not brown, 6–8 minutes.
   
5. To serve immediately, stuff with your favorite taco fillings, or to store them, place the taco shells in an airtight container or plastic bag and set them aside for up to 2 days.
   

You can most certainly make peanut butter just from peanuts—in fact, the best nut butters are simply that: nuts ground up into a spreadable butter. The coconut oil in this recipe makes for a very thick, smooth peanut butter, but you can certainly adjust the recipe to your own personal tastes. For that “store-bought flavor,” plain peanuts have a less complex, earthier flavor and are far superior for this use.

1. For a deeper flavor, first roast the peanuts by laying them on a baking sheet and roasting them in a 400°F oven for 10–12 minutes, shaking halfway through. Pull them out just as they begin to brown. Do not let them burn, or your peanut butter will be bitter. Cool to room temperature.
   
2. Place all ingredients in a food processor or mortar and grind until you have reached your desired texture, about 4–6 minutes.
   
3. Store in an airtight container for 3–4 weeks in the cupboard, or in the refrigerator for 3–4 months.
   

The best part about this recipe, apart from how ridiculously easy it is to make and the rich, creamy, nutty flavor, is that you can control the amount of sugar that you add. Also, it is definitely worth it to find hazelnuts that are already blanched and peeled. Otherwise, be prepared to put on your favorite music and make an evening of it.