RASPBERRY FARM JELLY WITH PEANUT BUTTER AND APPLESAUCE SHORTBREAD SPIDERS

Raspberry Farm Jelly with Peanut Butter and Applesauce Shortbread Spiders image

Provided by Food Network

Categories dessert

Time 1h45m

Yield twelve 2-inch spiders

Number Of Ingredients 17

Ingredients

18 ounces sugar
3/4 ounce powdered agar
15 ounces cold water
2 cups glucose syrup
15 ounces raspberry juice
2 ounces dry roasted peanuts
1/2 ounce canola oil
2 tablespoons agave nectar
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 ounces sugar
1 large egg
1 tablespoon applesauce
2 ounces heavy cream
5 ounces pastry flour or all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 ounces dark chocolate, chopped

Steps:

For the raspberry jelly: Combine the sugar and agar in a medium saucepan fitted with a candy thermometer. Whisk in the cold water and add the glucose syrup. Cook at a gentle boil while stirring until the mixture reaches 223 degrees F, about 8 minutes.
Remove the agar mixture from the heat and allow to cool to 194 degrees F. Add the raspberry juice, stir to incorporate and pour into 2-inch round silicone candy molds. Allow to set for 45 minutes in the refrigerator.
For the handcrafted peanut butter: Process the dry roasted peanuts in a spice grinder until smooth. Add the canola oil and process again, then add the agave nectar and process until smooth, about 1 minute. Transfer the peanut butter to a piping bag and set aside.
For the applesauce shortbread: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Cream the butter and sugar together with an electric mixer until light, about 3 minutes. Add the egg, applesauce and cream and mix to incorporate, about 1 minute. Add the flour, vanilla and salt and mix until the dough holds together, about 1 minute.
Transfer the dough to a pastry bag and cut a 1/4-inch opening at the end. Pipe out 2-inch circles of the dough onto the prepared baking sheet and bake until golden brown, about 10 minutes. Let cool.
Transfer the peanut butter to a pastry bag, pipe the peanut butter onto the cooled shortbread cookies and spread it out to the edges. Top each with the cooled and set raspberry jelly.
To decorate: Put the chocolate in a heatproof medium bowl. Fill a medium saucepan with a couple inches of water and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Remove from the heat and set the bowl of chocolate over the water to melt. Stir until smooth and transfer to a piping bag.
Cut a small opening at the end of the pastry bag and decorate the tops of each cookie with spider legs.