Blood Orange Curd

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I love the intense flavor of a fruit curd.  Lemon and lime tops the list because they are the tangiest and I love me some tang!  I had a bag of blood oranges and since they can be tart, I thought they would be a shoe in for a delicious tart curd.  The result was delicious and delicate not the tangy curd I had expected.  It had more of a creamy orange flavor.  I was not completely happy with this curd, although it was quite good.  The second time I made it, I added the juice of a lemon.  This brightened the blood orange flavor and gave it the citrusy tangy edge that I craved.  It was creamier and smoother than a lemon or lime curd but it had the balance of flavor I was looking for.

Chocolate Bread

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Several years ago, on a day when I was shopping at the original Central Market (still a new store) in Austin, TX,  I came across chocolate bread in their bakery.  At the time, chocolate bread seemed so unique and I wasn't sure what to expect.  Was it going to be rich and decadent?  How is chocolate in the  simplicity of a bread?  I was intrigued so I bought a loaf.  It was delicious.  It was a simple, slightly sweet, intensely chocolate bread studded with chocolate pieces.  A plain slice was as good as one toasted with a smear of butter and strawberry or raspberry jam was a treat.  I have been on a mission ever since!