Tag: North American

Chocolate Cranberry Curd Tartlets

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I found myself pondering this year how to construct a well-balanced cookie tin. I had a lot of people to give gifts too that I don’t see often so I felt a well-designed cookie tin was a safe bet. But how to make it balanced with the right flavors of Yule? As I prepared my list, I realized that what I was missing from my usual rotation was acidity. I needed a cookie with the bright, sweet-tart notes of a winter berry. What’s more winter berry than cranberry? After much exploration, this little 2-bite tartlet was born. It’s no sugar plum, but I watched a video on how to make those and that was insane.

Chocolate Cranberry Curd Tartlets

Special Equipment

Ingredients

For the cranberry curd filling

  • 1 12-oz bag fresh cranberries
  • Note: If you can’t find fresh, sub for 2 cups of frozen
  • 1/2 cup orange juice
  • 2 eggs
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 4 tbsp unsalted butter, softened

For the tart shells

  • Sugar Cookie Mix
  • 1 stick unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 egg

For the garnish

  • Miniature semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preparation

For the Cranberry Curd

  • To a medium sauce pan, add the cranberries and orange juice.
  • Over medium heat bring to a boil until the cranberries start to pop.
  • While the cranberries are cooking, combine the eggs, sugar, and vanilla in a separate bowl and whisk until combined. Set aside.
  • Using a rubber spatula, crush the cranberries and continue stirring and breaking the berries down until you get a paste.
    • *Note: Some curd recipes call for straining, but I personally like my curd a little bit chunky.
  • Turn off the heat and let the cranberries cool for about 5 minutes.
  • Add the custard mixture to the cranberries and whisk until combined.
  • Return the pan to a medium heat and whisk until the sauce thickens.
  • Once the sauce has thickened, turn off the heat and gradually add the softened butter while whisking until the butter has fully melted and the mixture becomes a curd.
  • Place the contents in a sealed 1-gallon plastic bag and refrigerate for one hour.

For the Tartlets

  • Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees.
  • Spray Mini-Muffin Pans with non-stick spray and set aside.
  • In a large bowl, mix sugar cookie mix, the egg, and softened butter with a rubber spatular until a soft dough forms.
  • Using a #40 disher, scoop and form 1.25 inch dough balls. Place each ball into a mini-muffin cup.
  • With the base of your spatular, press an indentation into each dough ball.
  • Bake for 8-10 minutes.
  • Remove tartlets from the oven and repeat the indentations into the center with your spoon or spatula.
  • Allow tartlets to cool inside the tin for 20 minutes to firm their shape.
  • Using a baker’s straight or off-set spatula, loosen the tartlets from the tin and transfer to a cooling rake.
  • Allow tartlet shells to cool for at least 30 minutes.

For assembly

  • Remove cooled cranberry curd and snip the edge of the bottom of the bag to create a space to pipe out the curd.
  • Pipe the curd into each shell so that it creates a little over flow, but try not to smear the edges of the shells with curd. If you do, use a small spoon to clean up the edges.
  • Garnish each tartlet with 3-4 mini chocolate chips.
  • Serve immediately or refrigerate in airtight containers.

This recipe will make approximately 36 cookies. Given the slightly more advanced techniques and call for special equipment, this tartlet may seem daunting. I wrote it up for the most consitent results, but the only equipment you can’t do without is a mini-muffin tin. You can cool your curd in a bowl in the fridge and use a small spoon to full the tartlets, you can loosen the shells with a butter knife, and you can scoop and make the dough balls with your own two hands. I hope you won’t be afraid to try it, the results will be delicious and the lucky recipients will be impressed by your efforts.

Nom On,

~Crunchy

Santa’s Third Shift: Mint Cocoa Pancakes

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Do you even wonder if Santa work’s the night in shifts? If he’s got to make his rounds all over the globe in 24 hours, I’m thinking he must. Either way, I checked with Mrs. Claus and she assured me this is her main squeeze’s favorite thing to come home to after his busiest day of the year. Why not treat your own little elves (or gremlin’s) to this delicious stack of pancakes first thing in the morning? These pancakes blend three quintessential flavors into one, simple dish: Hot Cocoa, Peppermint, and Marshmallow. Coze-to-the-ee!

Mint Cocoa Pancakes

Ingredients

  • 1 cup Bisquick
  • 1 package instant hot cocoa mix
  • 1 tsp white sugar
  • 1 Tbsp lemon juice
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 cup Mint White Chocolate Coffee Creamer
  • 1/2 tsp peppermint extract
  • 1/4 cup chocolate chips (Milk or dark chocolate works, your preference)

Preparation

  • Heat a small, non-stick skillet. Leave at the lowest heat setting while you prep the batter.
  • Mix all dry ingredients first and then add in the wet ingredients.
  • Once you have a thick batter, fold the chocolate chips in last.
  • Increase the heat and spray skillet with non-stick spray.
  • Add 1/4 cup of batter and heat through. Once the surface looks bubbly, slide spatula under the cake and test. If it comes up easily, it’s ready to be flipped. *Note: Don’t rush pancakes. A common mistake is to only look for bubbles, when really what you are looking for is the spatula to slide easily under the cake without it breaking or sticking to the spatula. When the bottom of the cake is cooked it just naturally unbinds from the skillet. If you are burning the bottom layer before it unbinds, lower your heat.

Optional Toppings:

  • Peppermint Whipped Cream topping
  • 1/2 cup crushed peppermint baking chips
  • 1/2 cup Mini Marshmallows
  • Smucker’s Marshmallow Topping

My ratios listed will make two servings of 2 medium-sized pancakes. I don’t have a large family to feed, but if you do, the quantities can be doubled.

Happy holidays, and Nom On!

~Crunchy

Apple-Toffee Mini Bundt Cakes

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Is it just me, or did Starbucks destroy the fall in North America by creating the pumpkin spice rage? Pumpkin spice has become a meme that has taken over fall and you can’t swing a bag without knocking over 20 displays of products that are flavored or scented with pumpkin spice.

So I present to you the Apple-Toffee Mini Bundt Cake to pay homage to the real queen of fall: The apple. Moist, delicious, and infused with the rich, warm, mischievous flavors of toffee and nutmeg. With this recipe, I give you back fall with all its myriad notes that say goodbye to the summer heat and invite us to enjoy the bounties of the harvest in the cold months to come.

Apple-Toffee Mini Bundt Cakes

Special Equipment:

  • Mini bundt cake electric griddle
  • Optional: Bundt cake pan for full sized bundt cake

Ingredients:

For Cake Batter

  • 1 box spiced cake mix
  • 1 20-oz can apple pie mix
  • 1 cup apple cider
  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil
  • 3 eggs

For Toffee Glaze

  • 1/4 cup butter
  • 2 cups heavy cream
  • 1 cup firmly packed brown sugar

For the Final Touch

  • 1 Package Heath Baking Bits

Preparation:

For Cake Batter

  • Mix together all ingredients for the batter in a mixing bowl.
  • If you are using a mini Bundt cake maker, follow the manufacturer’s instructions for using the device. For Dash, I had to make one cake at a time in 12-minute intervals. For each cake, I had to spray a little non-stick spray and fill the device 3/4 of the way full. The machine does not turn off on its own so you will need to set a timer.
  • If you are creating a full-sized Bundt cake, spray your pan with non-stick spray and bake at 350 degrees for 35-45 minutes.

For Toffee Glaze

  • Preheat a small sauce pan
  • Add the butter, heavy cream, and brown sugar over medium-high heat.
  • Whisk the ingredients together over the heat while bringing to a boil.
  • Once at a boil, reduce the heat to low and continue whisking for 15-20 minutes until you obtain the desired, sticky consistency.
  • Using a silicon spatula, transfer the mixture to a cool measuring cup with a pouring lip.

To Assemble the Cakes

  • Once the cakes and glaze have completely cooled, drizzle the glaze on top of each mini-bundt cake.
  • Depending on your preference you can be liberal or conservative with the glaze, but I found for the best visual effect, be liberal in the center and as you work your way outward, tapper it off so it just drips down the sides a little bit.
  • Finish each cake off with a sprinkle of the heath baking chips while the glaze is still sticky.

These delicious cakes are great for sharing or making little gifts, but I can tell you what happened to them around my home – breakfast! It was a very fun substitute for donuts, fall-themed, of course. With something other … than pumpkin spice.

Nom On,

~Crunchy

Chocolate Raspberry Pancake with Chocolate Ganache

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My daughter asked me to make her something pretty one Saturday morning close to Valentine’s Day and I came up with this lovely concoction. Deeply infused layers of chocolate offset by the brightness of raspberries? Both to the palate and the eyes, this dish is a treasure. I will warn you, it took hours to make and she won’t stop asking me to make it again, so be careful who you serve this to. They will be repeat customers.

Chocolate Raspberry Pancakes with Chocolate Ganache

Equipment

  • Medium-sized cookie cutter, in any shape you prefer
  • Cast Iron or non-stick skillet
  • Small sauce pan

Ingredients

For the pancakes:
1 1/3 cups all purpose flour
1/3 cup *regular* cocoa powder
6 Tbsp granulated sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
2 large eggs
3 Tbsp melted unsalted butter
3/4 cups whole milk

For the ganache:
1/2 cup whole milk
5 oz semi-sweet, finely chopped chocolate
1 tsp pure vanilla extract

To plate:
1/4 cup fresh raspberries
Powdered Sugar

Preparation

For the pancakes:

  • In a large bowl, sift together the flower, cocoa, sugar, baking powder, salt, and baking soda. (What is sifting?)
  • In a medium bowl, whisk eggs, melted butter, and the milk.
  • Once you have both the dry and wet ingredients prepped, mix the liquid ingredients in and stir the batter until it is moistened and lumpy.
  • Heat your non-stick or Cast Iron Skillet to medium heat.
  • Grease the pan with a liberal amount of butter.
  • Place your cookie cutter onto the skillet and pour the batter in. The batter is very thick and will form a dense cake. You will need to go medium heat and babysit it as this much thicker cake batter will take about 4-5 minutes to cook. Poke it occasionally to test if the batter is cooked through. When you are getting fairly clean pokes with the fork, gently slide the spatula underneath and flip the whole thing over, cookie cutter included, to keep the shape. Cook for another 2 or 3 minutes. You don’t want to burn it. The end result should poke clean, but be a decadent, gooey end result when you actually dig in.
  • When finished, transfer to a plate to let it cool.

For the granache:

  • In a small sauce pan, heat the 1/2 cup of milk, the 5 ounces of finely chopped, semi-sweet chocolate, and 1 tsp of vanilla. Whisk over lower heat until the sauce is smooth.

To plate:

  • Place the pancake on the plate and pour the chocolate sauce over the cake. If you want to get creative, you can drizzle the sauce on the plate as well.
  • Arrange the raspberries on the plate next to the pancake.
  • Sprinkle powdered sugar over the whole dish and serve.

Nom your besotted, fussy-patns on!

~Love, Crunchy

Santa’s Table: A Very, Merry, Yuletide

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We’ve all been there. The kid is looking at us with wide, glowing eyes and asking us if Santa exists and will he grant them their precious wishes. I’m still trying to encourage my cynical child to believe he does exist, so I have to bring my A-game. Well, if I had to stuff myself down a chimney (which I don’t have) and leave over priced toys for a kid I don’t even know … would I want to be sober for it? Certainly not.

Enter The Nog. I’m not talking about the nasty stuff they sell in cartons at the grocery store that should not even be allowed to be labeled Egg Nog. There really out to be a law, that stuff is such a travesty. I am talking about the real deal. I prefer to make the Puerto Rican varietal that uses Spiced Rum called Coquito. And since I was going with the very merry nogmas theme for that jolly old fatty, I went with Egg Nog Snickerdoodles as well.

Santa’s Merry Nogmas Table

Let’s start with The Nog

A word of warning about The Nog. This is NOT a cheap dish to make. I never spend less than 100 bucks, but it is so. worth. it. Instead of polluting the ingredient list with a bunch of *Don’t be cheap alerts, I am just going to apply it to the whole list. Go organic on the dairy products, get free range eggs, get the top shelf booze, and get the highest quality French vanilla ice cream. They all affect the flavor. Egg Nog is a magical experience and you’ll only have it once a year.

Ingredients

  • 24 Eggs
  • 2 Cups Sugar
  • 1 Quart Heavy Cream
  • 2 Quarts Whole Milk
  • 1 Liter of Brandy (British), Bourbon (American), or Spiced Rum (Puerto Rican.)
  • 1 Quart French Vanilla Ice Cream, softened.
  • Pinch of Salt
  • Ground Nutmeg (for garnish.)

Preparation

  • In one 5 quart mixing bowl and 1 1.5 quart mixing bowl seperate the eggs. I have tried many methods and the fastest way to do it is to crack each egg and use the shells to dash back and forth until the whites separate from the yolk. The yolk goes into the 5 quart bowl and the whites go into the 1.5 quart bowl.
    If you want to see how this method works, you can check out this video: https://youtu.be/t-OwbEy-Vxk
  • Once you have finished separating the yolks and the whites, add the sugar to the yolks. You will need to beat the yolks briskly with a wire whisk for 3 minutes. They should be thick and lemon-colored.
  • Next, you will fold in the dairy. Add the milk and cream. Keep whisking.
  • Now, this ingredient is really important. It’s what will have you muttering to yourself like Cap’n Jack Sparrow … “but, why is the rum gone?” Pour in the rum!!
  • And after that it’s time to fold in the french vanilla ice cream.
  • By now your arms should be pretty tired and you’ll be wondering why you read my blog or why you bothered engaging on this particular project. But don’t worry, you’re almost done.
  • It’s time to add a pinch of salt to the egg whites, bust out the hand mixer and whip them until they form soft peaks. This should take about 5 minutes. I have tried to do this by hand so many times. Don’t bother. I have only gotten the soft peaks with a hand mixer. I find it best just to accept one’s inadequacies and let the robot take over the world. If you don’t know what soft peaks are, here’s a video: https://www.youtube.com/watch/wMTxkDzBqSU
  • Now that you have your soft peaks, it is time to fold them in to the 5 quart bowl with the rest of the mixture. Folding is yet another technique that may be new to you. So check out this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=skWSIFfIMqc
  • After you have finished all that, cover the mixture and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes before serving.
  • The customary garnish is ground nutmeg. Just give each cup a sprinkle, and, well, Bob’s your uncle.

And now, the Egg Nog Snickerdoodles

I created a hybrid recipe that was essentially a cheat, but, after laboring over the Nog itself and my requisite peanut butter cookies (I mean, how would you even know it was the holidays if you didn’t have peanut butter cookies?) I ended up going with a route that made heavy use of convenience ingredients. The result was still quite yummy, so the peanut gallery told me.

Ingredients

  • 1 Pouch (17.5 oz) sugar cookie mix
  • Butter and eggs called for on cookie mix pouch
  • 1 tsp ground nutmeg
  • 1/2 tsp rum extract (but, why is the rum gone!)
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 cup store bought egg nog

Preparation

  • Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
  • Microwave the butter in a small bowl for about 30-45 seconds to soften.
  • In a large bowl, combine the sugar cookie mix, the egg nog, 1/2 of the nutmeg, the rum extract, and the softened butter. Stir until a soft dough forms.
  • Combine the cinnamon and sugar in a separate small bowl to make your mixture to roll the cookies in.
  • Once the dough is done, roll the cookies into 1 1/4 inch balls and roll each cookie in the cinnamon-sugar mixture.
  • place on a greased cookie sheet. You will have to do them in batches, but keep the cookies about 2 inches apart.
  • Bake each batch for 7-9 minutes, until the edges are set.
  • Immediately transfer the cookies on to a counter or a cooling rack and let the cookies cool for 20 minutes. This is an important part of the baking process.
  • Wash, rinse, repeat!

So there you have it, Santa Clause’s Very, Merry, Yuletide table of goodies and salvation from sobriety on his longest and hardest night of the year.

Nom-Your-Jolly-Old-Saint-Nick-Self-On,

~Crunchy

Chicken Pot Pie Muffins

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Chicken pot pie is one of my very favorite comfort foods, but it comes with a host of problems. They are hard to make, because, pie, they are really dense so I can (read: should) never finish one, and unless I have a frozen one on hand I am never going to satisfy said craving when I’m actually feeling it. Imagine my delight at discovering this little hack! It’s simple, uses up left over rotisserie chicken if you have it, and all comes together with typical pantry staples so it’s economical as well.

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup diced Rotisserie Chicken or 1 10 oz can shredded chicken in water, drained
  • 1 can Cream of Chicken soup
  • 1 10 oz package of frozen Peas and Carrots
  • 1 can of Pillsbury Grand Biscuits
  • Salt and Pepper to taste

Preparation:

  • Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
  • Prep muffin tin with either a coat of oil or non-stick spray.
  • Combine chicken, half of the bag of frozen peas and carrots, salt and pepper, and Cream of Chicken soup.
  • Press one biscuit into each muffin cup and spread it out so that it covers the surface.
  • Once the crust is prepared, spoon the mixture into each crust base and fill to about 3/4 quarters of the way.

Optional:

  • You can add cheddar or parmesan cheese.

Pop the tin into the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes. I recommend coating the crust with a little butter to give it a nice brown.

Cool for about 5 minutes, sprinkle with parsley, and Nom On!

~Crunchy

Juicy Baked Pork Chops: Perfectly spiced and everything nice

You know how it is. You see that package of pork chops on sale and you’re like, ‘Oh, Dang! That’s a good deal! I can feed the 5th battalion with that! Word.’ And so you buy it and stick in the fridge and some days go by. You open the refrigerator door several times a day and those pork chops stare at you. And then, they start editorializing. ‘You know we are going to go bad soon, right?’ ‘SLAM!’ The next day … ‘You know you didn’t save any money if you just end up throwing us away, right?’ ‘Huff! SLAM!’

And then it gets really sad, because you start having a conversation with the hecklers. ‘We’re still here.’ You can’t take the pressure any more so you yell back, you know, at the pork. “The 5th battalion isn’t coming. I don’t even have a phone number! It’s just that thing you tell yourself when meat goes on sale!’

Well, fellow travelers. Here’s how to snatch those chops from the pearly gates and make something glorious.

Spiced Pork Chops

Equipment

  • 9X13 Inch Glass Baking Dish

Ingredients

  • 6 boneless pork chops
  • Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)
  • Salt
  • Pepper
  • Cayenne Pepper
  • Crushed Red Pepper
  • Ground Cinnamon

Preparation

  • Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
  • Coat a 9X13 inch glass baking dish with EVOO.
  • Place pork chops in the baking dish.
    • *Note: The pork needs to fit snuggly together to tenderize and conserve juices. If there is too much space between the chops, use a smaller baking dish.

Now, for the fun:

  • For my recipe I used EVOO liberally, salt, pepper, cayenne, crushed red pepper, and cinnamon. I measured nothing. It was all on a wing and a prayer and, lord have mercy did it turn out amazing.
  • Now that you have had fun bedazzling both sides of your pork chop and you have made sure they are all snugly tucked together, your oven should be ready!
  • Pop them in on the middle rack for 16-18 minutes, uncovered. You want to reach an internal temperature of 145. Let the pork rest for about 5 minutes.

That’s it. Seriously. 10 minutes of prep, 20 minutes of cooking while you pound pinot grigio and spoil your appetite, and dinner is ready.

Is this a main dish or a base recipe?

Both.

This pork turned out juicy, complex, and delicate all at the same time. So if you want, just pair it with a starch and a green and ring the chow bell.

Or, because my rub is spicy, with a hint of ‘what the hell?’ due to the cinnamon, you can lean in for a little Caribbean-inspired fusion. I made a pork-mango salad for the spousal unit, but you whip up a batch of habanero-mango salsa and …. swaying to calypsos, baby.

So there you have it, fellow travellers, on-sale pork redemption.

Nom on,

~Crunchy

Cinnamon Buns (of Oblivion)

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Cinnamon buns really piss me off. You see, I am extremely intolerant of sugar. I can never remember if its hypo or hyperglycemia. I just know that two Cosmopolitans had enough sugar in them to knock me out cold sitting in rock hard seats in the nose bleed section outside at a White Zombie/Ozzie Osborne concert on a blustery November night. Oh yeah, that happened.

So you can imagine how much I have to avoid sugar. An interesting problem, since I love to bake. I can enjoy the wonderful smells at least, and the smiles my cookies and cakes give to others. Not so with the smell of freshly baked cinnamon buns. I always break down and eat a half of one. Then I sink into black oblivion, the gooey evidence of my trespass clutched in my sticky hand. If you want to join me there, friends, just follow the cinnamon and cream cheese frosted road…

Cinnamon Buns with Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients

  • 2 oz Cream Cheese
  • 3 oz Butter
  • 1 1/2 cups self-rising flour
  • 8 oz Greek Yogurt
  • 1/2 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 1/2 tsp Ground Cinnamon
  • 1/3 cup Light Brown Sugar
  • 1/4 tsp Salt

Preparation

  • Place butter in a small bowl and microwave for 30-60 seconds, or place in a small pot and melt over low flame. Once its mostly melted, set aside. It will be fully melted by the time you need it.
  • Add self-rising flour to a medium mixing bowl along with 2 Tbsp of melted butter. Add in the yogurt, 1/4 cup of powdered sugar, and 1 Tbsp of water.
  • Mix with clean hands until you have a shaggy dough.
  • On a flat work surface, like a large wooden cutting board or marble counter top, sprinkle liberally with bench flour. Coat your hands liberally, too. Add some more flour to a bowl and keep it handy. You’ll need it.
  • Turn out the dough onto your work surface and knead into a smooth and slightly sticky ball. You may need to sprinkle the dough with flour or coat your hands a few times during this process. Let the dough rest (being kneaded is hard work, after all) for 5 minutes while you make the cinnamon mixture.
  • In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, remaining butter, cinnamon, and salt.
  • Using a rolling pin coated in flour, roll out your dough into an 8 X 11 oval. Cover almost the entire surface with the mixture. I leave a very thin edge all the way around.
  • Starting on the short side, roll your dough into a cylinder. Cut into 6 equal slices.
CinnamonRollsPrep.JPG

  • In a round baking pan or cast iron skillet, coat with a little oil or non-stick spray, and then assemble your slices into a tight ring with one slice in the center and the rest surrounding. They need to be snuggly pressed together to ensure the rolls don’t fall open during baking and the dough puffs upwards.
  • Bake the rolls at 375 degrees for 30-35 minutes. The tops should be lightly brown when done.
  • While the buns are baking, stir together the cream cheese, remaining powdered sugar, and 1 Tbsp of water. Stir the mixture until smooth.
  • Once the buns are done, I like to spread the frosting while they are still pretty warm so you get the drippy and gooey effect. If you like your frosting firm, let the buns cool first before you spread.

Oblivion awaits,
~Crunchy

Sweet Heat BBQ Sauce

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Sauces are one of those things that seemed hard or mysterious to me. After all, if they weren’t hard, why is buying them pre-made such a prevalent practice, even among those who consider themselves good cooks? Why do we surrender the biggest flavor payload in our dish tos omething that makes a gloopy sound as it oozes out of plastic or glass jars? A few weeks ago when I hosted my late summer BBQ, I decided to make my own sauce and it was really pretty easy.

Sweet Heat BBQ Sauce

Ingredients

  • 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
  • 1/2 small onion, finely chopped
  • 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
  • 1 cup organic or reduced-sguar ketchup
  • 1/4 cup white or apple cider vinegar
  • 1/4 molasses
  • 3/4 cup water
  • 2 tbsp brown sugar
  • 2 tbsp dijon mustard
  • 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tbsp chili powder
  • 1/4 cayenne pepper
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp pepper

Preparation

  • Finely chop your onion and garlic.
  • In a medium saucepan, heat your EVOO. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring often, for about 3 minutes until soft.
  • Add the remaining ingredients and stir.
  • Bring the sauce to a gentle simmer and stir occasionally for about 10 minutes. Keep scrapping and folding the sauce off the sides of the pot and stirring. If the sauce seems a little thin you can simmer for another 2 minutes, but keep stirring and folding so it doesn’t get gooey.
  • Taste the sauce and add a little more salt and pepper, as needed.

The end result should be a crowd pleasing, sticky sauce with a nice balance between sweet, savory, and heat. I personally prefer ridiculously spicy sauces like Famous Dave’s Devil Spit or the Memphis/Kansas City varietals, which are hotter and more vinegary, but this sauce was lovely and hit the right notes for a crowd where you can’t go to far in one direction or another. You know a sauce is great when people lick their fingers instead of using a napkin and I saw a lot of that going on.

Enjoy the bragging rights for making your own sauce, and Nom On,

~Crunchy

The Case of the Disappearing Tequila-Habanero Spiced Pineapple Wontons

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In case you are wondering why I have no picture for you, it’s because twice I made these, twice I served them to guests to give me feedback on my new recipe with the warning not to eat them all because I still needed a picture, and twice I turned around about 3 minutes later to see an empty plate where my wontons should be.

“Hey!,” I exclaim, “You were not supposed to eat them all before I took a picture!” The individual who swiped the last one chews more quietly, looking anywhere but at me. I sigh, “Never mind, I’ll make another batch later….” Except the spousal unit drank the last of the tequila and the rest of my pineapple went into a pineapple-blueberry wonton so it’s going to be awhile before I make these again. Given how delectable they are, I figured I had better share the recipe before your next party.

Missing

Tequila-Habanero Spiced Pineapple Wontons

Ingredients

  • 1 cup pineapple chunks
  • 1 habanero pepper, finely diced
  • 1 cup tequila (The best you can afford)
  • 4 oz cream cheese, softened
  • 1/2 small, red onion, diced
  • 2 tbsp cilantro, diced
  • 1/2 pkg wonton wrappers
  • 1 egg, beaten

Preparation

  • Finely dice the habanero pepper. Add your pineapple chunks to a small tupperware container and add the tequila and diced pepper. Cover and give the mixture a shake to make sure its distributed. Let the pineapple soak for a few hours. You can even leave these soaking for a few days if you want a stronger flavor.
  • Once your pineapple is ready, extract the chunks and finely dice them. Set aside.
  • Place your softened cream cheese in a medium bowl, and using a hand mixer, whip until soft and fluffy.
    If you are unfamiliar with whipping cream cheese, start the blades on slow and circle around a few times. The cheese will start to cling to the blades. Put the speed to high and beat against the side of the bowl in a circular motion and the cheese will come loose as it becomes soft and whipped.
  • Finely dice your onion and cilantro.
  • Add the diced pineapple, cilantro, and onion to the cream cheese. You should also add in the diced habanero from the marinade. Combine and stir with a rubber spatula until you have a well blended mixture.
  • Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and lay out your wonton wrappers. Start with 12 wrappers.
  • Beat your egg in a small bowl and set aside.
  • Place approx 1 tbsp of the mixture into the dead center of the wrapper.
    Use any manner of deep breathing techniques and chanting of ‘a little dab will do ya’ to resist the urge to add larger and larger globs of filling to the wontons. It will look like you didn’t put enough, but I promise it’s correct. The filling expands in the heat and will burst your wonton open.
  • Dip your finger in the egg and trace around the edge of each wonton. Fold the sides into an X and pinch together to seal.
  • Spray a little non-stick on a cookie sheet and transfer the wontons. Make sure they are evenly spaced apart.
  • Bake the wontons for 10-12 minutes until lightly golden and crisp.
  • Serve immediately.

What do you recommend as a dipping sauce? 

I can’t figure this part out. The flavors are so fusion. Do you want spicy? Do you want sweet? Do you want an asian sauce or a salsa? I offered 2 options and what I noticed is that my taste testers had very different preferences when they tried each sauce and then just started popping them in their mouth, sans sauce, at an increasingly rapid pace. Here’s what I made for your experimenting pleasure.

If you want to offer something with sweet notes, maybe you can rock a ponzu? If you try that, let me know how it goes!

Warning: Make sure you hold back one or two wontons before you serve these or you may find yourself lost in a godzilla-like rage similar to what we all feel when someone eats the last spring roll without asking if anyone else wanted it.

Nom On,

~Crunchy