 |
Nancy’s Fiery Fare:
Sweet
Heat for Your Valentine 
by Nancy Gerlach, Fiery-Foods.com Food Editor
|
|
Recipes in this Issue: |
February 14th, Valentine’s Day, is the one day of the year that has been set aside for expressing your feelings to the people you love. Throughout history there have been a number of love- related meals or feasts celebrated on that date, including the pagan Feast of Lupercalia, and the Roman holiday honoring Juno, the goddess of women and marriage. There have also been a number of men named Valentine that have claimed to be part of the origin of the holiday. In fact, the special day as we know it was named after the Christian martyr St.Valentine.
St. Valentine’s story occurred around 269A.D. during the reign of Claudius II, also known as Claudius the Cruel. This was a man who waged many bloody and unpopular campaigns and, after a time, had difficulty recruiting soldiers. He reasoned that men didn’t want to serve in his army because they didn’t want to leave their families, so he decreed that all marriages in the empire were dissolved. In opposition to this decree, a popular priest named Valentine continued to marry couples in secret. When Claudius discovered this secret, he had Valentine imprisoned. While in prison, Valentine fell in love with the jailer’s daughter and wrote her love letters which he signed "From Your Valentine." This further enraged Claudius who then ordered him to be beheaded. You could say that Valentine lost his head for love. In 496 A.D., Pope Gelasius declared February 14 a day to honor St.Valentine and the day became associated with the union of lovers under conditions of duress.
The tradition of exchanging cards on St. Valentines Day began during the Middle Ages. The giving of flowers to attract the attention of a new partner also originated in Europe. Over the years, sweets and candy were added to the list of popular Valentine gifts. And of all the sweets, chocolate became the most popular. Maybe because it is supposed to be an aphrodisiac or just because almost everyone seems to love it, chocolate has become the overwhelming favorite Valentine gift.
Since we all love chiles, and most everyone likes sweets of some sort, I’m proposing combining the two for Valentine’s Day. This may sound strange, but the combination of chiles and sweets goes back to the Mayas, who flavored their hot chocolate with fiery chiles and honey. Today, hot sweets are becoming more available, but as someone once said, the sweetest gifts are the ones you make yourself. So the following are some recipes to heat up your Valentine’s Day. Yes, these require a little more work than just going to the local candy store and buying a heart shaped box of chocolates, but isn’t the love of your life worth it?
The word cascabel means rattle in Spanish and this full-flavored dried chile probably received its name due to its shape and the fact that its seeds rattle around when you shake it. These turtles are like no others you’ve tasted before, hot as well as sweet. This recipe is from the book Sweet Heat by Melissa Stock and Dave DeWitt, Ten Speed Press.
24 soft caramels
2 tablespoons frozen whipped topping
Butter flavored vegetable cooking spray
72 pecan halves
4 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
8 cascabel chiles, stems and seeds removed, finely crushed
In a microwave safe mixing bowl, combine the caramels and whipped topping and cook on 50 percent power for 45 seconds. Remove the bowl, stir, and place back in the microwave. Continue this process in 10-second increments until the mixture has melted and is smooth and well blended. Let the mixture cool slightly.
Spray a cookie sheet lightly with the cooking oil. Place the pecan halves on the pan in groups of 3, arranged so that each pecan group forms a "Y" shape. These form the turtle’s head and legs. Carefully spoon the caramel mixture over each, leaving the ends of the pecans showing. Set aside until the caramel has hardened.
Place the chocolate chips into a microwave safe bowl. Cook in the microwave on 50 percent power for 45 seconds, remove and stir, and repeat the process in 10-second intervals until the chocolate is melted and smooth. Stir in the cascabels and let the chocolate mixture to cool slightly.
Spoon the melted chocolate over the caramel, being careful not to cover the exposed ends of the pecans.
Set aside until hard, then store in a covered container in a cool place.
Yield: 2 dozen
Heat Scale: Medium
This recipe combines two of my favorites---chile and popcorn. Adjust the heat of this candy by the type of chile you use. Make with New Mexican for a mild heat, cayenne for more fire and chile de arbol for somewhere in between. Don’t use microwave popcorn because of its salt and fat content.
3 cups sugar
½ cup light corn syrup
Vegetable oil
½ cup popping corn
1 cup roasted peanuts
1 cup toasted almonds
1 tablespoon ground red chile powder, New Mexican, cayenne or chile de arbol
Grease two large baking sheets with the oil.
Pour a little of the oil in a heavy pot with a tight fitting lid. Heat the oil until hot, add the corn and cover. Continue to cook, shaking the pot occasionally, until all the corn has popped. Pour the popped corn into a bowl and toss with the nuts.
Place the sugar in a heavy saucepan over medium heat. Pour the corn syrup over the top of the sugar, and heat, while stirring frequently until the sugar melts and is golden brown, about 30 minutes. Be very careful that the mixture doesn’t burn.
Spread the popcorn mixture over the oiled pans. Slowly pour the sugar syrup evenly over the popcorn and sprinkle the chile powder over the top.
Allow the popcorn candy to cool and break into pieces. Store the popcorn candy in airtight tins.
Yield: 8 to 10 cups
Heat Scale: Mild
This crunchy candy puts a hot new twist on a traditional brittles. Be very careful when removing the candy from the microwave because it will be very, very hot. The times given here are approximate and can vary because of the power differences of the ovens, so be sure to monitor the candy closely.
Butter flavored vegetable cooking spray
1 cup sugar
½ cup light corn syrup
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 ½ cups unsalted dry-roasted cashews.
1 tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon ground habanero chile
Spray a cookie sheet with sides with the oil and set aside.
Combine the sugar, corn syrup, and salt in a microwave safe bowl until well mixed. Microwave, uncovered, on high for 3 minutes. Remove and stir. Return to the microwave and cook on high until the mixture bubbles, approximately 3 to 4 minutes.
Remove from the microwave and stir in the cashews, butter, and vanilla. Return to the microwave and cook on high for an additional 3 minutes, or until the candy turns a light golden color.
Remove the bowl from the microwave and quickly beat in the baking soda. The candy will foam up when you add the soda. Immediately pour the mixture onto the cookie sheet and sprinkle the chile over the top. Using a spatula, spread the brittle as thin as possible. Do these steps as quickly as possible because the candy sets up fast!
Allow the candy to sit until cool, about 1 to 2 hours. Break into pieces and store in an airtight container.
Yield: 1 pound
Heat Scale: Medium
These hot and rich candies are well worth the extra effort it takes to make them. Because the filling needs to be refrigerated overnight, they do require advance preparation. The rum can be omitted if you desire, just plump the raisins with water.
1 cup heavy cream
1 3/4 pounds white baking chocolate
1/4 cup raisins
2 tablespoons rum
2 to 3 teaspoons ground red New Mexican chile
Ground cinnamon
Chop or break 1 1/4 pounds of the chocolate into small pieces and place in a heat resistant bowl.
To make the filling, pour the cream in a heavy saucepan, and bring to a rolling boil over a medium high heat. Pour the cream over the chocolate and stir until all the chocolate has melted. Cover the mixture and place in the refrigerator overnight to set. The filling should be firm like frosting.
Place the raisins in a bowl, pour the rum over them, and toss lightly to coat. Soak the raisins for 30 minutes to plump. Drain off any liquid that accumulates.
Remove the filling from the refrigerator and fold in the raisins and chile powder. Line a cookie sheet with wax paper and drop tablespoons of the filling onto the pan. Cool the filling in the refrigerator until firm.
Place the remaining chocolate in the top of a double boiler or small saucepan over simmering water. Stir the chocolate continuously until melted. Dip the chilled filling in the chocolate to cover and place back on the cookie sheet. Place the pan back in the refrigerator to firm again.
Sprinkle the truffles with the cinnamon before serving.
Yield: 2 pounds
Heat Scale: Medium
Note: This recipe requires advance preparation.
Chocolate Chile Almond Cookies
For those who don’t want to tackle making candy, I’ve included a recipe for a hot and sweet chocolate cookie. The heat of these cookies is dictated by the heat of the chile, and sometimes I substitute chopped jalapeños for the green chile for a more fiery treat.
2 sticks butter, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 egg, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
½ cup chopped almonds
1/4 cup chopped green New Mexican chile
2 ounces sweet chocolate
1 tablespoon cherry liquor, optional
In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Stir in the egg and vanilla and mix well.
Sift all the dry ingredients together.
Add the dry ingredients in small amounts to the butter mixture and mix well after each addition. Stir in the almonds and the chile.
Place the chocolate in the top of a double boiler or a small saucepan over simmering water. Stir the chocolate and stir continously until it has melted. Cool the chocolate and stir in the cherry liquor. Add the mixture to the dough and stir until completely mixed.
Roll the dough into a 2-inch diameter log and wrap in foil or plastic wrap. Place in the refrigerator until thoroughly chilled and firm.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and lightly oil a cookie sheet.
Thinly slice the dough and place on the pan. Bake the cookies for 8 to 10 minutes, remove from the pan and cool.
Yield: 3 dozen cookies
Heat Scale: Medium
Note: This recipe requires advance preparation
