Blue Corn Chimayo Chile Bacon Muffins

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Three distinctive flavors combine and complement one another in these muffins–the saltiness of the bacon, the nutty flavor of the blue corn, and a subtle chile heat that is not immediately discernable. These muffins need not be served at breakfast only. They compliment almost any chile dish, barbecue, or Southwest meal. You can substitute yellow corn meal for the blue if blue cornmeal is unavailable.

Ingredients

  • 4 strips bacon

  • 1/4 cup blue cornmeal

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour

  • 1/3 cup sugar

  • 3 teaspoons baking powder

  • 2 teaspoons ground red Chimayo chile, or substitute any ground red New Mexico chile

  • 3/4 teaspoon salt

  • 1 cup milk

  • 1 egg, beaten

  • 2 tablespoons melted butter or margarine, or bacon drippings

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 425°F. Lightly oil a muffin tin.

Fry the bacon in a skillet until it’s crisp. Remove the bacon, drain on a paper towel, and crumble it. Reserve the drippings for the muffin if desired.

In a large mixing bowl, sift all the dry ingredients together. Set the mixture aside.

In another bowl, combine the milk, egg, butter or bacon drippings, and crumbled bacon. Add the liquid mixture to the dry ingredients and stir to just mix them.

Divide the batter evenly among 12 to 15 muffin cups, filling up each one about halfway. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes.

Cool the muffins on a rack and serve them warm or at room temperature.

Jalapeno Corn Muffins with Chile Orange Butter

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Take these “hot” muffins on your next picnic in place of ordinary bread or even chips. Flavored butters (or margarine) are easy to prepare and make tasty alternatives to a plain butter. Any unused butter can be frozen for latter use as a spread or for sauteing foods such as shrimp.

Ingredients

Muffins:

  • 4 jalapeño chiles, stems and seeds removed, chopped

  • 2 cups milk

  • 1 cup buttermilk

  • 3 eggs

  • 1 cup cornmeal

  • 3/4 cup flour

  • 1/4 cup sugar

  • 3 tablespoons baking powder

  • 1 ½ teaspoons salt

  • Chile Orange Butter:

  • 1 tablespoon New Mexico red chile powder

  • 1 tablespoon grated orange zest

  • 2 teaspoons orange juice

  • 1 pound unsalted butter, at room temperature

Instructions

In a bowl, combine all the ingredients for the chile butter and allow to sit at room temperature for an hour to blend the flavors.

Preheat an oven to 375°F and grease a muffin tin.

To make the muffins, mix the jalapeños, milk, buttermilk, and eggs together in a bowl.

In another bowl sift together the dry ingredients.

Add the dry ingredients to the liquid. Gently mix them until the dry ingredients are absorbed being careful not to over mix.

Pour the batter into the greased muffin tins and bake for 20 to 30 minutes or until done.

 

Red Chile Dusted Croutons

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These spicy croutons are not only a tasty addition to this soup, they are great on salads too. For a hotter crouton add some ground chile piquin.

Ingredients

  • 3 slices of white bread, crusts trimmed, cut in 1-inch cubes

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil

  • 1 tablespoon margarine

  • 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

  • 1 tablespoon ground red New Mexico chile

  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

Spread the bread cubes on a baking sheet and let them dry out at room temperature for a couple of hours.

In a skillet, heat the olive oil and margarine. Add the garlic and saute until the garlic just starts to brown, being careful not to let them burn. Remove the garlic and discard. Add the chile and the cumin and toss the crumbs in the mixture until well coated.

Spread the bread cubes on the baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Allow the cubes to cool at room temperature.

Microwave Green Chile Pistachio Brittle

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This microwave version of peanut brittle is easier to prepare than most, but be sure to use a large bowl to keep the mixture from boiling over as the volume increases. The green chile heat is a nice complement to the sweet brittle.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups sugar
  • 1 cup corn syrup
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup MRS. DOG’S GREEN CHILE PISTACHIO NUTS
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Instructions

Generously grease both a 2-quart microwavable bowl and a large cookie sheet.

Combine the sugar, corn syrup, salt, and pistachios in the bowl and mix well. Microwave on high for 4 minutes. Remove, stir well and again microwave on high for 4 minutes.

Add the butter and stir well to blend. Return to the microwave and cook for another 4 minutes on high.

Remove from the microwave and add the baking soda and vanilla, then quickly stir the mixture until it turns a light brown. Immediately pour the mixture onto the greased cookie sheet and let it cool completely.

When the candy is cooled, break it into pieces and enjoy immediately, or store in an airtight tin for future use.

Cascabel Caramel Turtles

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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.

Ingredients

  • 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

Instructions

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.