Recipes

[ChiliPepper]

[ChiliPepper]

Chocolate Cupcake Cocktail

PREP TIME: 3 minutes

YIELD: 1 cocktail

Ingredients

 

• 1/4 cup Vanilla frosting
• 1 cup Rainbow jimmies
• Chocolate syrup
• 1 oz. Whipped cream vodka
• 1 oz. amaretto
• 1 oz. Chocolate cream liquor
• 1 oz. Heavy whipping cream
• Ice cubes
• Serving glass (I used a martini glass, but any glass you have could be used)

Instructions

1. Rim your serving glass with a generous amount of vanilla frosting. Make sure to get the inside, outside and top of the rim.
2. Place rainbow jimmies into a flat bottomed, shallow bowl (or a small plate). Press frosted glass into the jimmies. You may need to move the jimmies around to ensure that all the frosting has be covered.
3. On the inside of the glass, swirl chocolate syrup starting at the top and ending at the bottom of the glass.
4. In a large glass, place the ice, whipped cream vodka, amaretto, chocolate cream liquor and heavy whipping cream. Stir with a spoon until well combined and chilled.
5. Carefully strain into the prepared glass.
6. Serve immediately.

[ChiliPepper]

Halloween Cupcakes

Perfectly spooky chocolate Halloween cupcakes decorated in five easy designs. 

Prep Time: 30 minutes 

Cook Time: 10 minutes 

Total Time: 40 minutes

Servings24

Ingredients

Halloween Cupcakes:

INGREDIENTS

For the Cupcakes:

• 1/2 cup sour cream 120g
• 1 cup buttermilk 240mL
• 3 eggs
• 1 1/2 cup hot coffee 360mL strong, use a mocha pot so it's basically espresso
• 3/4 cup vegetable oil 180mL
• 1 tbs vanilla extract 15mL
• 3 cup all-purpose flour 360g
• 2 2/3 cup granulated sugar 535g
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder 65g
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder 6g
• 1 tbsp baking soda 18g
• 1 tsp kosher salt 5g

For the Buttercream:

• 3 tsp vanilla 15mL
• 1 lb confectioner's sugar 450g
• 1 cup unsalted butter room temperature 250g
• 3 tbsp heavy whipping cream 45mL
• Green food coloring
• Orange food coloring
• black gel food coloring

For the Assembly:

• brown m&ms regular and peanut
• 3/4 cup melted chocolate

Instructions

INSTRUCTIONS

For the Cupcakes:

• Preheat to 350 degrees.
• Add papers to a cupcake pan.
• Sift together the dry ingredients (including the sugar) into a stand mixer bowl. Whisk until combined.
• In a separate bowl, combine wet ingredients and whisk together.
• Add wet to dry ingredients in the stand mixer bowl.
• Whisk to combine, then mix on level 2 for two minutes.
• Distribute batter into cupcake papers. Bake for about 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
• Allow time to cool fully.

For the Buttercream:

• Whip the butter for about 5 minutes using a paddle attachment on the stand mixer.
• Beat in the confectioner’s sugar slowly.
• Add cream and vanilla. Beat until you have an even, fluffy consistency.
•  

For the Assembly:

For the Piping Bags:

• Prepare 3 piping bags fitted with large round tips. Add green, orange and white to separate bags. These will be used as the base colors.
• Add black food gel to melted chocolate, transfer to a piping bag. Snip off the tip. This will be used for the base of the mummy and facial details for multiple cupcakes.

For the Mummy:

• Pipe a black base.
• Fit a piping bag with a 47 flat tip, add a small amount of white buttercream.
• Pipe lines to create a bandage look.
• Add candy eyes.

For the Spider:

• Pipe ‘L’ shaped legs onto parchment paper with the black gel bag. Transfer to the freezer for 5 - 10 minutes to set.
• Pipe a white base. Switch back to the black. Pipe a spiral.
• Drag a point tool or toothpick through the buttercream and chocolate layers, working from the inside out. This will create the web look.
• Add a brown peanut m&m for the body and a regular brown m&m for the head. Add chocolate legs.

For the Pumpkin:

• Pipe bands of orange, working from bottom to top to create a pumpkin look.
• Add a green stem on top of the pumpkin.
• Pipe black jack o lantern facial details.

For Frankenstein:

• Pipe a green base.
• Place candy eyes.
• Add black facial details.

For the Skull:

• Pipe a white base, then facial details with black frosting.

Notes

• You can substitute whole milk yogurt for the sour cream if desired, I do it all the time and can’t really tell the difference.
• If you prefer your frosting to be less sweet then try whipping up a batch of Swiss or Italian buttercream. Silky smooth and delicious!
• Candy eyes can be hard to find. Try upside down chocolate chips for an easy substitution.
• Most of these cupcakes don't require any piping tips to make, just snip the end off of a bag. I used buttercream, melted chocolate tinted black with food coloring, M&M's and candy eyes. No fondant!
• The spiders were so fun to make! I used a peanut M&M for the body, a regular M&M for the head and the piped some melted chocolate legs, which set in the freezer. If you really want to go all out you can use sanding sugar for the eyes, just attach two granules to the head using a tiny bit of buttercream or melted chocolate.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cupcake | Calories: 150kcal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 13mg | Sodium: 90mg | Sugar: 8g | Calcium: 40mg | Iron: 0.4mg

[RespectLife]

Now THIS is a good National Day!

Those Halloween ones are scaring me though....booooo !

LOL

The spider ones are the best cuz they have extra chocolates on top!!

[RespectLife]

@ChiliPepper 

A Kit Kat did appear on my desk as my prize for knowing it was National Pasta Day!

I owe you half of it!

[ChiliPepper]

---

@RespectLife wrote:

@ChiliPepper 

A Kit Kat did appear on my desk as my prize for knowing it was National Pasta Day!

I owe you half of it!

---

@RespectLife 

Heeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee.........................

That is AWESOME!!!

[ChiliPepper]

 

[ChiliPepper]

Shrimp & Crab Seafood Bisque Recipe

Learn how to make a delicious, creamy seafood bisque with fresh shrimp, lump crab, rich cream and tons of delicious flavor!

This recipe is incredibly simple to prepare, made entirely in one pot and totally customizable - make it with your favorite seafood or shellfish!

This is more than just a soup - it's a luxurious, indulgent seafood experience that will keep you cozy and warm all season long!

Prep Time: 15 minutes 

Cook Time: 50 minutes 

 Servings: 8

Equipment

• Dutch Oven or Large Pot

Ingredients

• 4 TBS unsalted butter - DIVIDED
• 1 pound large shrimp – peeled, deveined & shells reserved (SEE NOTES)
• 2 Seafood Bouillon Cubes (mixed with 4 ¼ cups of water) – can substitute clam juice or seafood stock (SEE NOTES)
• 2 bay leaves
• 8-10 green onions – sliced: white/light green parts only (about ¾ cup) (reserve dark green parts for garnish)
• 2 medium carrots – small dice (about ¾ cup)
• 2 medium ribs celery – small dice (about ¾ cup)
• 3 cloves garlic – chopped
• 1 ½ tsp EACH: Sweet Paprika & Old Bay Seasoning
• 1 tsp dried thyme (not ground thyme)
• ¼ - ½ tsp cayenne – more or less to taste
• Kosher Salt & Ground Black Pepper
• 2 TBS tomato paste
• ¼ Cup all-purpose flour – spooned & leveled
• ¼ Cup EACH: Brandy & Dry Sherry (or dry white wine)
• 1 ½ - 2 Cups heavy cream – more or less to taste
• 8 ounces Lump Crab Meat - DIVIDED
• Optional Garnish: Chopped Parsley, Hot Sauce, Paprika

Instructions

• Make quick stock: Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a Dutch oven or large heavy pot over medium-high heat. Add the shrimp shells and sauté, stirring frequently, until they are lightly browned, about 2-3 minutes. Add the bouillon cubes with water and bay leaves. Bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to maintain a gentle simmer and cook for 15 minutes. Strain the stock into large bowl, discarding the shells. Transfer the stock to a large (4 cup) measuring cup. You should have 3 ¾ cup of stock. If not, add enough water to make 3 ¾ cups. Set aside.
• Sauté Shrimp: (Lightly wipe out pot if necessary) Return pot to the stove and melt 1 tablespoon of butter over medium heat. Add the shrimp and season to taste with salt and pepper. Sauté, stirring occasionally, until just cooked and opaque, about 3-4 minutes. Use a large-slotted spoon to transfer the shrimp to a plate. Set shrimp aside – reserving 4-6 shrimp for garnish, the rest will go back in the soup in step 6.
• Sauté vegetables: Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter in the pot over medium heat. Add the onions (white & light green parts only), carrots and celery. Sauté (sweat), stirring occasionally, until tender, about 5-6 minutes. Add the garlic, paprika, old bay, cayenne and season with ¾ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
• Add thickening agents + wine: Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring, until the paste is caramelized, about 2 minutes. Sprinkle the flour over the vegetable mixture and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add the brandy and sherry, using the back of a wooden spoon to scrape up any brown bits stuck to the bottom of the pan. Cook until the brandy/sherry are almost evaporated.
• Add stock: Slowly whisk in the reserved seafood stock – whisking continuously while you add the stock to the pan to prevent clumping. Bring soup to a simmer, then immediately reduce heat to maintain a simmer. Cook, whisking occasionally, for 15 minutes.
• Add shrimp & puree: Turn off the heat and add the shrimp to the pot (minus the shrimp you are reserving for garnish). Puree the soup using an immersion blender or transfer the soup in batches to a high-powered blender.
• Add cream & crab: Return the heat to medium-low and stir in 1 ½ cups of the cream. Add half of the crab meat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until warmed throughout – don’t overcook or let the bisque boil! Taste and adjust for seasoning with more cream, salt and pepper if desired.
• Serve: Divide the bisque among serving bowls. Top with reserved shrimp and remaining crab meat. Sprinkle with remaining scallions (dark green parts) and optional garnishes if desired. Enjoy!

Notes

• Quick & Easy Method: To save a bit of time and prep, you can use (12 ounces) of cooked cocktail shrimp in this recipe instead! Skip step 1 and 2 of the recipe and use 3 ¾ cups of store-bought seafood stock.
• Blending Soup: If using a high-speed blender to puree the bisque, make sure you do so in batches! Steam expands in the blender which can cause soups to splatter!! Fill the blender only 1/3 of the way up, vent the top and cover with a folded kitchen towel when blending.

Recipe Yield: approximately 64 ouncesServes: 4 as a main; 8 as a starterServing Size: 8 (1 cup) servingsNutritional information is an approximation based upon 8 (1 cup) servings.  Exact information will depend upon the brands of ingredients and precise measurements used.

Nutrition

Calories: 337kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 19g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 231mg | Sodium: 918mg | Potassium: 298mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 3643IU | Vitamin C: 9mg | Calcium: 150mg | Iron: 2mg

[RespectLife]

---

@ChiliPepper wrote:

---

@RespectLife wrote:

@ChiliPepper 

A Kit Kat did appear on my desk as my prize for knowing it was National Pasta Day!

I owe you half of it!

---

@RespectLife 

Heeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee.........................

That is AWESOME!!!

---

I ate your half @ChiliPepper 

Sorry....hee heee

I guess I owe you a whole one!

[RespectLife]

That seafood bisque recipe looks Fab @ChiliPepper 

I copied!!!

Thanks!