Let's just get to it ...
Dillapeno. What can I say. It's a favorite of mine. It's also a customer favorite. Truth be told, my recipe Sweet Heat Jalapeno Cheese Spread, was originally for Dillapeno. I couldn't get it out of my head and had to do what I originally intended to. The following recipe appeared to be the customer favorite this weekend - sold out of Dillapeno. When you first taste it, it's creamy and a tad sweet, but on the finish ... the spiciness sneaks up on you.
Dillapeno Cheese
Spread
8
oz. TFM cream cheese, softened
10.5
oz. goat cheese, softened
½
lb. New York Cheddar, shredded
½
c. mayonnaise
1/3
c. diced red onion
1
jar Dillapeno, drained + 2 Tbl Dillapeno juice
Place
all ingredients in a medium mixing bowl. Mix until thoroughly blended. Place in a serving bowl. Serve with your
favorite crackers or Original Pretzel Crisps.
Adjust heat/spice level by
increasing or decreasing the amount of Dillapeno juice.
*****
Customers also enjoyed the following Stonewall Kitchen recipe. I sampled this out with gluten free graham crackers (sorry, didn't write down the brand). This was a nice pairing and makes a great snack.
Peach Amaretto
Cream Cheese Spread
8
oz. cream cheese, softened
1/3
c. Stonewall Kitchen Peach Amaretto Jam
¼
tsp. ground ginger
Beat
all ingredients together on low speed until well blended. Serve with assorted fruit, warm toasted
bagels or scones, or any breakfast bread.
*****
Last weekend, some customers commented they didn't want to stuff Peppadews. Thought I'd play and see if I could get the same flavor with chopping Peppadews and adding it to the goat cheese pesto. It fell a bit short on flavor so I added grated Parmesan Reggiano. That did the trick and customers liked the flavor. Personally, Stuffed Peppadews have more flavor and look so festive.
Pesto Peppadew Cheese Spread
(adapted from Teatime - Holidays, 2015 - Stuffed Peppadew)
24
Peppadews, drained and chopped
8
oz. goat cheese, softened
¼
c. prepared pesto
2
Tbl. heavy whipping cream
1 c. grated Parmesan Reggiano
TFM Garlic Parmesan French Rounds
Add all ingredients (except French Rounds) to a medium mixing bow. Beat at medium speed
with a mixer until smooth. Serve with French Rounds.
*****
For me, this next recipe doesn't make me jump up and down; it's sweet. But, customers enjoyed it and product sold, so that's all that matters.
Roasted Garlic
Onion Almond Dip
1
jar Stonewall Kitchen Roasted Garlic Onion Jam
8
oz. cream cheese, softened
4
oz. goat cheese, softened
2/3
c. smoked almonds, chopped (more or less to taste)
Stonewall
Kitchen Sea Salt Crackers
Place first 3 ingredients in a medium bowl and mix
until well blended. Add almonds to
taste. Mix until thoroughly
incorporated. Serve with Stonewall
Kitchen Sea Salt Crackers.
*****
This last recipe Wild Hibiscus emailed to me. I have a number of Wild Hibiscus samplings for this holiday season and I wanted to get customer feedback on a Hibiscus beer cocktail - Michaelada. I sampled out three Micheladas each with a different beer - one with Mexican lager (Dos XX Lager), a second with Crabbies Ginger beer, and the third with Crabbies Orange Spice beer. Customer comments were all over with who liked what. No clear favorite/winner.
Personally, I found drinking Dos XX lager on it's own was not for me. However, I did enjoy the Michelada that I prepared with it. In fact, it was my favorite Michelada. Using Crabbies Ginger beer ... it tasted like Crabbies Ginger beer. Not much change in flavor by adding lime juice and hibiscus syrup. However, Crabbies Orange Spice did have a subtle change in flavor and was enjoyable.
Hibiscus
Michelada
¾ oz. Wild Hibiscus syrup
1 Tbl. fresh lime juice
8 oz. Mexican lager beer
1 (edible) Wild Hibiscus flower
Fill ¾ glass with ice. Add
Hibiscus syrup and juice of ½ a lime (1 tablespoon) to bottom of glass. Carefully top with your favorite Mexican
lager beer. Garnish with Wild Hibiscus
flower.
Hibiscus
Ginger Michelada
Use Crabbies Ginger Beer instead
of Mexican lager.
Hibiscus
Orange Spice Michelada
Use Crabbies Orange Spice Beer
instead of Mexican lager.
Make a Chelada: dip rim of glass in
Wild Hibiscus syrup and then in salt.
