Spicy Texas Cookies Recipes

Steps:

• In a medium pot, cook the bacon over medium-low heat until crispy, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove to a plate lined with a paper towel to drain, then eat the bacon as a snack.
• Add the onions to the pot with the bacon grease and cook over medium-low heat until the onions start to caramelize, 6 to 8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook another 2 minutes. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring occasionally, another 3 minutes. Whisk in the stock, sugar, vinegar, cumin, cayenne, salt and pepper and bring to a simmer. Cook until thickened, 15 to 20 minutes.
• Let cool to room temperature before using. This sauce is great on brisket or beef ribs.

Steps:

• Make the cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with foil; butter the foil.
• Toast the chiles in a dry medium saucepan over medium heat until darkened and pliable, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat, add 1 cup water and soak until the chiles soften, about 5 more minutes. Transfer the chiles and soaking liquid to a blender and puree. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve back into the saucepan. Finely chop any chile pieces left in the sieve and add to the saucepan.
• Meanwhile, whisk the flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, salt and baking powder together in a large bowl; set aside.
• Add the butter and cocoa powder to the saucepan with the chile puree; bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring, until the butter is melted. Pour into the flour mixture and stir until combined. Whisk the buttermilk, eggs, vanilla and baking soda together in a liquid measuring cup; stir into the batter in two additions until combined.
• Pour the batter into the prepared pan, spreading it evenly. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 35 minutes. Transfer to a rack and let cool slightly in the pan.
• Meanwhile, make the frosting: Combine the pecans, butter, cayenne and salt in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat until the butter is melted and the pecans are lightly toasted, about 5 minutes. Remove 1/2 cup pecans with a slotted spoon and set aside for topping. Stir the cocoa powder into the saucepan and remove from the heat. Whisk in the confectioners' sugar in two batches, alternating with the milk, mixing well after each addition.
• Immediately pour the warm frosting over the warm cake and gently spread to cover. Top with the reserved pecans and let cool completely before slicing.

Steps:

• Finely chop cucuzza, onion, bell peppers and jalapeños. (This can be a time consuming step, so I use my Pampered Chef food chopper).
• Place cucuzza, onions, bell peppers and jalapeños in a large mixing bowl.
• Sprinkle pickling salt over cucuzza mixture and stir well to combine.
• Let cucuzza mixture sit on the counter at room temperature for 1 hour.
• Thoroughly rinse cucuzza mixture in a strainer under cold running water.
• Use a wooden spoon to press the veggies against the side of the strainer to drain as much water as you can.
• Place drained cucuzza mixture in a clean bowl.
• Let sit on the counter for an additional 15 minutes, then drain again to remove excess water.
• In a large stockpot, combine vinegar, sugar, Thai peppers, celery seeds, cayenne pepper, turmeric and black pepper.
• Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally.
• Reduce heat to simmer for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Remove Thai peppers from pot and discard.
• Add chopped cucuzza mixture to the stockpot.
• Cook for an additional 5 minutes or until veggies are tender.
• In a small bowl, combine water and cornstarch; mix to dissolve.
• Pour cornstarch mixture into stockpot and cook for 5 minutes.
• Pour into sterilized canning jars and process in a water bath for 10 minutes.

Steps:

• Remove the stems and seeds from the dried chiles. Heat a large skillet (preferably cast-iron) over medium-high heat and toast the dried chiles in batches until they just start to darken and become shiny, 10 to 20 seconds per side. Remove to a large bowl. When all of the chiles are toasted, pour boiling water over them to cover. Let stand until soft, 30 minutes.
• Drain the dried chiles and transfer to a blender along with 1/2 cup of the soaking water (reserve the rest of the soaking water). Add the chipotles and adobo sauce and puree until smooth.
• Cook the bacon in a large Dutch oven over medium heat until crisp, then drain on paper towels. Pour off the drippings from the pot and discard. Add the vegetable oil to the pot and increase the heat to medium high. Season the beef all over with salt and pepper. Working in batches, add the beef to the pot and cook, turning, until browned, 3 to 4 minutes; remove the beef to a plate as it browns.
• Reduce the heat to medium low and add the onions to the drippings in the pot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are almost tender, about 6 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 2 more minutes. Add the cocoa powder, cumin, oregano and paprika and stir to coat the onions, about 1 minute. Increase the heat to high and stir in the chile puree. Cook until slightly thickened, 2 to 3 minutes.
• Add the stout, bring to a boil and cook until reduced by one-quarter, about 3 minutes. Return the beef and bacon to the pot. Add the beef broth and enough of the reserved chile soaking water or additional water (about 2 cups total) to cover the meat by 1 inch. Partially cover the pot and simmer over low heat, stirring occasionally, until the meat is tender, 31/2 to 4 hours.
• Skim off any fat from the top of the chili; season with salt and pepper. Serve the chili in bowls and top with sour cream, scallions and cilantro.

Steps:

• To make roux, heat the oil in heavy skillet until very hot. Add the flour a little at a time, stirring constantly, until it forms a paste. Lower heat and continue to stir until dark brown, do not burn
• Turn off heat and continue to stir until mixture stops bubbling.
• Fill large pot half full with water. Season the chicken with the garlic powder, black pepper, red pepper and salt. Add the chicken, basil, rosemary, green pepper, celery, onion, sausage, crab legs and roux to the pot. Bring to full boil, stirring constantly to keep roux from sticking to bottom.
• Reduce heat and simmer until the chicken is tender, about 2 1/2 hours. Add the shrimp, simmer about 30 minutes longer. Add the oysters and cook 5 minutes more. Serve with rice or crackers.

Steps:

• Mix the pecans and melted butter in a foil-lined jellyroll pan.
• Put in a 350 degree oven and bake for 5 minutes.
• Mix together the sugar and pepper; sprinkle half the sugar mixture over the pecans and bake for 5 more minutes, stirring once.
• Take pan out of oven and sprinkle remaining sugar mixture over pecans; toss to coat.

Steps:

• Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat).
• Sprinkle drumsticks with salt and generous amount of pepper. Grill drumsticks 12 minutes, turning occasionally.
• Meanwhile, stir chili powder and cumin in heavy small saucepan over medium heat until toasted and fragrant, about 1 minute. Mix in chili sauce, molasses, cider vinegar, orange juice, orange peel. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until sauce thickens slightly, about 6 minutes.
• Reserve half of sauce in small bowl. Brush remaining sauce on chicken; continue to grill until cooked through, crisp and brown, turning occasionally, about 15 minutes longer. Serve chicken with reserved sauce.

Steps:

• Melt butter in medium saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic; stir 30 seconds. Stir in ketchup and all remaining ingredients. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer until reduced to 1 1/3 cups, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. do ahead Can be made 1 week ahead. Cool slightly, cover, and chill.
• * Dried, smoked jalapeños in a spicy tomato sauce called adobo; available at some supermarkets and at Latin markets.

Steps:

• Add ginger, cinnamon, cloves and pepper to butter, cream well.
• Gradually blend in sugar. Beat in egg.
• Sift flour with baking powder and stir into butter mixture, mix well.
• Refrigerate until stiff enough to handle (several hours or overnight).
• Roll out on floured board to 1/8" thickness. Cut with texas-shape cookie cutter dipped in flour.
• Place on baking sheet and bake at 375 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes. Cool.
• FROSTING:
• Add 2 to 3 Tablespoons water to 2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar. Mix until smooth and spredable. Frost cookies. Place red cinnamon heart where you live in Texas.

Steps:

• On grill, cook 45 minutes, brushing frequently during last 30 minutes.
• Oven Method: Bake skin side down at 375 for 30 minutes. Brush with sauce and bake 30 more minutes, brushing every 10 minutes.