Slaves Of Pain Habañero Crème Brûlée (and a GIVEAWAY!)

**The giveaway has ended – thanks for participating!! Our winners are Tim, Annette, Amanda & Denise!! We hope you enjoy these wonderful cookbooks!!

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Prepare thyself!  A tantalizing and tormenting taste-bud traversal is about to begin! This Raspberry-Chile Crème Brûlée will make you a SLAVE of PAIN, but you’ll love it – pinkie swear. When Melissa’s Produce sent me Melissa’s The Great Pepper Cookbook (Oxmoor House), I saw this very recipe inside, and instantly thought of one of my good friends who LOVES the almighty habañero. Ohhh, that beautiful bright orange pepper is so shiny and pretty, but if you’ve ever dared to try a fresh sliver, you’ll immediately feel that searing pain on your tongue and any appendage that it happens to come in contact with.

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This friend of mine gave me a recipe for the most unique Sweet Potato Bake ever, and it was nothing short of amazing! I’ve always shied away from this pepper because of its crazy heat, but ever since then I’ve opened myself up to this new habañero world, and now I can’t get enough.  I’m sure my friends are sick of me talking about Habañero Sculpin IPA.

This very special woman celebrated her bachelorette party this past weekend, and I knew I had to make this crème brûlée for her that is seriously kicked up. It’s something special – I swear the recipe must have been written just for her! The habañero’s don’t stay in the custard mixture, but just the five minutes alone, simmering in the cream is enough! The flavor is slammin’!

These past few weeks, Melissa’s has been good to myself and my three awesome Inland Empire Food Blogger (IEFB) friends – Sara, Rebekah, and Sue.  If you haven’t checked them out, NOW is the time, yo! To celebrate this lovely pepper season, Melissa’s and the IEFB group put together a GIVEAWAY, so you can enjoy the bounty too!

Each of us are giving away one of the Melissa’s The Great Pepper Cookbooks (for a total of four), and you have a TON of chances to win!  Pepper season is upon us, so this giveaway is just in time so you can experiment with these delicious recipes.  The Raspberry Chile Crème Brûlée is to die for, and they were a smash hit!  Every single woman in the bachelorette party raved about them.  It is so creamy, has the perfect amount of heat, and the raspberry keeps those taste-buds on their toes!  This recipe was hands down amazing, and all of the other recipes in this cookbook all sound equally delicious.

Not only are the recipes delicious, but there is a wealth of information on the different types of peppers, their heat level, and everything else you need to know about peppers (check out pages 8-18)!  Are you a little nervous about how to handle these chiles?  Never fear, they explain in great detail how to handle chiles – both dried and fresh for maximum roasty, toasty potential!  Oh, and make sure you get gloves before handling the spicy peppers – touching your face after handling a habañero is not fun.  I speak from experience.

While we’re on the subject of Melissa’s and cookbooks, they also have this cookbook that is dedicated to the Hatch Chile. It is Hatch Chile season RIGHT NOW, and they are in stores in abundance! Wondering what do to with the abundance? Check this cookbook out, pick up a bag of chiles, and get cookin’! May I suggest even brewing a beer, perhaps? You’ll not be short of ideas with this awesome cookbook dedicated to all things Hatch Chile.

Here is a little tip I’m going to share with you regarding the making of these gorgeous crème brûlées:  Make sure you follow the recipe to the letter!  This picture below is what a bite looks like if you don’t follow directions.  For the first batch, I covered the roasting pan too tightly with foil.  The condensation from the water bath built up on the top of the foil, and dripped down into the ramekins.  Booo!  See how grainy and scrambly it looks?  That was a product of water being introduced to the mix.

Now doesn’t this look MUCH prettier?  This is what happens when you follow directions, and it paid off!  Creamy, spicy goodness laced with real vanilla beans and spice.

Now, for the giveaway! Just follow the rafflecopter prompts below to increase your chances of winning your very own Great Pepper Cookbook! It’s a must have in any cookbook collection. The giveaway ends on September 8th, 2014 at 8:59 PM (Pacific Standard Time), and winners will be announced shortly after that, so keep your eyes peeled!

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Spicy, sweet lovin’,

Listening to:
Slaves Of Pain
Sepultura – Beneath The Remains

 
*Disclaimer: Melissa’s Produce provided me with both cookbooks, and the peppers to make the recipe, but all opinions are my own. Giveaway sponsored by Melissa’s Produce. Recipe posted with permission.