Re: [CH] Hab brownies

Brent Thompson (brent@hplbct.hpl.hp.com)
Wed, 31 Oct 2001 10:30:02 -0800 

> Looking for recipe for brownies with habs or other peppers?

Here's a recipe that isn't brownies and has no chocolate, but ends up
pretty much looking and tasting like brownies (rich, chewy, lingeringly
flavorful, well-liked by most tasters even non-chile-heads, cannot stop
eating them, etc.), which is why I think of it as a type of brownie hence
replying with it here.  Due to glaze, it is definitely stickier (on hands)
than TRUE brownies.

My modifications to the original recipe are minor.
 ---   Brent

** Mandarin Orange-Walnut-Pequin Cake
	(modified by Brent Thompson from a recipe in Sweet Heat, by Melissa
	Stock and Dave DeWitt -- the original was _much_ too sweet, testers
	complained)

	The amount of chile in the glaze can of course be adjusted to
	suit your preference, but even as is most non-chile-heads really
	like it and most don't even really realize it contains chile.

Cake ingredients:
15-oz.	mandarin oranges (1 can)
2 C.	sugar, granulated
2 C.	flour
2	eggs, medium
1 C.	walnuts, chopped (I usually add about 1/4-1/2 C. extra)
2 tsp.	baking soda
1/2 tsp	salt
1 tsp.	vanilla

Glaze ingredients:
6 Tbs.	butter (3/4 stick)
4 Tbs.	milk
1/8 tsp	salt
1/2 tsp	vanilla
6	chiles pequin, seeded, stemmed, and ground (or 1 tsp. cayenne powder)
1 C.	brown sugar, not very firmly packed
		(Ok, maybe next time I'll measure exactly how much this is
		in terms of firmly packed brown sugar and just specify
		that, but for now this is the only way I know to get the
		right amount.)

Preheat over to 350 F.  Butter a 9x13-inch baking pan.

Drain mandarin oranges, fill a 1-cup measuring cup with drained orange
segments, then fill the measuring cup with the drained syrup.  This is how
much syrup you need; discard the rest of the syrup, do not discard the rest
of the orange segments.  (Ok, maybe next time I'll measure exactly how much
syrup this ends up being and just specify that, but for now this is the
only way I know how to get the right amount.)

Make the cake:
In a large mixing bowl, combine the 1-cup measure filled with oranges and
syrup, all the rest of the drained orange segments, and all other cake
ingredients.  Mix by hand; don't overmix, you want to have discernible bits
of mandarin segment left intact.

Pour batter into the buttered pan and bake for 45 minutes.  It will get
dark brown and look quite similar to brownies, actually.

Make the glaze:
Combine all the glaze ingredients in a saucepan, stir, and bring to a boil.
Let cool about 5 minutes, then drizzle evenly over the cake.