These little turnovers are like miniature pies. You can vary the fillings and really have fun experimenting with different jams and jellies. There are a lot of jellies flavored with peppers, so look in the jam and jelly section of your grocery store or a gourmet specialty store. You can always make your own hot variation by adding cayenne pepper, finely diced chiles of your choice to your favorite flavor of jam. If you don’t have time to make your own pie crust, you can always substitute premade refrigerated pie crusts. These delectable little pies also make great holiday gifts.
Red Chile Pumpkin Chiffon Pie
Gwyneth Doland, writer for Fiery Foods Central, shares her recipe for this spicy dessert. This fluffy pie is a lighter alternative to dense, rich pumpkin pie most of us are used to. It’s served chilled, so the red chile kick comes as a pleasant contrast.
Cajun Fried Turkey
Done correctly, this process produces a very succulent turkey with a wonderful Cajun flavor.
Red Hot Chiles Carrot Cake
This recipe is from David Paul’s Lahaina Grill in Lahaina, Maui. This dessert may make you sing and is a guaranteed hit at any fun affair. It’s also a really pretty cake, and is especially attractive when you save an assortment of chiles to garnish the platter.
Dark Chocolate Cheesecake with Red Chile Ganache
Mary Jane’s recipe is based on one by the Barefoot Contessa (Ina Garten), but the shoeless TV cook wouldn’t dare to use red chile powder! You will need a springform pan for this cake since it would be difficult to get it out of a regular cake pan in one piece. If desired, you can use semisweet chocolate instead of bittersweet in the filling, and the cake will be slightly sweeter.