re: #421 kirkspencer

Fudge — real, old-fashioned fudge — with cayenne powder added. I make it two ways. One, for everyone else, has 1/8 teaspoon added. Nobody detects the burn, but everyone notes how, well, chocolate the fudge is. (capsaicin opens tastebuds, as do salt and cloves.) The other batch gets a tablespoon or two. I’m not fond of kicking it up to OMG THE BURN levels, but I like the warmth.

I’ll also bring to your attention the friend who made what he called ‘frozen flame margaritas’. Standard frozen margaritas, really, except he used his habanero tequila. Basically, capsaicin is alcohol soluble. Put some habaneros in your bottle of tequila and let them masticate for a day. Pull out the (now fairly bland) pulp, and drink with caution. The heat against the ice made for a great effect.

I will pass that one on to my friend the chilehead. He also makes hot sauce and other pepper products. Luckily he is not a fan of “death sauce”, but prefers flavor with heat.

He and his mother-in-law both make apple pie with hot peppers/sauce added. I tried it once - an interesting kick, but in my opinion detracts from a good apple pie. (If the goal is sweet and apple-y taste, the heat detracts.) I think in his case he wasn’t using a good variety of apple for the pie, in which case adding heat would improve it.