[CH] Hoosier Hotluck HooWee

Alex Silbajoris (asilbajo@hotmail.com)
Fri, 06 Apr 2001 17:12:23

We are almost ready to leave for the hotluck.  I wanted to post the recipe 
for the 'Zilla 'Nillas I'm bringing along.  If I can hide them from Linda, 
there might be some left.


'Zilla 'Nillas

A basic vanilla wafer-type cookie, with an element of heat.  The idea is to 
have just enough heat that you don't notice until you've just about finished 
the first one.

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1-1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 egg
1-1/4 tbsp vanilla extract
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 level tsp habanero powder

In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar.  Beat in egg and vanilla.  Combine 
dry ingredients; add to creamed mixture and mix well.  Drop by teaspoonfuls 
3 inches apart onto ungreased baking sheets.  Bake at 350F for 12 - 15 
minutes or until edges begin to turn golden brown.  Remove to a wire rack to 
cool.

I found it convenient to put the batter on wax paper, let it chill outside, 
and press it into a uniform flat brick so I could cut it into cubes a little 
larger than sugarcubes.  The finished product _looks_ innocent.


I also have (cue the Iron Chef background music) chicken in a 
lemon-orange-shallot-garlic-aji amarillo-red hab sauce, some Ionian green 
olives currently undergoing a Brine Adjustment, and the Schmeer of Fear, a 
cream cheese spread with hickory-smoked habs and other flavorings.  BTW one 
thing in that spread is a dried-vegetable seasoning from a Ruby Tuesday's 
restaurant - surprisingly good stuff, similar to a dried vegetable soup mix.

Of course the forecast calls for rain BACK HOME AGAIN IN INDIANA so this 
year I think I'll just bring an electric skillet and an extension cord, and 
just hang around inside with the folks and watch it rain.

"When I dream about the moonlight on the hab patch,
how I long for my Indiana home..."

- A

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