Wow, gingersnap habanero? What an interesting combo. I must try.
Hmm, now you've got me thinking about a spicy Sauerbraten gravy.
Can't help with the sauerbraten, but here are the hot gingersnaps. When I first came up with these, the recipe had a tsp of black pepper in it, but something clicked - why not use habs, since they have that incredibly sweet aroma? I cut it in half, but that was too hot, for most people, so I cut it down to 1/4 tsp (this is actually half the recipe - fits in FP better), and that works better, but I'd always do a sample batch, to test the batch of habanero I had just ground up. Sometimes I'd have to reduce it a little! This year I grew some Aji Dulce, which is an incredibly intense habanero, yet it only has about 500 heat units! Added to the chocolate hab, about 1:2, this worked out great.
Habanero Gingersnaps
1/2 cup(s) butter; chilled
1/2 cup(s) sugar
1 3/4 cup(s) flour
1/2 tsp soda
1/8 tsp salt
1 tsp ginger
1 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp cloves
1/4-3/8 tsp habanero powder; optional
1/4 cup(s) light molasses
2 tsp water
2 1/2 oz almonds; sliced or slivered
A. Place the flour, sugar, soda, salt, and spices in a food processor, and process to mix thoroughly, Cut the butter into 8 pieces, place in FP, and pulse to break up the butter, then process until it is totally ground up with the dry ing., srcaping the bottom to get the flour out of the ridges. Pulse while drizzling in the molasses and water into the FP, and process until the dough almost forms a ball.. Dump into a bowl, and gently massage the nuts into the dough, then form it into a log, about 15" long, round or square, and wrap in waxed paper, then freeze.
B. When ready to bake, remove from freezer, and preheat oven to 325º. Slice log into 1/6" slices, place on parchment lined or lightly greased sheets, and bake 10 min, or until lightly browned. Remove to a rack to cool.
Options:
Dry molasses: use 26 g powdered molasses with the dry ing., then 1 egg for the liquid.
Using mixer instead of FP: Sift together the dry ingredients. Cream the butter (at room temp) and sugar; add molasses and beat just until mixed, then add dry ing. and beat on low until mixed. Stir in the nuts, then form into a 15" log (much stickier this way) in waxed paper, and freeze.
why let them just sit there. I for one need a little shove now and then to open them up. Have you read the game? Just this week alone, I have found 4 new things to try, to bring variety to our meals. And I hope to keep finding new things in my life. It is fun, exciting. I'm sure you experience the same thing with what you find on your computer. As they say, to each their own, we all take a different path, but somehow we wind up at the same place
