Desserts

Chili Spice Chocolate Cake

Ingredients:

Cake

  • 1 ¾ cup flour
  • 1 ½ tsps. baking powder
  • 1 ½ tsps. baking soda
  • ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • ½ tsp. salt
  • 2 cups granulated sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • ½ cup vegetable oil
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 cup boiling water
  • 2-3 tbsps. WGF chili oil (strained)

Frosting

  • 1 cup unsalted butter
  • ⅔ cup unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
  • 3 cups powdered sugar, sifted
  • ½ cup whole milk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2-3 tablespoons WGF chili oil (strained)
  • Pinch of salt

Directions:

Cake

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease two 9-inch cake pans
  2. In large bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cocoa powder, and pinch of salt
  3. In another bowl, whisk sugar and eggs until well-combined (2-3 minutes)
  4. Add milk, vegetable oil, and vanilla extract to sugar-egg mixture
  5. Gradually add dry ingredients to wet, mixing until just combined.Be careful not to overmix
  6. Slowly pour boiling water until well combined. The batter should look thin at this point
  7. Finally, add the WGF chili oil (strained) and mix until evenly distributed. Adjust amount of chili oil based on your preferred level of spiciness
  8. Divide batter evenly between pans
  9. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean
  10. Allow cakes to cool for 10 minutes in pans before transferring them to a wire rack

Frosting

  1. In the bowl of a standard mixer with a paddle attachment, beat the softened butter until creamy
  2. Add the sifted cocoa powder to butter and mix until well combined
  3. Gradually add the sifted powdered sugar, one cup at a time and beat until smooth and creamy
  4. Add the milk, vanilla extra, and pinch of salt
  5. Once frosting is well combined, add chili oil to the mixture. Start with small amounts and taste if you want spicier. Beat for an extra 2-3 minutes to ensure smooth texture

Chili Oil Poached Pears

Ingredients:

  • 4 ripe but firm pears (peeled and halved)
  • 2 cups water
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 1 star anise
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 tablespoons WGF chili oil (strained)
  • Splash of lemon juice
  • Vanilla ice cream of whipped cream (optional)
  • Chopped nuts or mint leaves (optional)

Directions:

Prepare the Pears

  1. Peel the pears, cut them in half, core them and remove the seeds
  2. Place pear halves in a bowl of cold water and splash of lemon juice to prevent browning

Poaching Liquid

  1. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine the water, sugar, cinnamon stick, star anise, vanilla extract, and strained WGF chili oil
  2. Bring mixture to a simmer, stirring occasionally until sugar has dissolved
  3. Drain the pear halves and add them to the simmering poaching liquid
  4. Reduce heat to love, cover saucepan, and let the pears poach for 15-20 minutes or until they are tender but not mushy. You can check my interesting a knife into the pear; it should go in easily
  5. Once pears are poached, remove from liquid and set aside
  6. Serve with scoop of vanilla ice cream or whipped cream and garnish with chopped nuts or mint leaves and extra WGF chili oil strained (optional)

Spicy Honey

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup good honey
  • 2-3 tablespoons WGF chili oil (adjust according to spice preference)
  • 1-2 dried red chili peppers (optional; for extra heat)

Directions:

  1. In a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, add honey and WGF chili oil
  2. Add red chili peppers (optional) for extra heat
  3. Bring to a simmer and then reduce heat to low and heat for about 1 hour or until fragrant and the honey is spicy
  4. Pour into a heatproof jar and let sit for about 30 minutes-1 hour to thicken
  5. Cover and store or serve immediately drizzled over your favorite foods

Chili Oil Caramel Popcorn

Ingredients:

  • ½ cup unpopped popcorn kernels
  • 3 tablespoons oil
  • 1 cup unsalted butter
  • 1 cup light brown sugar, packed
  • ⅓ cup light corn syrup
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2-3 tablespoons WGF chili oil
  • Sea salt for sprinkling

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 250 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or use a silicone mat
  2. In a large pot with a lid, heat 3-4 tablespoons oil over medium-high heat until oil is very hot
  3. Add 3 kernels to the pot and put on the lid. After hearing them pop, add the remaining ½ cup kernels and put on lid
  4. Cook until all kernels are popped, shaking occasionally to prevent burning. Remove from heat and place aside in a large mixing bowl
  5. To prepare the carmel sauce, melt the butter in medium saucepan over medium heat
  6. Stir in brown sugar, corn syrup, and salt. Bring mixture to a boil, stirring constantly
  7. Once it reaches a boil, stop stirring and let it boil for 4-5 minutes without stirring
  8. Remove saucepan from heat and stir in baking soda, vanilla extract, and WGF chili oil. Mixture will bubble up at this point
  9. Pour chili oil caramel sauce over popped popcorn and stir until evenly coated
  10. Transfer coated popcorn onto the baking sheet and bake for 45-60 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes to ensure even coating
  11. Remove popcorn from oven and let cool completely before breaking it into pieces
  12. If desired, sprinkle with sea salt