Capirotada {Mexican Bread Pudding} ~ #MuyBuenoCookbook Spotlight!
It wasn’t until I was an adult that I had “regular” bread pudding.
I know. I didn’t know what I was missing. Ummm, hello? BEST stuff in the world.
Instead, I grew up on my dad’s version of Capirotada (Mexican bread pudding).
As a child, I thought it was a dish my dad invented. And I thought he was a genius. (Okay…I’m a total daddy’s girl, and I still think that)
Capirotada is a deeply traditional and unique Mexican dish. For many Mexican families, the dessert is entrenched with religious symbolism and is served during Lent…the bread in the pudding is representative of the Body of Christ, the syrup is his blood, the cloves are the nails on the cross, the cinnamon is the cross itself, and the cheese is representative of the Holy Shroud.
We weren’t Catholic. But, we still ate Capirotada.
If you’ve never mixed raisins and cheese (especially in a dessert), you don’t know what you’ve been missing. It’s seriously amazing. The sweet raisins play on the salty cheese in a perfectly perfect way. Add the rest of the ingredients for this bread pudding (the piloncillo, the cinnamon, and the cloves) and you’ve suddenly elevated yourself to a whole new level.
I recently received an advanced copy of the new Mexican cuisine cookbook, “Muy Bueno“, penned by the ladies from the blog of the same name. Over the next few weeks, I’ll be participating in a review of some of the recipes from “Muy Bueno”, as well as reviewing the cookbook itself…finishing off with a giveaway of this fabulous cookbook for one of you!
As soon as I received my copy of “Muy Bueno”, I began pouring over the pages. I knew I’d be making the “Muy Bueno” Capirotada as soon as I saw it.
Upon making the Capirotada, I was transported back to my childhood…when my father would make a HUGE pan for us to share. The sweet, plump, juicy raisins that are scented with cinnamon, paired perfectly with the sharp cheddar cheese, are then everything is enrobed with the moist bread in the pudding.
While this dish was baking, I texted my father in New Mexico…
“Dad! I’m making capirotada!”
Him: “Send me some!!”
I wish I could dad! I miss you so much!
And now…for the stah of the show…
Capirotada {Mexican Bread Pudding}
Ingredients
- 4 bolillo rolls or French rolls
- 4 Tbs. butter
- 4 1/2 cups water
- 12 ounces piloncillo (or 1 1/2 cups dark brown sugar, packed)
- 4 cinnamon sticks
- 6 whole cloves
- 1 cup raisins
- 3 cups shredded Longhorn cheddar
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Cut rolls into 1/2 inch slices and butter both sides of each slice. Layer on a baking sheet and bake for 3 minutes on each side, until lightly toasted and dry. Remove from the oven and cool.
Combine water, piloncillo, cinnamon sticks, and cloves in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer uncovered for 20 minutes, forming a syrup.
Remove from heat, cover, and allow to steep for 2 hours. Pour through a strainer and discard cinnamon sticks and cloves. Set syrup aside.
Spray an 8×10 1/2 inch baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Layer the ingredients in the following order: a third of the toasted bread, a third of the raisins, a third of the cheese, and then pour 1 1/2 cups syrup evenly over cheese.
Wait 15 minutes and then layer another third of the bread, raisins, and cheese, and pour another 1 1/2 cups syrup evenly over cheese. Let soak for another 15 minutes. Top with the remaining bread, raisins, and cheese, and pour remaining syrup evenly over bread. Let set for another 15 minutes.
Cover the dish with aluminum foil that has been sprayed with nonstick spray and bake 40 minutes. Uncover and bake until cheese is golden brown, about 10 to 15 minutes more.
Can be served warm or room temperature.
I love my Capirotada after it’s sat for a day. The texture and flavors have had a chance to settle into the dish. And the syrup forms a bit of a little extra layer on the bottom of the pan.
If you don’t care for raisins as much as I do, feel free to decrease the amount to your liking.
But don’t skimp on the cheese. I’m pretty sure that’s illegal.
Stay tuned next week to see the next dish that I’ll be featuring from “Muy Bueno”. You’re NOT going to want to miss what’s next!
***This post is part of the Muy Bueno Cookbook Spotlight & Cook-Off sponsored by Hippocrene and hosted at girlichef.***
***Disclaimer: I recieved a copy of “Muy Bueno” to review. I received no further compensation in exchange for this post. As always, all opinions contained within this blog belong to me.”***
Alfajores (Mexican Shortbread Cookies with Dulce De Leche Filling) ~ Plus a @KingArthurFlour #Giveaway
We’re deep in the midst of what I’m calling “Mexican Week” here in the Cocina. I’ll be bringing you spicy and/or Mexican-inspired eats and treats all week long! It started off yesterday with Mexican Fiesta #SundaySupper when I brought Stuffed Sopapillas to the festivities!
After that spicy, savory dish, it’s time for dessert, don’t you think?
I made cookies. Mexican cookies to be exact. Alfajores (Mexican shortbread cookies stuffed with a filling of dulce de leche/thick caramel) to be really exact.
A few weeks ago, I was given the opportunity to try out some products from King Arthur Flour.
King Arthur Flour is America’s oldest flour company, founded in Boston in 1790 to provide pure, high-quality flour for residents of the newly formed United States. More than 220 years later, they’re the nation’s premier baking resource, offering everything from top-quality baking products to inspiring educational programs—all backed by the passion and commitment of their dedicated employees and owners.
If you’d like more information on King Arthur Flour, their philosophy and/or products, you can find them on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, and Pinterest. You can also sign up to receive e-mail updates direct from King Arthur Flour that include everything from recipes to their latest product offers. And don’t forget to check out their recipe page for fabulous step-by-step recipe ideas that use many of King Arthur Flour’s products!
I used King Arthur Flour’s Self-Rising Flour in this recipe for Alfajores.
I am new to using self-rising flour. It’s not a product I’d become familiar with until recently. Once I began doing research on its benefits, I fell in love!
Self-rising flour is a blend of flour, baking powder, and salt. It is milled from a lower-protein wheat than regular all-purpose flour, which results in a very tender baked good. Using self-rising flour eliminates two steps in many of your favorite recipes: adding the baking powder and adding the salt. Both are already in the flour.
It is easy to substitute self-rising flour in your existing baking recipes. To try self-rising flour in recipes that use all-purpose flour, look for baked goods that include baking powder. Substitute self-rising flour 1:1 for the all-purpose flour, stirring in an additional 1 tablespoon of self-rising flour for each cup of AP flour in the recipe. Omit the baking powder and salt in the recipe, because the self-rising flour supplies both of those. If the recipe calls for baking soda in addition to baking powder, leave the baking soda in the recipe; it’s most likely there to react with an acidic ingredient, and will enhance both rising, and browning.
Easy substitution for easier baking! Sign me up!
This recipe for Alfajores comes from Hispanic Kitchen. The shortbread cookies are easy to prepare, and the recipe for the cookie dough calls for baking powder, so I knew that these cookies would be perfect to make using the King Arthur Flour Self-Rising Flour.
I wasn’t sure what to expect. Alfajores have a very specific texture that stems from the flour/cornstarch mixture that makes up the dough. They’re a close cousin to shortbread, in that they’re tender with a gentle tooth to the bite of the cookie.
These came out perfect. The self-rising flour was a perfect substitution. The result was exactly like all of the batches of Alfajores that I remember from the Mexican bakeries of years past. The texture was just like it needed to be, and the taste was spot on!
A hint when making Alfajores: keep the dough chilled. Once you roll out the dough to cut out your cookies, refrigerate the extra dough between batches. Warm cookie dough doesn’t do these cookies any favors. They turn out flat and aren’t as tender. So just make sure to refrigerate the dough in between rolling your batches and all of your cookies will be perfect!
Alfajores
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup butter, softened
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tsp. vanilla
- 1 whole egg plus 1 egg yolk
- 1 cup plus 1 Tbs. self rising flour (I used King Arthur Flour’s Self-Rising Flour)
- 1 cup cornstarch
- 1 1/2 cups dulce de leche
- Shredded coconut
Instructions
In a large bowl and using a hand mixer, beat the butter and sugar until they’re creamy. Add the vanilla, egg and one egg yolk and beat until ingredients are well-mixed.
Add the flour and cornstarch in several additions, mixing well between each addition, ensuring that all ingredients come together and are well-incorporated.
Refrigerate dough for at least 1-2 hours to chill.
Once dough has chilled, preheat oven to 350 and prepare baking sheets by lining them with parchment paper.
Roll dough to 1/4 inch thickness and cut out 2 inch cookie rounds.
Place rounds on prepared cookie sheets. (Remember to chill dough between batches and between rolling)
Bake cookies for 10-13 minutes, or until cookies begin to turn golden around the edges. Allow the cookies to cool completely once removed from the oven.
Spread 1 Tbs. of the dulce de leche on one cookie and top with another cookie.
Press cookies together to join. Using your finger, spread a little dulce de leche around the edges of the cookies and press the edges of the cookies into the coconut.
If you’ve never had Alfajores, now is your chance! These are easy to make, and SO worth the small amount of effort they take!
Plus, they have dulce de leche…which I can eat all by itself…with a spoon. Allegedly.
And they have coconut. Coconut and dulce de leche are like…the perfect marriage of cookie marriages.
It’s time to quit denying yourself. Really. Get out in the kitchen ASAP!
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Would you like your own bag of King Arthur Flour? Well, guess what? I’m giving a bag away!
***This giveaway is for one coupon for a free bag of King Arthur Flour. This giveaway is open to US residents only. It will run from Monday, September 17th, 2012, to 5:00 p.m., CST on Friday, September 21st, 2012. At that time, the winner will be chosen by random draw. I will then notify the winner through e-mail and they will have 3 days to respond or another winner will be chosen.***
HOW TO ENTER:
Required Entry: Leave me a comment telling me what you’ll make first with your bag of King Arthur Flour! If you’re looking for ideas, make sure to check out King Arthur Flour’s recipe page right HERE!
Additional Entries:
- Like Juanita’s Cocina on Facebook.*
- Follow @JuanitasCocina on Twitter.*
- Like King Arthur Flour on Facebook.
- Follow @KingArthurFlour on Twitter.
*If you already follow Juanita’s Cocina on Facebook or Twitter, please note that in your comments. Also, remember to leave a SEPARATE COMMENT HERE ON MY BLOG for each entry you complete. If you leave all of your entries in a single comment, that will only count as ONE entry.
If you’re counting, that’s a total of five (5) entries to win this fabulous King Arthur Flour giveaway!
Good luck!
***Disclaimer: I received samples of King Arthur Flour to review. This giveaway is being provided by King Arthur Flour. I was not provided with any further compensation and was not under any obligation to post a positive review in exchange for this post. As always, all opinions included in this post belong to me.***
Stuffed Sopapillas ~ Mexican Fiesta #SundaySupper
Happy Dia de Independencia, y’all!
It’s Mexican Independence Day and the #SundaySupper team is celebrating with a HUGE Mexican Fiesta! And my friend Heather from Girlichef is our hostess with the mostest!
Now, I don’t need an excuse to make or eat Mexican food. But, I’ll take any reason I can get!
Back home in New Mexico, I had a favorite Mexican restaurant that I visited almost once a week. Besides my family and friends, the restaurant is probably the thing I miss the most about home. I haven’t found a place here in Texas that brings the flavors and authenticity that my favorite restaurant did.
Tuesday night was Mexican restaurant night in the Juanita household. Every Tuesday, I’d sit down at ”our table” and I’d order shrimp fajitas with an extra tortilla and sour cream and guacamole…no beans and rice. (Who has room for carbs when you’re eating shrimp fajitas?) Plus a Diet Coke…because we’re healthy, y’all.
It got to the point that as soon as we walked in, the servers would bring us our drinks and say, “The usual?” And we’d all be predictable and express our affirmations, in an embarassed sort of way.
Have you ever been to a place so often that they know you, your family, AND your order?
What can I say? I’m a local loyalist.
Now that I live in Texas…in the MIDDLE OF NOWHERE…I have to make my own Mexican food. Not that I or my family are complaining.
I think lots of folks hold the misconception that Mexican food is difficult to prepare. Nothing could be further than the truth!
Mexican food is about simple ingredients that pack a big flavor punch. Spice, spice, and more spice. And while not every dish needs to be spicy, I tend to lean in that direction. I like that good, good burn.
I decided to make a Mexican Fiesta #SundaySupper based on a dish from my favorite hometown restaurant…stuffed sopapillas. Most people think “sweet” when they think of sopapillas. I mean, what’s better than fresh sopapillas (puffy, fried dough) drizzled in honey? Almost nothing, if you ask me.
But, I decided to take this dish in a savory direction. These stuffed sopapillas are filled with traditional taco fillings…ground and seasoned beef, veggies, cheese…or anything that your little heart may desire.
I used a recipe for sopapillas that I found on one of my favorite blogs, the Homesick Texan. The recipe made enough dough for us to have dinner AND dessert…I had extra sopapillas to drown in honey!
Now let’s get to the celebrating, shall we?
Stuffed Sopapillas
Ingredients
For the Sopapillas
- 2 1/4 tsp. active dry yeast
- 1 1/2 cups warm water
- 1 Tbs. butter, melted
- 1 Tbs. sugar
- 4 cups all purpose flour
- 1 tsp. salt
- Oil for frying
For the Fillings
- 1 lb. cooked taco meat
- Other toppings can include: shredded lettuce, chopped tomato, chopped onion, black olives, jalapeno slices, shredded cheese, sour cream, guacamole, and salsa
Instructions
Mix the yeast and the warm water and allow the yeast to bloom for 10 minutes.
Combine the flour and salt in a stand mixer.
Add the butter and sugar to the yeast/water mixture and then add the entire mixture to the flour.
Knead in the stand mixer using a dough hook for 2 minutes, or until the dough comes together and is elastic.
Allow the dough to rise in the bowl of the stand mixer (covered) for one hour, or until it has doubled in bulk.
After the dough has risen, punch it down and remove it from the bowl. Roll the dough out into a rectangle that is 1/4 inch thick.
Cut the sopapillas into your desired shapes and sizes using a pizza cutter (I made triangles). You can vary your sizes, using large sopapillas for stuffed sopapillas and smaller for dessert sopapillas (I made 4 large and 8 small).
Heat one inch of oil in a large skillet. Once hot, fry the sopapillas on both sides for one minute each.
Remove the sopapillas to a plate lined with paper towels for draining.
Once sopapillas have drained you can tear them open to reveal the inner “pocket” and stuff them with your desired filling.
You can also drizzle honey on warm sopapillas for a dessert serving.
But the sopapillas I’m presenting to you today were perfect stuffed full like a big ol’ puffy taco. Although you need a fork for these…no eating these with your hands!
Sopapillas are delicate and light, despite being made from fried dough. If you’ve never had one, I hope you’ll try these out and come back and tell me how much you loved them!
Aren’t these stuffed sopapillas a great way to celebrate Mexican Independence Day? You need to keep these in mind for your next fiesta! I’ll bring the maracas!
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Make sure you check out all of the other #SundaySupper Mexican Fiesta participants to see what they’ve made!
Sopas (soups), Ensaladas (salads), and Entremeses (starters)
- Chicken Tortilla Soup – The Girl in the Little Red Kitchen
- Mexican Paint Soup – Crispy Bits & Burnt Ends
- Jalapeño Popper Dip – Chocolate Moosey
- Vegan Tortilla Soup – Galactosemia in PDX
- Texas Caviar – Ruffles and Truffles
- Cheese-Stuffed Jalapeños w/ a Tequila Sunrise – Mama’s Blissful Bites
- Mexican 7 Layer Dip & Chips – The Daily Dish Recipes
- Stoplight Salsa Reisipe – Family Foodie
- Tortilla Soup with Roasted Vegetables – Diabetic Foodie
La Comida (the food)
- Fiesta en tu Boca Enchiladas (Chicken & White Bean Enchiladas w/ Salsa Verde) – The Hand That Rocks the Ladle
- Gluten-Free Chicken Spinach Artichoke Enchiladas for #SundaySupper – Cooking Underwriter
- Mexican Fiesta for #SundaySupper: Chipotle Chicken & 3 Bean Quesadillas w/ Wasabi Guacamole and Mango Salsa – Chattering Kitchen
- Carnitas – My Catholic Kitchen
- Tamale Pie – Noshing with the Nolands
- Eggs Motuleños – The Meltaways
- Grilled Fish Tacos with Black Bean and Corn Salsa – Small Wallet Big Appetite
- Carne Asada – Magnolia Days
- Carnitas Avocado Pizza with Chipotle Avocado Mayonnaise Drizzle – Damn Delicious
- Frijoles Charros (Cowboy Beans) – La Cocina de Leslie
- Puerco Pibil – girlichef
- BLT Quesadillas with Avocado Mayo – Cindy’s Recipes and Writings
- Chile Rellenos with Roasted Tomato Sauce – Bobbi’s Kozy Kitchen
- Tamales with Green Chili Sauce – Dinners, Dishes, and Desserts
- Beef and Vegetable Enchiladas – Hezzi D’s Books and Cooks
- Chicken Con Queso – Momma’s Meals
- Baked Flautas – Home Cooking Memories
- Chunky Aztec Chocolate Granola – What Smells So Good?
- Street Tacos Al Pastor – Sustainable Dad
- Shrimp Tacos – Pippi’s in the Kitchen Again
- Chile Relleno with Ranchero Sauce – The Little Ferraro Kitchen
- Zippy Chipotle Shrimp & Mango Tostadas – Sue’s Nutrition Buzz
- Pork Tacos – Tora’s Real Food
- Stuffed Sopapillas – Juanita’s Cocina
- Chicken Fajitas – Cravings of a Lunatic
- Blue Crab Tacos – Pescetarian Journal
- Huevos Rancheros – Comfy Cuisine
Postres (desserts)
- Chocolate Cinnamon Flan – Vintage Kitchen Notes
- Caramel Apple Enchiladas for a Mexican Fiesta #SundaySupper – In the Kitchen with KP
- Chilli Chocolate Truffles – Happy Baking Days
- Horchata Ice Cream & Churro Brownies – Kwistin’s Favorites
- Strawberry Empanadas – In the Kitchen with Audrey and Maureen
- Plantain Fritters – From Fast Food to Fresh Food
- Fried Cinnamon Sugar Tortillas – The Watering Mouth
Bebidas (beverages)
- Beer Margaritas – That Skinny Chick can bake
- Hatch Chile Margarita – Shockingly Delicious
- Skinny & Spicy Watermelon Margaritas – I Run for Wine
- Refreshing Kiwi Lime Margarita – Mama Mommy Mom
- Wine Pairings for a Mexican Fiesta #SundaySupper – ENOFYLZ
Please be sure you join us on Twitter throughout the day. We’ll be meeting up at 7:00 pm (Eastern) for our weekly #SundaySupper live chat where we’ll talk about our favorite recipes for a Mexican Fiesta! All you have to do is follow the #SundaySupper hashtag, or you can follow us through TweetChat! We’d also love to feature your Mexican Fiesta recipes on our #SundaySupper Pinterest board and share them with all of our followers!
What’s Been Happenin’ In The Cocina ~ 9/15/12!
It’s Saturday! And you know what that means? It means it’s time for me to take a break from the recipes to post the weekly blog roundup!
Just like always, LOTS of things have been happening here in the Cocina…including some VERY exciting things!
First, I was featured on NoshOn.It! Do you remember these cookies???
Well, NoshOn.It featured my Bacon and Dark Chocolate Chip Cookies with Maple Bacon Glaze!
NoshOn.It is (according to their website) a daily foodie email and website that features exclusive hand-picked recipes from amazing chefs along with a cooking tip delivered to your inbox every day. And they featured MEEEE!
If you’re unfamiliar with NoshOn.It, I highly recommend that you sign up for some of their weekly e-mail collections, varying from Meatless Mondays, Drinks & Apps Thursdays, and Sweet Tooth Fridays (where my cookies were featured!). You can sign up to receive any of the daily emails that you want. And what’s better than great food straight to your inbox?
And as if that wasn’t good enough, Feastie (a recipe search engine that searches food blogs to help you find the best recipes on the web) named Juanita’s Cocina as one of the Top 10 New Food Blogs to follow! I may or may not have squealed loud enough to wake the neighbors when I heard. I mean, I’m totally unworthy and overwhelmed, but I will absolutely take the recognition. Food blogging is hard work. It’s definitely my second full-time job. And without all of you, I wouldn’t be having as much fun as I am today.
So, really…the Feastie nod is all about you guys. And I love each and every one of you. It warms my heart each time I see a new comment. I try to respond to every single one…although I don’t always succeed. But, I try! Without all of you reading my little food blog, I wouldn’t be as fulfilled. I love cooking and sharing! And I love it that you’re all along for the ride. Thank you to all of you and to Feastie for the wonderful recognition. This food blogger’s heart is full.
Now…this week also had some yummy food. So, let’s do a little recap, shall we? Here it all is, in case you missed something:
Boneless Honey BBQ Chicken Wings
Levain Bakery Chocolate Chip Cookies
Shrimp Spring Rolls with Spicy Peanut Sauce
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I’ve also been pinning some of the recipes from YOUR blogs this week. So, here’s some of my favorite things that I’ve pinned from you guys that I absolutely can’t wait to make!
- Southwestern Chicken Cobb Salad with Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette from Supper for a Steal
- Roasted Salmon Sandwiches from A Dash of Cinnamon
- Broccoli Salad from Texana’s Kitchen
- Cannoli Dip from Dainty Chef
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Now, what’s coming up in the Cocina?
Well, make sure you come back tomorrow for what is possibly my favoritest #SundaySupper evah! We’re celebrating Dia de Independencia (Mexican Independence Day) and we’ll be serving up TONS of Mexican eats and treats! What’s better than that?
Then, I’ll be participating in a very special cookbook spotlight, highlighting the new “Muy Bueno Cookbook“! I can’t wait to share this fabulous cookbook with you!
Later in the week, I have ever MORE Mexican treats to share! Maybe I should call this “Mexican Week” here in the Cocina. Although, ummm, pretty much every week is Mexican Week, because it’s sort of my deal. This IS Juanita’s Cocina after all.
Make sure you stop by every day to stay caught up with all of the amazing things here in the Cocina, as well as getting sneak peeks of lots of wonderful things to come. There are giveaways, competitions, and FABULOUS FOOD!
Have a righteous weekend, y’all!
Shrimp Spring Rolls with Spicy Peanut Sauce {A @PeanutButterCo Review!}
A few weeks ago, I was given the opportunity to review Peanut Butter & Co. Peanut Butter.
Peanut Butter & Co. Peanut Butters are all-natural, contain no hydrogenated oils, no high fructose corn syrup, no dairy, no gluten, and are certified vegan and Kosher (with the exception of the Bee’s Knees, which contains honey).
You can find all of Peanut Butter & Co.’s peanut butter flavors HERE, but I was most excited to try The Heat Is On.
The Heat Is On is one of Peanut Butter & Co.’s all-natural peanut butters, and it is blended with fiery spices.
Ummmm, spicy peanut butter? Just the thought made me a little weak in the knees. I had visions of sauces and spicy dips galore.
If you’ve been reading for any length of time here in the Cocina, you know that peanut/nut products aren’t my favorite. But, I absolutely LOVE to cook and bake with them. I challenge myself to find new flavors and dishes to please my palate as well as those that belong to my family. So, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on LOTS of great peanut butter to make magic in my kitchen.
The Heat Is On is everything you’d think it’d be…spicy, flavorful, and PERFECT for dips and sauces of all sorts. (I’ll tell you what I did with it in a minute.
I also received a jar of The Bee’s Knees (all natural peanut butter blended with honey), Mighty Maple (all natural peanut butter blended with maple syrup…oh mah gawd…), and Dark Chocolate Dreams (all natural peanut butter blended with rich dark chocolate). I may or may not have hidden the jar of Mighty Maple. Allegedly.
If you’d like more information on Peanut Butter & Co. products, feel free to follow them on Facebook, Twitter, or Pinterest!
Now…what did I make with my fabulous product samples? I went the only direction I could…I caved to my “If you like it, you should put a sauce on it” philosophy in life and I made a sauce using The Heat Is On all natural peanut butter. A spicy peanut butter sauce. For dipping. For dipping spring rolls in. For dipping SHRIMP spring rolls in. (I can’t believe I just ended a sentence in a preposition…twice in a row…but anyways…)
I marinated the shrimp for the spring rolls in an amazing marinade that I found on Oh Cake (a blog by my sweet friend, Jess), and paired it with a spicy dipping sauce found on Basil.
Let me tell you a few things about my Shrimp Spring Rolls with Spicy Peanut Sauce.
- Spicy Peanut Sauce has just the right amount of nuttiness…even for a gal like me, who HATES it when peanut butter punches you in the face.
- Spicy Peanut Sauce is good when you eat it straight…with a spoon. Or so I hear.
- Shrimp Spring Rolls are my new favorite thing.
- Rice paper wrappers (used in making spring rolls) are tricky little buggers. Handle with care, y’all. And by “care”, I mean have LOTS of extra on hand. Not that I would know about that or anything.
In short, make these Shrimp Spring Rolls. But only if you’re making the sauce. Because the sauce is like a fancy wine of the dipping sauce world. It’s delicious and feels all elegant…elegant enough to make you put your pinky in the air.
Shrimp Spring Rolls with Spicy Peanut Sauce
Ingredients
For the Spicy Peanut Sauce
- 1/4 cup finely chopped onion
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 Tbs. red pepper flakes
- 2 Tbs. vegetable oil
- 1/4 cup plus 2 Tbs. water
- 2 Tbs. peanut butter (I used Peanut Butter & Co.’s The Heat Is On)
- 2 Tbs. hoisin sauce
- 2 tsp. ketchup
- 1 1/2 tsp. sugar
For the Marinade and Shrimp
- 1 lb. defrosted shrimp (I used medium-sized shrimp)
- 1.5 Tbs. ponzu
- 1 Tbs. sesame oil
- 1 Tbs. rice wine vinegar
- 1 tsp. soy sauce
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 2 tsp. fresh ginger, grated
- 1 tsp. brown sugar
- Sriracha, to taste
For the Spring Rolls
- 8-10 rice paper wrappers
- Shredded Napa cabbage (I used pre-shredded)
- 2 carrots, shredded
- 1 bell pepper, any color, julienned
- 3-4 scallions, cut into small strips
- Fresh cilantro leaves
Instructions
For the Spicy Peanut Sauce
In a small pot heated over medium heat, heat the oil until hot. Cook the onions, garlic, and red pepper flakes until the onions are soft and translucent.
Add the remaining ingredients and cook the sauce for 3-5 minutes, stirring the sauce constantly.
Remove the sauce from the heat and set aside until ready to use.
For the Marinade and Shrimp
In a large bowl, combine the Ponzu, sesame oil, rice wine vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, ginger, brown sugar, and sriracha sauce. Add the shrimp and allow them to marinate for at least an hour.
Cook or grill the shrimp (I used an indoor grill pan) until they are completely cooked through.
Chill the shrimp until ready to assemble the spring rolls.
For the Spring Rolls
Soften the rice paper wrappers for approximately 5 seconds in a large, shallow bowl of warm water. (Soften them one at a time as you use them)
Once the rice paper wrapper is softened, layer cilantro, shrimp, carrots, bell pepper, scallions, and shredded cabbage on the bottom 1/3 of the wrapper.
To roll the spring rolls, fold the bottom portion of the wrapper up over the filling. Fold in both sides of the wrapper, and then roll the rest of the wrapper up like a burrito.
Serve the spring rolls with the spicy peanut dipping sauce. The rolls can also be refrigerated for later service.
Besides the rice paper wrapper (or three) that folded over on itself to stick together and prevent me from filling it with yummy things, these spring rolls were easy to make. But you’d never know it by the flavor punch served up between the rolls and the spicy peanut dipping sauce.
Feel free to make these veggie friendly by omitting the shrimp…but don’t tell me about it. I don’t want to know about it if you don’t make the shrimp. It’ll hurt my feelings.
But whatever you do, make sure you make tons of the spicy peanut sauce. Because it’ll leave you slack-jawed and gasping for air…not because it’s spicy, but because it’s amazing!
Be looking for more spring rolls in the very near future…because I think I created a house-full of addicts!
***Disclaimer: I was provided with free samples of Peanut Butter & Co. Peanut Butter. I received no further compensation for this post and I was under no obligation to post a positive review. As always, all opinions contained in this post belong to me.***
