Scotch Griddle Cakes

These little nuggets of goodness are a delightful breakfast/brunch treat for that friend with a sweet tooth. Basically this is the chubby baby of a pancake and a powdered sugar doughnut. It’s the perfect carrier for macerated fruit and whipped cream.

Here’s the recipe:

2 cups all-purpose flour

3 tablespoons sugar (might we suggest Ginger, Lavender, or Vanilla Bean Sugar?)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon soda

1 teaspoon cream of tartar

2 tablespoons shortening

1 cup buttermilk

2 eggs, lightly beaten

In a medium bowl, mix the dry ingredients together. Cut in shortening. Add buttermilk and beat well. Add the eggs and mix well. Bake on a hot greased griddle ~ use only a small amount of batter for each cake. Serve with butter & jam, fresh fruit & cream, or just maple syrup.

Stay Sweet,

XO

Charleston Spice Co.

 

Grilled Eggplant with Shichimi

For starters, let’s just talk about how beautiful this is:

The Shichimi forms a delightfully roasted crunchy crust that is absolutely perfect!

Cut your eggplant into thick slices, coat with salt and let sit on a paper towel or clean kitchen cloth for at least 30 minutes. Wipe off the salt, liberally coat both sides with Shichimi Togarashi and throw those puppies on the grill!!

XO

Charleston Spice Co.

Last minute snack mix

Bought all the stuff to make Nuts & Bolts. Made it once (with Durango BBQ it was tasty). There was still enough of all the ingredients left to make one more round. Awesome, I thought, I’ll just have to try this again with a different blend.

One rainy day I decided to do just that. Lo and behold the only ingredients left were the three chex cereals. Somehow the other goodies (cheese crackers, pretzels, nuts) had mysteriously disappeared!

If you find yourself in a similar plight (and you don’t want to go to the store to buy the extra ingredients again) let this inspire you:

3 cups of each Chex cereal

2 1/2 tablespoons butter, melted

2 tablespoons Grill Seasoning

3 tablespoons olive oil

4 teaspoons rice vinegar

2 teaspoons Mustard 101

Parmesan for topping at the end

In a small microwave safe bowl, melt the butter. Mix in Grill Seasoning, olive oil, vinegar, and mustard. Pour this liquid over your cereal and stir to coat.

Bake in oven at 250ºF for an hour, stirring every 20 minutes.

Take out of the oven and grate Parmesan on top. Eat as soon as it cools down.

Happy snacking!

XO

Charleston Spice Co.

Peach & Blackberry Dessert Biscuit

This is such an easy dessert to put together.

Here’s what you do, take two or three peaches, chop them up and sprinkle them with about a quarter cup of Ginger Sugar. Place ’em in the fridge while you make these Cinnamon Pecan Biscuits.

When you’re ready to serve toss in some blackberries with your peaches and whip up a little homemade whipped cream to dollop on top!

Stay sweet,

XO

Charleston Spice Co.

The Perfect Popcorn Seasoning for Your Sign.

Due to the impending total eclipse loping across the North American continent later this month, Madame Saffron considers it prudent to provide you with the perfect popcorn seasoning according to your sign.

An eclipse is an extraordinary thing that happens possibly five to six times a year and when it does it shakes up the cosmos ~ whilst things are all a jumble changes occur that could not otherwise be made to happen. In this liminal time, Madame Saffron believes that the spice you put on your popcorn should provide stability and not extra stress.

Aries

Let your earth sign lead you ~ Smoky Cajun is the perfect seasoning for you Aries. If you invite a potential lover over to share this treat with you it will have just enough heat to kickstart the flames of desire and by the end of the month if you stay persistant you should see you romantic desires come to fruition.

Taurus

Truffle Salt. That’s all you need, Taurus. The sensual & material delights of the world are all encapsulated in this nutty earthy salt. It’s not a wild topping, but it is enchantingly delicious and a little bit decadent. If you need to seal the deal or even just begin seducing a potential lover, invite them over for cocktail hour and serve them truffle popcorn as a light snack, you’re sure to win.

Gemini

With your constant yearning to discover new things I suggest you use Cocoa Nib Rub on your popcorn. This blend was made for steak, but you’re a trailblazer, Gemini. Maybe your lover or partner doesn’t find Cocoa Nib Rub to be all that great. That’s alright, remember relationships aren’t always easy sailing ~ sometimes you have to agree to disagree (and hey, that means there will be more popcorn for you).

Cancer

Cancer, try Chimayo Chili on your popcorn. The comforting warmth of the New Mexican sun is sure to hit the spot. It’s possible that one of your close friends has been sending subtle vibes that they’d like to be more than friends. Go ahead and invite them over for popcorn & a movie ~ I’ve heard that sometimes that best friends become the best lovers.

Leo

Black Truffle Salt, Fresh Jalapeno, Garlic. You are the leader of the pack, you live for and deserve the best. Throw fresh chopped jalapeno and garlic into your oil just as your kernels are about to pop and finish it all off with a dash of truffle salt. A little heat and whole lotta flavor ~ absolute popcorn perfection. Don’t let your self-confidence and somewhat arrogant attitude get in the way of love this month. Don’t be offended if you’re lover offers their opinion on what to season your popcorn with for you’re chill movie marathon date night ~ a relationship thrives on teamwork, it’s not always about you so listen to what they have to say.

Virgo

Virgo this is your chance to shake it up a little. With the eclipse making things a bit willy nilly, let your wild side out and put Roasted Cajun on your popcorn. A little heat never hurt nobody. If you want love you can have it this month, so take the time to have a little fun! Invite your friends and a potential lover or two over for beer and popcorn on the porch!

Libra

You need to put Grill Seasoning on your popcorn. It’s just plain delicious. Creativity is the gateway to love this month. Invite your lover over for a casual crafting hour with popcorn and drinks and you’re sure to make something beautiful together.

Scorpio

Ras al Hanout is your popcorn flavoring, Scorpio. It’s many ingredients and subtle depth of flavor reflect your somewhat mysterious soul. You like someone. They like you. They’re sending you all the signals ~ now would be a good time to make a move. Might I suggest a karaoke date? Why say it when you can sing it?

Sagittarius

Chinese 5 Spice and M&Ms – you heard me, Chinese 5 Spice and M&Ms is the perfect sweet yet savory popcorn combo for you, my bow yielding friend. You are a champion, always going forth to conquer the unknown to achieve your goals. With respect to your relationships you may feel a little put out ~ not to sound cliche, take a moment this month to listen to your heart. If you have misgivings, listen and do right by yourself.

Capricorn

Add a little spice and a whole lotta flavor to your popcorn with Caribbean Oil Blend. It’s sweet yet sultry, just like you. You may feeling a little lost with respect to love. This is your month to make plans. That’s right, make plans, call that potential lover and invite them over for popcorn & a movie or get out and enjoy the city together!

Aquarius

Hey Aquarius, why not try some Garam Masala on your popcorn? Full of flavor and depth, a little bit sweet, but add a pinch of salt for heightened flavor. This month you need to have a powwow with yourself ~ what do you want? I’m not talking strictly about romance now, look at the big picture. You gotta do right by you before you can let someone else in.

Pisces

Shichimi Togarashi might be just the thing for you, my fishy friend. The szechuan pepper will tingle on your tongue and make for a lively popcorn eating experience. Love is sometimes all-consuming for you, whether it’s the love of a job or a person, you give it everything. And that’s great, that’s why you’re an awesome person but please don’t forget about yourself!

Cinnamon Pecan Biscuits

These biscuits are really nice.

Chock-full of nuts and smothered with Cinnamon Sugar, they’re perfect for breakfast or dessert!

Here’s the recipe:

2 cups all purpose flour

4 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

2 1/2 tablespoons shortening

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup buttermilk

1 cup of chopped pecans

Cinnamon Sugar for sprinkling on top

Preheat your oven to 450°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a medium sized bowl combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Cut in shorting with a fork. Make a well and pour in milk and buttermilk; stir until just mixed and add the nuts. Plop equally sized blobs of this mix onto your baking sheet (I made seven large biscuits from this recipe). Sprinkle liberally with Cinnamon Sugar!! Bake for 10-15 minutes.

Serve hot with butter or whipped cream and fresh fruit!

Stay sweet,

XO

Charleston Spice Co.

Ice Cream Cookie Crumble Sammies

I made the mistake of baking cookies in a house without AC in the middle of summer in South Carolina. My usual practice of letting the cookies cool mostly then stacking them to make room for the next hot batch out of the oven didn’t quite work… Once stacked the cookies melded together into formidable towers of cookie.

I was forced to figure out how we could consume these gooey chewy towers of oatmeal, chocolate, and caramel.

I decided to crumble up the towers and press half of the mess into a square baking pan. Then I scooped on some Cirsea Maple Pecan ice cream and spread it into an even layer. I topped the ice cream with the rest of the cookie crumble and put it into the freezer.

The beauty of a large square ice cream sandwich is that you can cut whatever size sammie you want!!

4″x4″? No problem.

1″x3″? Sure thing.

Just a bite? Got it.

Whatever amount, whatever size, whatever shape! You can cut it out of a 8×8 pan of ice cream and cookie crumble!

Here’s the cookie recipe:

1 cup butter

1 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 eggs

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon Poudre Douce

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

3 cups of old fashioned rolled oats

1 heaping cup chocolate chips

1 cup chewy caramels cut into smallish pieces

1/2 cup pecans roughly chopped

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Beat together butter & sugars until creamy. Add eggs ~ beat well. Add combined flour, Poudre Douce, salt, and baking soda ~ mix well. Add oats, chocolate, caramel, and nuts.

Scoop out 1-2 Tablespoon sized blobs of dough onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Bake 10 to 12 minutes. Let cool on pan for a few minutes then move to a wire rack to continue cooling.

Enjoy these cookies as cookies, make traditional ice cream sammies, or make a pan of ice cream and cookie crumble!

Stay cool, stay sweet,

XO

Charleston Spice Co.