To fix the strawberries for our spicy Texas strawberry shortcake, simply slice the strawberries and mix them, in a medium bowl, with our Strawberry Jalapeno or, if you like it extra spicy, our Strawberry Halapeno pepper jelly.

There are all kinds of shortcakes, both store-bought and home-made, but many people don’t remember that the original shortcakes were not sponge cakes at all, but more like crusty biscuits. When I make shortcake, this is the recipe I use:

3 cups all purpose flour
3 Tbsp granulated sugar
1 1/2 Tbsp baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
12 Tbsp cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1 1/2 cups heavy cream (half and half works, too)
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Put all the dry ingredients, plus the butter, in a large bowl, and cream together. You’ll probably start using a fork and end up using your fingers. Make a hole in the middle of this mixture and pour into it the cream and vanilla. Using that fork, toss it all together. The dough will have a “shaggy” look, and it won’t be as “combined” as regular biscuit dough. Your shortcake dough should not feel “wet” at all. Put the dough on a floured board and knead by hand until you’ve got a fairly loose ball.

With your rolling pin, roll the dough into a square, about an inch thick. Cover with plastic or waxed paper and put it in the refrigerator for about a half hour. In the meantime, preheat your oven to 450.

Remove the dough from refrigerator, and, using a knife or a biscuit cutter, cut the dough into 9 or 10 squares or rounds, and spread them about 2 inches apart on a large buttered baking sheet.

Bake at 450 for about 20 minutes (if your biscuits are thinner, you’ll not only have more of them; they will only need 12-15 minutes!) and remove from the oven when browned.

While they’re still hot, slice them in half horizontally and cover with your pepper jelly-saturated strawberries. Top with whipped cream or yogurt, if you’re so inclined, and dig in.

As with all of Texas Pepper Jelly’s recipes, don’t count on any leftovers.

P.S. If you’re short of time, store-bought shortcakes are delicious, too. So are the sponge-cake varieties. Heck, your strawberry/pepper jelly mixture is good all by itself. Or on toast. Or as part of a sandwich. Or in your salad. Your call!

Before you even start making this dip, be sure you’ve got plenty of raw veggies, chips, and anything else your family and friends like to dip into the dip.

Texas Pepper Jelly’s Spicy Chicken Dip is nutritious and filling enough to be the meal, not merely the snack or the appetizer!

Plus, it’s easy to make, makes your whole house smell wonderful, and is absolutely delicious.

Ingredients:

4 chicken breasts, skinned, boned, cooked and shredded
2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened (I use Neufchatel)
1/2 cup milk (skim works, too)
1/2 cup mayonnaise (Miracle Whip works, too)
1 red bell pepper, finely chopped
1 green bell pepper, finely chopped
1/2 cup Candied Jalapenos
2 tablespoons lemon juice (fresh, not bottled)
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 1/2 teaspoons salt (don’t leave out the salt)
3/4 teaspoon pepper
1 (8-ounce) package shredded pepper-jack cheese

What to do:

In a large bowl, combine everything except the sour cream. Blend thoroughly.

Pour mixture into large buttered oven-safe casserole dish, and bake at 350 for 40 minutes. Mixture will be VERY hot, so pace yourselves and let it cool a bit before you start devouring it.

Spicy Texas Fruit Salsa is a bit different, yes, but it’s still great with anything the usual salsa is good with: dipping your favorite things into, or coating your favorite things before or after cooking them! Meats, chips, even ice cream – Spicy Texas Fruit Salsa perfects them all!

Ingredients:

As many kinds of fresh fruit as you can grab hold of! Or, if you’re in a hurry, a 16=-oz. can of fruit salad. Chop the fruit fine, in any case. (approximately 2 cups, total)

1/2 cup of chopped red or white onion
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
4 tablespoons any flavor Texas Pepper Jelly (Choose a flavor to match whatever fruit you’ve got the most of!) (The salsa will be different every time you make it if you use a different pepper jelly each time.)

Throw everything in a large mixing bowl and make sure it’s all blended most thoroughly. Cover tightly and put it in the refrigerator overnight.

The next day, enjoy your lunch. Heck, enjoy your breakfast; this salsa is great on your toast, or sausage!

This recipe is great with Texas Pepper Jelly’s Pineapple Sweet Fire, too!

Texas Strawberry Rhubarb Chutney is easy to make, too! Here’s how.

Ingredients:

2/3 cups sugar (I use Splenda)
1/2 cup vinegar, any kind
1/3 cup raisins, brown or golden (I like to use both!)
1 large finely chopped onion
1 tablespoon ground ginger
4 tablespoons Texas Pepper Jelly’s Strawberry Jalapeno or Strawberry Habanero, depending on how hot your family’s tastes are
Small pinch of ground cloves
1 pound of rhubarb, chopped fine
1/2 cup of strawberries, chopped fine

What to do:

Mix everything except the rhubarb and strawberries in a medium saucepan, on medium heat, and heat to boiling. Boiled 3-6 minutes, or until the mixture becomes syrupy. Add the rhubarb and strawberries, and stir thoroughly.

After stirring a few minutes, add a VERY small pinch of salt.

Continue stirring – carefully, because rhubarb can be very fragile – for about 5 minutes.

Pour into your serving dish and cover tightly. Let it stay in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours, or overnight.

Serve with your ham, cheese, veggies, bread, crackers, etc. Don’t count on any leftovers.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 teaspoons Texas Rib Candy (any flavor)
2 tablespoons prepared horseradish
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon dried oregano
1 dash garlic powder
1 dash ground black pepper
cayenne pepper to taste

What to do:

Mix it all together in a big bowl and put it in the refrigerator for a few hours. (I usually mix it up the night before I need to serve it.)

Serve it with crackers, veggies, breadsticks, or whatever you and your family or guests feel like dipping into it. It’s delicious.

Ingredients:

3 cups of peeled, cubed Granny Smith apples
1/4 cup Apple Habanero pepper jelly
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (don’t use bottled!)
4 tablespoons brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
2 teaspoons cornstarch, dissolved in a tablespoon of warm water

What to do:

Mix everything, quite thoroughly, in a bowl, and let it “set” for about an hour, in the refrigerator.

Stir well before serving. This stuff is sooooo good.

Our Texas Cocktail Weinies, however, will rock your world. I’m not kidding.

Remember, the best recipes are often the simplest, and Texas Cocktail Weinies is certainly simple. It’s also, even MORE certainly, absolutely delicious.

Here are the directions – you probably won’t need to write them down. You will, however, most certainly want to remember them!

Buy a package of cocktail hot dogs or sausages, or both. (I buy both and mix it up)

Drain them, and dump them into a large bowl or casserole, something oven-friendly.

Pour any flavor of Texas Pepper Jelly over them. You can stop there, and have a delicious treat, or you can go a step further and then pour a bottle of Texas Rib Candy over the pepper jelly. Mix well. Heat in oven or microwave, start sticking toothpicks in as many hot dogs/sausages as are exposed, put the box of toothpicks beside the bowl or casserole, and step back.

Yum. We’ve used Pineapple, Berry Medley, and Peach Habanero pepper jellies so far, and we’re not finished yet. Summer’s almost here, and Texas Cocktail Weinies will be the perfect addition to any menu.

It was easy, too.

I just bought a big spiral-cut ham, washed it off to remove any gel, etc, put it in a big pan, and proceeded to slime it with Pineapple Habanero pepper jelly! Then the kids covered it with slices of pineapple, and I slid it into the oven with the cheesy potatoes.

One hour later, I took out the potatoes, and two hours later, the ham was done and ready to slice.

The knife went through it as if it were butter, and the melted, bubbling pepper jelly slid down between each slice.

With the cheesy potatoes, green beans, corn, and vegetable plate (with various pepper jellies as dips) it was an Easter dinner fit for kings.

I’ve used several different kind of Texas Pepper Jelly to glaze a ham with, but Pineapple Habanero is my husband’s favorite. Next time, I’m going to try Pineapple Sweet Fire for the ham glaze!

You don’t have to wait until next Easter to serve Pineapple Habanero-glazed ham, either. Why don’t you make one tomorrow? It’s soooooo easy.

Ingredients:

1 large chopped onion
1 tablespoon canola or olive oil
2 minced garlic cloves
1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, cooked & cubed
2 cans great northern beans, rinsed and drained
3 cans white or shoepeg corn, drained
1/2 cup diced tomatoes (canned or fresh)
2 cups water
1 cup Texas Pepper Jelly’s Peach Mango Habanero Bird Bath
1/4 cup chopped green chilies
2 tablespoons lemon or lime juice (I use lemon)
1 teaspoon lemon-pepper seasoning
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

What to do:

In a small skillet, saute the onion in the oil until tender but not quite carmelized. Add the garlic and cook about a minute longer.

Transfer to your crockpot. Stir in the rest of the ingredients, cover, and cook on low for 8 hours. In other words, turn on the slow cooker, go to work, and when you get home, your house will smell WONDERFUL and your supper will be ready!

Ingredients:

1 9-oz package of refrigerated cheese tortellini
2 cans of condensed tomato soup, undiluted
1 1/2 cup vegetable broth
1 cup Texas Pepper Jelly’s Candied Jalapenos
2 cups milk (I use skim)
2 ups half-and-half cream (you can’t substitute this one!)
1/2 cup chopped tomatoes (canned or fresh)
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp basil
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese (not the powdered kind!)
Additional cheese to taste

What to do:

Cook the tortellini according to package directions, drain, and set aside.

In a Dutch oven, combine everything else except the cheese, and heat to simmer, stirring constantly. Don’t let it stick! Add the tortellini and cheese. Sprinkle the additional cheese on each bowl if desired. This recipe will feed a crowd, and it’s just as awesome the next day!