I'm not really a television sports fan, but when food is one of the main attractions, I'm always up for trying new recipes. This year for Super Bowl XL VII, along with the standard chili, chicken wings and beer, we tried two new items that were a definite crowd pleaser. The Corona Lime Cupcakes and the Bacon Wrapped Deep Fried Pepperoncini Poppers were a hit at our Super Bowl party and will definitely become a staple in my future baking and sports watching menu repertoire.
Corona Lime Cupcakes
Ingredients for the cupcakes:
- 3/4 cup of unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 3/4 cup of sugar
- 2 1/2 cup of flour
- 2 tsp of baking powder
- 1/2 tsp of salt
- 3 eggs, room temperature
- 1 tsp of vanilla
- 1/2 tsp lime zest
- 1 cup of Corona beer, plus more for brushing on tops
- 1/4 of milk
- Lime wedges for each cupcake
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees and line 24 muffin tins with cupcake liners.
2. In a medium size bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt.
3. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat together the butter and sugar until light a fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.
4. Add eggs, beating after each addition, then add vanilla and lime zest.
5. Combine milk and beer in a separate bowl. Alternatively add the beer/milk mixture and the flour mixture to the butter/sugar mixture on low speed, beginning and ending with the flour.
6. Fill the cupcake liners about 2/3 full and bake for 18 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
7. When cupcakes are done, poke holes in the tops of the cupcakes with toothpicks and brush some beer on while they are still warm. (I omitted this step because I thought the beer taste would be too strong, but I definitely regret this decision as they could have been slightly more moist)
8. Let cool completely on a baking rack before icing.
Ingredients for citrus icing:
- 12 ounce cream cheese
- 6 tbsp of butter, room temperature
- 1 tbsp of freshly squeezed lime juice
- 1 tsp of lime zest
- 4 cups of powdered sugar
Directions:
1. Cream together the cream cheese and butter in an electric mixer until smooth and creamy, about 2-3 minutes.
2. Add the lime juice and zest and gradually add the powdered sugar until combined. Beat until smooth for about 2 minutes.
3. You can use a piping bag to frost the cupcakes, but I simply used a butter knife. The icing is quite sweet, so you can choose the amount of frosting depending on your sweet tooth level.
Serve and Enjoy!!!
Bacon-Wrapped Deep Fried Pepperoncini Poppers
These poppers are best made with a deep fryer, but they can also be made slightly healthier by baking them in the oven, without adding the egg and bread-crumb mixture.
They are a great make-ahead appetizer that requires little work so you can simply throw them into the deep fryer and enjoy your party.
Ingredients
- Canned Pepperoncini Peppers (They are sweeter and less spicy than Jalapeno peppers, but you can swap for Jalapeno peppers)
- Bacon, raw (about half a piece per pepper, depending on the size of the pepper)
- 1 8oz container of herb and garlic cream cheese
- 1 Italian sausage, casing removed
For Batter
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup of flour
- 1 cup of Italian (Panko) bread crumbs
Directions:
1. Cut the stems off the peppers so there is a small hole in the top end to drain the liquid and seeds.
2. Make sure to remove the seeds and center and cut a portion lengthwise so you can easily fill them with the cream cheese and sausage.
3. Fry the sausage and mix with the herb and garlic cream cheese.
4. Fill the peppers with cream cheese mixture and wrap with bacon.
5. If you do not have a deep fryer, this is when you would bake in oven, on 375 for about 20 minutes, or until bacon looks cooked.
6. For deep fryer, place aside until ready.
7. Crack eggs in a bowl, and mix flour and bread crumbs on a separate plate.
8. Dunk poppers in egg bowl and coat with bread crumbs. Cook in deep fryer until coating is crispy and bacon is cooked.
The ingredients in the poppers changed throughout the day as we became more creative, so feel free to experiment with your own flavours.
Enjoy by themselves or with a barbecue or hot dipping sauce!!!
