Stuffed Peppadews

It's like a disease with us - my sister and I keep vowing to cut back on the holiday menu, yet new things keep mysteriously appearing.  We DID manage to drop an Onion Tart and a Souffle from the menu.  When I was shopping for ingredients, I walked by the olive bar and couldn't help myself.  I filled up a container of Peppadew Peppers, then headed directly to the cheese department to see what I could stuff them with.  This is a super simple item when you need something quick.  One of my nephews was the first to pop one, and when I asked how they were, he declared "Fantastic!"  I don't know about that, but I'll definitely keep this in mind for future reference.

If you are not familiar with Peppadews, they are a hot pepper, but they are also very sweet.  The heat comes at the front, so you won't be scrambling for water if they're too hot for you.  The heat passes quickly.  By the way, they say water doesn't help in those situations and that you should really reach for something acidic to neutralize the capsaicin.  Try tomato juice, or a wedge of citrus instead.

INGREDIENTS :

Peppadew Peppers

Garlic/Herb Boursin (or other) 

   Cheese Spread 

Fresh herbs for garnish

As a warning, we introduced our Mom to Peppadews when she came for a visit over the summer.  She really liked them, so I looked online to see where she could get them when she went back to New Orleans.  I found them in jars at Martin Wine Cellar, so she immediately stopped in for a supply.  The next time I spoke with her, she told me the ones in the jar were so hot, they almost blew her head off, so make sure you taste test! 

You could always stir or whip the cheese spread to soften it, then use a piping bag (or ziplock with a corner snipped) to pipe the spread into the peppers, but these have such a large opening, I didn't bother.  I like to use iced tea spoons for things like this.  They're just small and shallow enough to do the trick.

Once they're all stuffed, give them a sprinkle of your favorite fresh herb for garnish, and you're good to go!  I had a bunch of parsley leftover from making Stuffed Grapeleaves the other night, so I used that this time.