How to: Make Cowboy Candy – Candied Jalapeños

How to: Make Cowboy Candy – Candied Jalapeños

Each summer, I love to visit the Farmer’s Market and purchase local produce. Two years ago, we visited a booth where the vendor had jars of  “cowboy candy”. Curious, I bought a jar. Fuad ate it all in one sitting! I vowed to try to make my own version when I had a chance.

Fast forward to today and I decided to finally give it a try. Here is my recipe and tips for making, AND canning, jars of Cowboy Candy.

Let’s get started:

To start, this recipe is based upon 2lbs of jalapeños. You can adjust your recipe to make it more or less as desired. 
Before you begin, please be sure to have your canning jars clean and ready. Wash your jars thoroughly and COMPLETELY rinse. Submerge them onto a rack in boiling water for 10 minutes as your last step of sanitization. 

Recipe:

Ingredients:
Jalapeno Peppers (I used approx. 2lbs or 1kg) I had around 40-50 jalapenos from the farmer’s market
4 cups of white granulated sugar
2 cups of Apple Cider Vineagar
2 tsps of tumeric powder
2 tsps of ginger powder
3 teaspoons of chili powder
Dash of kosher salt

Instructions:
~Remove stems and cut your jalapenos into thin slices. I didn’t measure but approx. 1/4 inch coin slices worked well.
~Combine all your sugar, vineagar, and spices in a pan. Bring this to a rolling boil and cut the heat to simmer.
~Stir until your sugar dissolves and makes a syrup. Add your pepper slices to the syrup and coat thoroughly.
~Mix them completely and bring to a rolling boil once again.
~Once boiling, reduce heat to simmer and cook for about 5 minutes or until your jalapenos soften and begin to darken in color.
~With a slotted spoon, remove jalapenos from your syrup and place into clean, prepared jars. filling up to 1/2 inch from top. Shake and wiggle jar so peppers settle leaving more room to add as needed.
~Once each jar has been filled, pour the syrup over peppers in each jar. Leave about 1/4 inch from top, being sure all are covered.
~Cover and secure lid. Wipe the outside of jar and lid clean because syrup is STICKY!
~Place your secured jars of peppers into a boiling water bath for 10 minutes. Jars should pop to insure they have sealed correctly. If your jar lid does not pop, don’t worry! The peppers are still good but storage is best in the fridge and eaten within a few weeks.
~Properly canned jars can be stored in cool dry place for up to a year.

This Cowboy Candy can be served over cream cheese and spread on crackers, over burgers, nachos and more! They are sweet with a punch of heat!

Cook jalapenos in syrup until they darken in color

fill jars with jalapenos. Pack as many as possible into jar.

Cover your jalapenos with syrup and fill to 1/4 inch from top.

Add lids and tighten (finger tight only) before adding them to a boiling water bath.

After 5-7 days your cowboy candy is ready to eat! Perfect over cream cheese as a dip!

Spread it on a cracker for a FABULOUS snack. Sweet and savory with a punch of heat!

Have your favorite person give it a try!

Guaranteed to be a hit!

Thank you so much for giving our recipe a try! We hope our Cowboy Candy is a hit at your home as much as it is at ours! 

Happy Hooking and Cooking!
~Shannon and Fuad 

How to Make: Pretzel Bites

Welcome to our family kitchen! Today’s recipe is going to be Pretzel Bites!

We are going to show you how to make these bites using only a few ingredients.
Now let’s get started!

Recipe for Pretzel Bites:
Ingredients:
1-Canned Bisquits such as Jumbo Grands or similar
1/4 c. Baking SODA
3-4 Tblsp of Butter Coarse salt – sea or kosher
Water for boiling

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400* F Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper set aside Open your canned bisquits and be ready to get a jump scare like I did! Cut each bisquit into 4-6 equal parts- I quartered mine to make 32 bites Once cut into pieces, lightly shape into round or cubed pieces (optional)
Fill a sauce pan half full of water and bring water to a boil Slowly add baking soda to water in increments as to not overflow Once your baking SODA is added, add your dough pieces into the boiling baking soda water Turn the pieces in the boiling water and remove.

DO NOT KEEP them in the water too long or they will turn mushy. Once removed, set the dough pieces on your parchment lined cookie sheets. Place cookie sheets with your dough pieces into your preheated 400*F oven and bake for 15-20 minutes depending on your oven. Mine went for 18 minutes and they were perfect!

When done, they should have a beautiful dark brown coloring like pretzels! Melt butter Remove sheets from your oven and brush bites with melted butter while still warm Sprinkle Pretzel Bites with salt and ENJOY!

Dip them in melted cheese or enjoy on their own!


Optional: Instead of sprinkling with salt, you can roll your warm buttered bites in a cinnamon sugar mixture for a sweeter version! Dip them in some frosting! Delicious! Join us each week for more fun and easy recipes! Be sure to like, comment, and subscribe to our channel!

Happy Hooking and Cooking!
~Fuad, Shannon, & Nadia!

How to Make: Rice Crispy Peep Treats

How to Make: Rice Crispy Peep Treats

It’s that time of year when those Peep Treats appear on the store shelves. They brightly shine among the Easter candy. Yes, they are festive. Yes, they remind us of a certain holiday. Yes, they are almost an Easter Basket staple. But, ARE THEY a fan favorite? Peeps get a bit of a bad rap. Here is a great way to use them in a fun and festive sweet treat! They never will go to waste again!

Recipe:

Approximately 20-24 Peeps of any color
6 -7 cups of Crispy Rice Cereal
6-8 tblsps of butter

Preheat oven to 400*F

Butter a 9×13 cake pan
Line up your Peeps Marshmello treats in rows

Completely cover Peeps with your Crispy Rice Cereal. Let those Peep heads slightly peek out! LOL

Add pats of butter across the top of the cereal

Place pan in the oven for 8-10 minutes. Check after 6 minutes since each oven is differnt. Peeps will begin to puff up and the tops will appear toasted.

Butter should be melted. Remove from oven and stir all ingredients together.

Press firmly into pan and cool. Cut into squares and serve!  SO oooey goooey and delicious!

Optional: Sprinkle topping – sugars, confetti treats, m&ms, etc…

This is perfect for satisfying your sweet tooth!
Guaranteed Delicious!! Enjoy and be sure to share your treats on facebook and/or instagram and tag YARNutopia! Be sure to LIKE, SUBSCRIBE, AND SHARE OUR OTHER CHANNEL HERE! 

Happy Hooking and Cooking!

~Fuad, Shannon, & Nadia

This post contains affiliate links, which I may be compensated for when you make a purchase. That means if you click on any link and buy from the linked websites, I will receive a small percentage of the value of your order. The amount you pay is not changed. Thank you for all your support in clicking the links in my blog!! You all are so amazing!! ~Nadia

12 Days of Christmas: Buffalo Plaid Coasters – FREE Written Crochet Pattern

12 Days of Christmas: Buffalo Plaid Coasters – FREE Written Crochet Pattern
‘Tis the season for warm fires, hot cocoa with cookies, and friends to share it all with! Holiday entertaining is made even more festive with these black and red checked coasters! The plaid design is perfect for bringing a splash of bright color to protect and decorate the table top. Have you always wanted to try out how to crochet plaid? Well here is your chance to learn how in this easy to follow step-by-step tutorial and pattern. Now, if you will excuse me, there are a couple of mouthwatering cookies that need to find their way into my tummy! Enjoy all the drinks and goodies all year long with this great project!

 

My dad will continue to be the videographer, editor, and photographer for our videos when I move away.
Support YARNutopia today so we can continue to bring you clear, quality crochet tutorials even after I move into my new home!
There will be an added expense of more travel and hopefully this won’t deter our ability to provide consistent videos on a weekly basis.

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**You can always contact me via Facebook if you have any problems with the pattern. I am happy to help if you have any questions along the way.
***These patterns are copyright YARNutopia © so PLEASE DO NOT COPY, SHARE, ADJUST OR RESELL MY PATTERN. I wrote and tested this pattern myself, from beginning to end. It took a lot of time and work, and I would really like to have it remain “my pattern.”
***You can sell anything you make from my patterns, please just link back to my website YARNutopia.com. Thank you!

Teacher: Nadia Fuad
Video and Editing: Fuad Azmat (My Daddy)
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Leave a comment, and share with your friends!

Pattern:

Designed by Nadia Fuad
You *may* sell items made from my pattern, but please reference my website YARNutopia.com.
Please do not copy, sell, and/or post this pattern and claim it as your own.

Materials you will need:
Get the supplies individually by clicking the links below
Red Heart Yarns Super Saver in the colors Charcoal, Berry Red, Cherry Red
-F-3.75mm crochet hook
Yarn Needle
Scissors

NOTES:
-Use a smaller hook to make these smaller
-Use a bigger hook to make these bigger
-Work over the top of your unworked yarn so you can trail it up to the next row. (see video tutorial for visual instructions)

 

Special stitches:
Ch(s): chain(s)
YO: Yarn Over
BLO: Back Loop Only
FLO: Front Loop Only
St(s): Stitch(es)
Sl st: slip stitch
SK: Skip
SC: Single Crochet
HDC: Half Double Crochet
DC: Double Crochet

Pattern:

If you have any confusion or difficulty with reading this pattern, please watch the video tutorial that is linked above in this blog post to have visual instructions.

Coasters (make 4 to make a full set)

With Charcoal Gray
Ch 20
Row 1: DC in 3rd Ch and each Ch across, Ch 2, Turn. (18)

Row 2: With Charcoal, DC in first 3 sts, *Change to Dark Red after 3rd Stitch of Charcoal, DC in next 3 sts, Change to Charcoal after 3rd stitch of Dark Red, DC in next 3 sts, repeat from * across, turn. (18)
(Do not fasten off any of your yarns, Work over the top of your unworked yarn to hide it – See video tutorial for visual instructions)

Row 3: Attach Bright Red after last stitch that you made from previous Row, DC in first 3 sts, *Change to Dark Red after 3rd Stitch of Bright Red, DC in next 3 sts, Change to Bright Red after 3rd stitch of Dark Red, DC in next 3 sts, repeat from * across, turn. (18)

Row 4: (Attach Charcoal after last stitch you made from previous row) Repeat Row 2

Row 5: Repeat Row 3

Row 6: Repeat Row 2

Row 7: Repeat Row 3

Row 8: With Charcoal for the whole row, DC in each st across, do not fasten off. Turn.

Round 9: Ch 1, SC in each st across and continue to SC around entire coaster. Put 3 SC in each corner to square it off.
Sl st to first st and then Fasten off.
Weave in all ends.

Enjoy!!

This post contains affiliate links, which I may be compensated for when you make a purchase. That means if you click on any link and buy from the linked websites, I will receive a small percentage of the value of your order. The amount you pay is not changed. Thank you for all your support in clicking the links in my blog!! You all are so amazing!! ~Nadia

The yarn provided for this pattern is courtesy of Yarnspirations