Sugar and spice are not necessarily the first words you think of when you hear desserts, but many bakers are turning up the heat in their baked goods with spices like cayenne, chipotle and black pepper. Yes, the same spices used for a hearty pot of chili can be used to liven up your favorite sweets! Adding a little heat can be the perfect complementing flavor to fruity and decadent chocolate desserts.

Two Peppers in a Cacao Pod

The combination of chocolate and chili dates back to the Mayans and is still a common way to add spice to a dessert. Consider adding chipotle or cayenne pepper to your next batch of brownies or fudge when you bake with the Ovention Matchbox^®. Chipotle powder has a smokey and sweet flavor profile with just a hint of spice; this unique flavor adds a touch of savory depth to dark chocolate-based desserts. When you take a bite of a decadent chocolate dessert that has the addition of spice, your tastebuds will be treated to an even more indulgent treat.

Top it Off with Spice

Cupcakes and cakes upgrade when topped with a spicy frosting. Mix chipotle into your next batch of cream cheese frosting and use it on top of pumpkin cupcakes for a delightful autumn dessert. Adding chipotle to a cream cheese frosting works well because the additional fat helps keep the spice from overwhelming. Top your dark chocolate cupcakes with a spiced chocolate frosting for a more classic combination of sugar and spice. The addition of chipotle can also add a pleasant zing to pineapple upside-down cakes!

Pump Up the Jams

Summer comes with an abundance of vegetables and fruits, a perfect opportunity to make jams to enjoy all year long. Take your jams to the next level with the addition of jalapeño, Fresno, and habanero peppers! The combination of sweet and spicy is a fantastic way to jazz up more traditional desserts like thumbprint cookies, Linzer cookies, or as a filling for a layered cake. Spiced fruit jams also pair well with cheese. Slather a generous layer on grilled cheese or your next cheese board.

Another way to step up your jam game is by roasting your fruit in the Ovention Matchbox^®  M360. Toss your fruit of choice with some diced peppers, sugar, and lemon juice on a sheet tray. Let it macerate for a few minutes before roasting, and mash it all together while it’s still hot. This quick jam will keep in the fridge for a month and freezes well!

Kick Up the Desserts

Cookies and brownies, frosting, sauces, jams, and even ice cream can all benefit from the boost of pepper. Take your customers’ tastebuds on a journey and turn desserts into a sensorial experience with bold and spicy flavors. If you’re not ready to commit to making spicy desserts from scratch, try stirring in a bit of spice into store-bought caramel, jam, or fudge sauce as a way of experimenting. Want to learn more about unexpected things in the culinary world? Check out our blog about Urban Farms that might be popping up on a roof near you!