savory shrimp and grits cupcakes
My husband and I wanted to create a recipe for a savory cupcake. Our challenge: when people think of Charleston,SC what comes to mind? I mean, what says "Charleston"? We decided we would recreate what seems to be Charleston's most famous and often sought after dish, Shrimp and Grits, into the form of a savory cupcake. The most difficult part was making the grits into an edible yet savory cupcake. We needed it to retain the grit flavor yet have the consistency of a cupcake. This is our own original recipe which we entered into a local cupcake competition for charity.
Blue Ribbon Recipe
How adorable are these? What a unique way to present shrimp and grits. The flavors are fab. You could use the ham mousse a spread alone it's that tasty. You can bet your guests will be amazed when you serve these "cupcakes" at your next dinner party.
Ingredients For savory shrimp and grits cupcakes
- FOR THE CUPCAKES
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2 cflour, all-purpose
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1 Tbspbaking powder
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1/2 tspbaking soda
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1 tspsalt
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2 lgeggs
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1/2 stickbutter, unsalted, melted
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1 cstone ground grits, prepared per pkg
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1 ccheddar cheese, shredded
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1/2 cscallions, chopped
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1/4 cmilk
- FOR THE TOPPING
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6 oztasso ham
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12 lgshrimp, peeled, deveined and roasted with creole seasoning
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1 Tbspcreole seasoning (to season the shrimp)
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8 ozcream cheese, room temperature
How To Make savory shrimp and grits cupcakes
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1Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
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2Mix together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
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3Add grits, eggs, melted butter, cheese, scallions and milk until just combined. **The dough will be VERY sticky. This is normal.
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4Drop by spoonfuls into lightly greased (regular sized) muffin tins. I think these would be great as mini muffins as well but have not timed the baking for this change. Bake for about 15 minutes** or until golden brown. A toothpick inserted in the center will come out clean. **Oven times may vary
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5Grind tasso ham in a food processor until finely chopped.
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6Cream together the cream cheese and the ham mixture.
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7Put a dollop of tasso ham mousse on top of each cupcake and top with one grilled or roasted shrimp.
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8NOTES: We found that leftover grits or grits which had come to room temperature worked the best in the dough formation. We also like these muffins best served fresh from the oven.
- Last Step: Don't forget to share! Make all your friends drool by posting a picture of your finished recipe on your favorite social network. And don't forget to tag Just A Pinch and include #justapinchrecipes so we can see it too!