Chocolate Cake with Lucifer's Nuts

• 1 recipe chocolate cake
• 1 cup pecan halves
• 1/4 cup water
• 2 tbsp. sugar
• 1 tbsp. dried Habenero powder (use your judgment on this!)
• 1/4 tsp. salt

1. Over a medium-high heat, stir the water and sugar in a small teflon skillet until the sugar is disolved.
2. Add the nuts, and stir constantly until the water is mostly evaporated (about 3-4 minutes).
3. Add the chile and salt to coat well, and stir constantly until the water is gone.
4. Remove the nuts to a piece of wax paper, separating the pecan halves from each other with a fork if necessary.
5. Let cool, and incorporate them into the cake batter just before pouring it into the pan.
6. To make the habenero powder, I just put 4 dried habs in the spice grinder, and ground until very fine.
7. Let the grinder settle for a couple of minutes before trying to remove the powder :-) Using finely powdered dried hot peppers of a lesser burn level would be appropriate for the non-maniacal chile-head.

recipe chocolate cake, pecan halves, water, sugar, habenero powder, salt

Taken from www.foodgeeks.com/recipes/1664 (may not work)