In the Kitchen with Kerry

Hot Pepper Jam Over Cream Cheese

I took this to the Eclipse Party our friend hosted the other night. Someone commented it sort of resembles an eclipse ... my "ring of fire" contribution. My mother and grandmothers served this scrumptious tasting appetizer for generations. It's was always completely consumed. It's is one of those go-to appetizers you can always count on.

I prepare large batches of hot pepper jam every summer (I've never put the recipe on paper, it's in my head) to have on hand just to serve this delicious appetizer all year long. If you don't prepare hot pepper jam, you can pick up some great tasting jams at the Farmer's Market and gourmet grocery stores. Raffetto a family owned company produces tastes-like-homemade products, including hot pepper jam.

The next time you want to wow your guests, spoon generous amounts of hot pepper jam over cream cheese (I shaped the the square of cream cheese into a round) and don't wait for the next eclipse to share this super-simple, crowd-pleasing appetizer! Serve with a neutral flavored, crispy cracker.