So whipped up this little number for dinner a couple weeks ago and they were YUMMY. Squash blossoms are total rare gems; it’s super hard to find them at the market! (at least in here), and they’re about $1.50 per blossom, which – as my mama in Mexico says – “ay noooo que rip off is that” considering it’s about $1.50 for a bucket down there, but whatevs, they’re totally worth it.

You can have them by themselves just lightly fried and they’re lovely, but, since they’re a rarity at the table, I decided to go the extra mile and stuff them with a little bit of a jalapeño popper vibe, sans the dairy of course. Inside you get a creamy and spicy jalapeño oregano cashew filling, and on the outside you get a bold crunchy beer batter that begs for the squeeze of a lime. ARE YOU DROOLING? You better be. I kinda wished I took more photos, but damn, I was hungry! haha

Get the full recipe after the jump!

Jalapeño Popper Beer Battered Squash Blossoms (dairy free)

Makes 10

Ingredients:

10 squash blossoms, washed, and trimmed
1 to 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon fresh cracked pepper
2 pinches of salt
1 super cold negra modelo beer (highly recommended!) or another dark beer of your choice (350ml bottle)
1/2 cup cashews, soaked for 1 hour in warm water
1 Jalapeño pepper, stemmed
1 teaspoon fresh oregano
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
Juice of 1 lime
Olive oil to drizzle
Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Start by placing the flour, freshly cracked pepper, and the 2 pinches of salt in a bowl. Then slowly start pouring beer over it and gently whisk to combine. Stop when it forms a batter, something that looks like pancake batter. If you’re not sure, stop and dip your finger, if it coats it nicely without dripping completely off, then it’s ok, if it’s too clumpy, add more beer. Once you get it right, let the beer batter rest for about 10 min.

2. Now get the filling ready: drain the cashews and place them in a blender or food processor with the jalapeno (seeds removed if you don’t like it too spicy), oregano, coriander, and lime juice. Drizzle about 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil over it and pulse until it’s almost a paste (little chunks are ok). Add salt and pepper, pulse a couple times more and set aside.

3. Stuff’em: grab your blossoms and very gently open them (mostly from the top, so the bottom stays nice and close), stuff them with the cashew filling and place on a plate.

4. Take a large pan and pour some sunflower or grape seed oil (or any frying oil just don’t use olive oil ’cause it’ll burn and taste bitter). Place it over medium-high heat. While the pan is heating, grab your beer batter and stuffed blossoms. Prepare a plate with a paper towel for the fried blossoms. Now, dip the stuffed blossoms in the beer batter (coat them evenly) and carefully fry them, making sure to turn them around so they get nice and crispy all the way through. About 3-4 minutes each side. Once they’re golden brown, remove them from the oil and place on the plate with the paper towel.

Serve blossoms warm and top with a sprinkle of flaky sea salt and a few lime slices. Oh, and don’t forget about the beer to chase them! Soo gooood. Enjoy!

PS. this is an awesome finger food option for dinner parties!