Scrumptious Spiderwebs & Sparkling Pumpkins {black bean dip recipe}

  Things are starting to get Halloween-y (Halloweenish?) around here. Costumes are about half finished, pumpkins are decorated, and I've gone spiderweb crazy.

October is one of the most beautiful months here, even if it doesn't feel very autumnal. Except for the fires in the hills; those are not good... The girls and I had a pumpkin-painting-and-sparkling afternoon the other day. They painted mini pumpkins white and I painted a larger one with black chalkboard paint from Martha Stewart crafts. And some glitter and sequins of course. We had a lot of fun and the pumpkins turned out so cute, don't you think?

We are going to a Halloween party at a friend's house and I wanted to test out a recipe to bring. This bean dip with a sour cream spiderweb will be the perfect healthy snack before the candy overload. I recommend making this dip even more delicious by layering it over guacamole.  I added the jalapeno after making this the first time because I thought it could use a little more kick, if you have picky eaters who don't like any "kick" then just omit it.

Want to see how to make the cute spiderwebs on the pancakes and the dip?

For the pancakes, use your favorite recipe and pour 1/4 cup of batter into a greased pan over medium heat.  Use a bottle of chocolate syrup to make the spiderweb as shown in the video. It may take a few tries to get the technique down. It works best to make a spiral instead of circles on the pancakes, and use a very thin stream of syrup or you'll end up with a gooey mess. Wait until the pancake has really set and bubbles are popping on top, then flip and cook the rest of the way.

Black Bean Dip with Sour Cream Spiderweb
printer friendly recipe

makes about 2 cups

1 small jalapeno, seeded and roughly chopped
1/2 shallot, peeled and roughly chopped
2 cloves garlic
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/4 cup cilantro
Juice of 1 lime
2 (15 ounce) cans black beans, drained and rinsed
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil (optional)
salt and pepper to taste 
1 1/2 cups prepared guacamole for layering (optional) 

1/4 cup lite sour cream
"Boo" baked potato chips (available at Whole Foods and other specialty stores) 

Place jalapeno, shallot, garlic, cumin, cilantro, and lime juice in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until ingredients are roughly chopped and combined. Add beans and pulse until mixture has reached desired consistency - can be made smooth or left chunkier. If mixture is too thick, add olive oil or a little more lime juice. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer dip to a serving dish (over guacamole, if desired).

Place sour cream in a squeeze bottle or zipper sandwich bag. If using a bag, snip a small corner off. Squeeze circles of sour cream over the dip, about 1" apart. Drag a knife from the center outward, about 2" apart to create a web design. If you mess up, don't worry - just scrape it off or stir in and start again.

 

Serving size calculated here is about 3 tablespoons of black bean dip.