Volcanic Flow Appetizer (Printer-Friendly)

Crisp black crackers with a spicy red pepper jelly center create a bold, shareable starter.

# What You Need:

→ Crackers

01 - 1 cup all-purpose flour
02 - 2 tablespoons activated charcoal powder (food grade)
03 - 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
04 - 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
05 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
06 - 1/3 cup water

→ Spicy Red-Hot Jelly

07 - 1 cup red pepper jelly
08 - 1 to 2 teaspoons hot sauce, adjusted to taste
09 - 1/4 teaspoon chili flakes
10 - 1 teaspoon fresh lime juice

# Steps:

01 - Preheat oven to 375°F and line a baking tray with parchment paper.
02 - Whisk together flour, activated charcoal, salt, and black pepper in a bowl. Add olive oil and water, stirring until dough forms.
03 - Roll dough thinly between parchment sheets. Cut into irregular lava rock shapes with a knife or cookie cutter.
04 - Place crackers on baking tray and bake for 8 to 10 minutes until crisp and dry. Allow to cool completely.
05 - Mix red pepper jelly, hot sauce, chili flakes, and lime juice in a small bowl. Warm gently if needed for pouring consistency.
06 - Arrange black crackers in a ring on a serving plate, leaving the center empty.
07 - Spoon the spicy jelly into the center to create the fiery crater. Serve immediately, dipping crackers into the jelly.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • It looks like you spent hours on it, but honestly, you can pull it together in less than thirty minutes.
  • The contrast between cool, crisp, charcoal-colored crackers and warm, spicy jelly feels like tiny fireworks on your tongue.
  • It's vegetarian, shareable, and honestly impressive enough that people will ask for the recipe.
02 -
  • Don't skip the cooling step on the crackers—they'll crisp up even more as they cool, and pulling them off the tray too soon means they'll stick or break.
  • The heat in the jelly needs adjustment based on your hot sauce brand, so taste as you go and remember you can always add more fire but you can't take it out.
03 -
  • If you can't find food-grade activated charcoal or just want to skip it, quality store-bought black sesame crackers work beautifully as a substitute.
  • For a shortcut, you can absolutely use store-bought crackers entirely and focus all your energy on perfecting that jelly—sometimes the simplest routes lead to the best parties.
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