Darth Maul Dip

Star Wars Cookbook II, p. 20

1 jar (15 ounces) roasted red peppers

1 small clove garlic, peeled

1 teaspoon red wine vinegar

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon pepper

1 tablespoon cream cheese

2 pearl onions

¼ cup poppy seeds

With a colander or sifter, drain the peppers. Lay them flat on a piece of paper towel. Blot the peppers to dry them as much as possible. Remove any pieces of blackened skin.

Place the peppers and all remaining ingredients, except the pearl onions and poppy seeds, in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth.

Use a spatula to spread the dip evenly onto a flat plate that is large than the [cookbook’s enclosed] Darth Maul template. Chill the dip for 1 hour.

So far, so good.

Remove the chilled dip from the refrigerator and lay the template over the dip. Sprinkle the poppy seeds evenly over it. Brush off any poppy seeds lying on the template and carefully lift up the template.

Unfortunately the poppy seeds did not stay where the template wanted them to.

Place the pearl onions on the face to make eyes. Adding one poppy seed on each onion for the pupils. (You can make Darth Maul’s eyes yellow by soaking the onions in warm water with a pinch of saffron.)

Place three or four corn chips on the head for horns.

So while the cookbook said I was supposed to wind up with this...

...I got THIS.

Place the dip on the table and drape a black cloth around the plate to make Darth Maul’s cape.

Serve with corn chips or crackers.

But we ate it!

And ended the meal with an appropriate vibe.

My Rating: 3/5 "Surprisingly I'm not giving this a 1/5 disaster rating. It may not have come out looking spectacular, but it tasted pretty ok. (My partner was in love with it, actually.) The poppy seeds add nice texture and the flavor is tangy and interesting. Now does that make up for the disappointment of the template fail? I'll let you be the judge."