Herbed Strawberry Bruschetta with Whipped Feta + Pink Peppercorn Balsamic Reduction on Olive Oil Fried Multigrain Toast

Herbed Strawberry Bruschetta with Whipped Feta + Pink Peppercorn Balsamic Reduction
on Olive Oil Fried Multigrain Toast

Hey y'all, I hope everyone had a great Fourth of July holiday… we sure did. My Mountain Man and I celebrated our one year engagement anniversary. I can't believe it's already been a year of wedding planning, it seemed to pass so slowly and now looking back, it was too incredibly fast. Just in a short three months, we will be saying "I Do" in Atlanta. So bizarre. Anyway, today I am sharing a recipe that should be enjoyed all spring and all summer long. We're huge fans of bruschetta over here… and by that, I mean we could just eat a massive plate of it for dinner and call it a night. We don't discriminate, not even when it's made with fruit. Ripe strawberries pair beautifully with savory flavors and this recipe is a great example of that! I was actually inspired by a dish at our favorite restaurant (and wedding location), JCT Kitchen + Bar. It was a simple side of the ripest, sweetest strawberries that I have ever tasted with a drizzle of olive oil and balsamic, some crumbled feta, and minced basil, mint, & chives. As we popped each berry into our mouth, the flavors sang so loudly and tasted so brightly. I couldn't believe the flavor combination. I just knew I had to take this idea and run with it. My recipe starts with a good loaf of multigrain bread, cut into rounds, and fried until golden brown in olive oil (a personal favorite technique when it comes to making bruschetta). Then, I made some whipped feta in the food processor, which is a breeze to make, but yields such lovely results. You could easily sub in goat cheese here, if you prefer, however I totally recommend the feta cheese. The strawberry bruschetta topping begins with chopping the berries into cubes and macerating them in a little sugar, balsamic, and lemon. I did this for about an hour, just to allow them to deepen and sweeten in a flavor (it's a must-do).  Luckily for me, I have a whole mess of fresh herbs growing in our garden, so I just minced up basil, mint, chives, and parsley, and added it to the mix. Save a little bit of the mixed herbs for garnishing though, it gives a beautiful contrast against the red berries, white feta, and dark balsamic. The balsamic reduction is enhanced with some crushed pink peppercorn because I absolutely love that flavor profile when paired with strawberries. Last year, I made strawberry-pink peppercorn jam and it was fab. So do it. Everyone loved this easy + fresh appetizer, and I can't wait to make it again and again and again!! Enjoy :)

For the Whipped Feta Cheese:

8oz Creamy Feta Cheese, Room Temperature (or very soft)

2oz Cream Cheese, Room Temperature (or very soft)

3T Cold Heavy Cream

Pinch of Salt & Pepper

For the Herbed Strawberry Bruschetta Topping:

1 Pint of Fresh Strawberries, Cut into Cubes

2T Balsamic Vinegar + 1-2T Sugar (depending how ripe your berries are)

1 Lemon, Zested & Juiced

2T Olive Oil

Big Handful of Fresh Basil + Mint, Minced

2T Minced Chives

Fleur de Sel + Fresh Cracked Pepper, To Taste

¼t Red Pepper Flakes 

For the Pink Peppercorn Balsamic Reduction:

¼C Balsamic Vinegar

1T Honey

½t Crushed Pink Peppercorns (or to taste)

For the Bruschetta:

Prepared Herbed Strawberry Bruschetta Topping

Prepared Whipped Feta Cheese (plus crumbled feta for garnish)

Slices of Multigrain Bread

Olive Oil, For Frying

Prepared Pink Peppercorn Balsamic Reduction, For Drizzling

Freshly Minced Basil, Chives, & Mint, For Garnishing

Directions:

1. For the Whipped Feta Cheese: In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat together the softened cream cheese and salt until thoroughly mixed. Scrape down the sides and turn the mixer to medium-high speed and add in ¼C heavy cream. Continue whipping, while continuously adding a little bit of a crumbled feta cheese at a time, until the feta cheese is combined throughout. Add in the remaining ¼C heavy cream and beat on high until it is light & fluffy. Season the feta cheese with salt & pepper to taste. Spoon this mixture onto a serving plate.

2. For the Herbed Strawberry Bruschetta: In a large mixing bowl, toss together the cubed strawberries, balsamic vinegar, sugar, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Let the berries macerate for an hour. Add in the remaining ingredients and season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside for 15-30 minutes to let the flavors meld.

3. For the Balsamic Reduction: Add the balsamic vinegar and honey to a small saucepan and cook to reduce for 3-5 minutes, or until thick and syrupy. Stir in crushed pink peppercorns. Set this aside until ready to use.

4. For the Multigrain Bread: Heat about 1 inch of olive oil in a deep sauté pan over medium-high heat. Fry the slices of multigrain bread in the oil until golden brown & crispy, about 2 minutes on each side.

5. Assembling the Bruschetta: Spread the fried bread with some of the whipped feta, and then top each piece of bread with a mound of the strawberry Bruschetta topping mixture. Garnish with a drizzle of balsamic reduction, crumbled feta, and fresh minced herbs. Serve immediately.

Pickled Cranberries with Champagne + Vanilla Bean

Pickled Cranberries with Champagne + Vanilla Bean

We're still continuing on with recipes inspired by Thanksgiving :) Only 5ish days away until we reach a turkey coma, yippee!! I have been enamored the past year with pickling, jamming, and preserving. It's been almost a weekly ritual. Well, this is one of the first recipes I saw and I was immediately excited. Who makes pickles with fruit?? Who makes pickled cranberries?? One fabulous food blogger did and the results were fabulous, I stored it away, knowing I would eventually make these before the big day (and no the big day isn't a wedding day). I used her recipe as a base, but decided to change it up a bit by making it with champagne vinegar, vanilla bean, and fresh citrus. All of those are lovable, so my pickled cranberries nailed it! I love this variation, it seems so festive doesn't it? There's something about citrus and champagne that remind me of the holidays. Speaking of champagne, this is also amazing mixed into cocktails for an-even-better mimosa. Don't question it, just try it. I love it's vinegary power, but it's totally rounded out with unfounded sweetness from the vanilla bean and mulling spices. Not only is this great for the "cranberry sauce" element at the table, but is worth every calorie on a Thanksgiving leftover sandwich or on top of some cheese. It is just unbelievably versatile and we're totally digging it!! Are ya'll... I hope so!! Enjoy :)

holiday edition boursin cheese + pickled cranberries... delish crostini :)

For the Pickled Cranberries:

24oz Fresh Cranberries

3C Champagne Vinegar

3C Sugar

2 Cinnamon Sticks

1 Vanilla Bean, Split & Scraped for Seeds

1 Orange, Zested

1t Allspice Berries

½t Whole Cloves + Pink Peppercorns

¼t Juniper Berries

Directions:

1. Prepare a boiling water bath and mason jars. Place lids in a small saucepan of water and bring to a gentle simmer. Wash the fresh cranberries and pick over for any stems or bad berries.

2. For the Pickled Cranberries: Combine the champagne vinegar and sugar in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Add the cinnamon sticks, vanilla bean, and orange zest to the brine. Put all of the spices into a spice bag or tie them in cheesecloth. Add them to the brine. Once the brine is boiling vigorously, add the cranberries. Stir to combine and cook for 5-7 minutes, until the cranberries begin to pop and bring has returned to a rolling boil. After the cooking time has elapsed, remove the pot from the heat. Pull out the spice bag, cinnamon sticks, and vanilla bean. Break the cinnamon sticks in halves or thirds and set aside.

3. Finishing the Pickled Cranberries:Using a slotted spoon, ladle cranberries into prepared jars. Cover berries with brine, leaving about a ½-inch headspace. Place a cinnamon stick segment into each jar. Wipe the jar rims, apply the lids and rings, and process in a boiling water bath canner for 10 minutes. When time is up, remove jars from canner and place them on a folded kitchen towel to cool. When jars are cool enough to handle, remove rings and check seals. Any unsealed jars should be kept in the refrigerator. Let jars sit for at least 24 hours before eating to all the flavors to settle.

source: pickled cranberries.

Creamy Goat Cheese Cheesecake Ice Cream with Strawberry-Balsamic-Pink Peppercorn Preserve Swirls + Dark Chocolate Freckles

Creamy Goat Cheese Cheesecake Ice Cream with Strawberry-Balsamic-Pink Peppercorn
Preserve Swirls + Dark Chocolate Freckles

I have probably declared my love for goat cheese too many times on my blog. Some of you probably are indifferent about it and a lot of people absolutely despise it. I, on the other had, use it for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and well... even dessert! And this isn't the first time that we've made it into a sweet treat, some of our favorites include: raspberry-goat cheese cheesecake with chocolate ganache and goat cheese brownies. Well, I adored the combination of goat cheese, dark chocolate, + sweet fruit together, so when I had a bunch of my Strawberry-Balsamic-Pink Peppercorn Preserves lying around, I just couldn't stand to not use it for a dessert. However, this time, I wanted to make an extra creamy goat cheese ice cream that would pair perfectly with the preserves. We raved about these wonderfully delicate preserves because their flavor has been heightened with tangy balsamic vinegar and the floral notes from crushed pink peppercorns. Once you have made the goat cheese custard base and it is close to being completely churned, melt up some fancy dark chocolate and slowly drizzle it into the ice cream maker. This process quickly freezes and hardens the chocolate into itty bitty freckles that are perfectly + evenly distributed throughout the ice cream. And lemme say, it is utterly delightful. I especially love that it is slam-packed with chocolate, yet doesn't overwhelm the other important components. After you've freckled the heck out of the goat cheese ice cream, spoon it into a container and layer it along with the preserves, making sure to girlishly swirl them throughout for an extra-special effect once it is scooped and served. This frozen treat may sound a little strange, but it all somehow works together to form the perfect springtime dessert. And newsflash, you don't have to eat this just in a bowl or on a cone, it is amazing on top of a gooey brownie that is still hot from the oven. Think of an over-the-top brownie a la mode... or sandwich a scoop of the ice cream between two dark chocolate sable cookies. Don't those sound delish? They are definitely on my to-do list for the leftover ice cream that's sitting in my freezer. But, you could be like me and just stand at the kitchen counter, pajamas on, and devour it all at once. I have finally reasoned with myself that as long as I don't put it into a bowl to eat, then the calories don't count. It's a scientific fact and I should officially become a dietician (obvi). Ha, don't pretend like you don't occasionally do it too!! Enjoy :)

Look at the gorgeous red color from the preserve swirls... 

Goat Cheese. Chocolate Freckles. Fancy Preserves.

I am obsessed with these chocolate freckles, y'all :)

For the Creamy Goat Cheese Cheesecake Ice Cream Custard Base:

2 ½C Heavy Cream

½C Whole Milk

1 Stick Unsalted Butter, Melted & Cooled Slightly

6 Egg Yolks

1 ¼C Sugar

½t Salt

10oz Goat Cheese, Finely Crumbled

2oz Cream Cheese, Broken into Small Pieces

2t Vanilla

2T Vanilla Bean Infused Rum (or any kind of infused booze that is clear)

For the Goat Cheese Ice Cream with Preserve Swirls & Dark Chocolate Freckles:

Prepared Creamy Goat Cheese Cheesecake Ice Cream Custard Base, Chilled

Homemade Strawberry-Balsamic-Pink Peppercorn Preserves

8oz Dark Chocolate, Roughly Chopped

Directions:

1. For the Creamy Goat Cheese Cheesecake Ice Cream Custard Base: In a saucepan, bring the cream and milk to a simmer. In a bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, sugar, and salt until fluffy. Slowly whisk in the melted butter. Once combined, gradually and slowly into the simmering milk. Pour this mixture back into the saucepan and cook over low heat, until thickened (it should coat the back of a spoon). Crumble the goat cheese and break up the pieces of cream cheese into the bottom of a large mixing bowl. Place the strainer on top of the goat cheese bowl. Strain the hot custard into a goat cheese filled bowl. Let this mixture sit for a minute or two, and then whisk until both cheeses have completely melted into the base. To ensure that there are no pieces of cheese, I used an immersion blender to briefly blend the base until it was smooth. Stir in the vanilla bean infused rum and vanilla extract. Place this custard filled bowl into an ice bath. Cool the custard base until completely chilled.

2. Assembling the Ice Cream: Once the mixture is chilled, pour the ice cream mixture into the frozen canister of electric ice cream freezer and run according to directions of ice cream maker. While the ice cream is churning, prepare the chocolate by melting it over a double boiler. Transfer the melted chocolate to a container with a spout, such as a liquid measuring cup or a squeeze bottle. When the ice cream is nearly finished churning, add the chocolate, drizzling it in as thinly as possible because you don’t know want large chunks of chocolate, but freckles (or small pieces scattered throughout). As soon as the mixture is done churning, pour or scoop in one-third of the ice cream into a large container, and then spoon some of the strawberry preserves on top of the ice cream. Using the spoon, smooth it out into any even layer and swirl it some for a pretty marbling effect. Repeat this process until all of the ice cream and preserves have been use. Once it has been assembled, store in the freezer until firm, at least 4 hours.

Fried Chicken Strawberry Shortcakes with Fluffy Buttermilk Biscuits, Fried Chicken, Boursin Cheese Whipped Cream, & Strawberry-Balsamic-Pink Peppercorn Preserves

Fried Chicken Strawberry Shortcakes with Fluffy Buttermilk Biscuits, Fried Chicken,
Boursin Cheese Whipped Cream, & Strawberry-Balsamic-Pink Peppercorn Preserves

I have totally lost track of time lately. So much so, that I even forgot this little blog's anniversary. I'm officially on my third year of sharing my recipes, and I didn't even realize it. What a sad day. How do you celebrate a "blog-a-verisary"... do you bake a cake for it? I should probably find out if that's the case. Instead I baked a shortcake for it, a savory shortcake in fact. Have y'all ever seen or had a savory shortcake? I haven't seen many or tasted any, so I though it would be something I would want to make. Why not put some fried chicken on a shortcake, that's the normal thought process, isn't it? Well, for all y'all skeptics out there, it's wonderful!! It's like a play off of chicken & biscuits, but slightly sweet... and you can eat it for dinner. I made light-as-air, fluffy buttermilk biscuits and topped them with crispy, fried chicken, a whipped cream made with boursin cheese, and an eat-it-with-a-spoon strawberry jam. By the way, I'm so into pickling, preserving, and processing right now. I just got the hang of it, but I've already made Candied Jalapenos, Spicy Pepper Jelly, Triple Citrus-Champagne Marmalade, Blood Orange-Vanilla Bean Marmalade, Pickled Mean Beans, and the Strawberry-Balsamic-Pink Peppercorn Preserves that I'm posting today. Here is a picture of everything I've canned...

Homemade Pickles, Jams, Preserves, & Jellies

Borderline obsessive, right? Oh well, they are all delicious and it is my new favorite hobby. Now I just have to think of recipes to use all of them. My Fried Chicken Shortcake was inspired by these strawberry preserves, that's how much I liked it. I thought to myself, "Dang, this jam would be damn good on some fried chicken." And it was. Strawberry + Balsamic are a match made in heaven. The vinegar really brings out the sweetness of the berries and the crushed pink peppercorn adds a depth of flavor that cannot be matched! Just a note, while I was making the huge batch of strawberry preserves, I reserved some that I didn't thicken as much, so it would be more of a sauce. The rest of them I reduced down to a thick jam that would be spreadable on toast... it's honestly up to you, but it does make an awesome strawberry sauce. I think it would be heavenly on some homemade goat cheese ice cream (odd, i know). Anyway, make these preserves... put them on everything. Especially this shortcake. All of the elements go together, I promise. I can guarantee it will be weird eating a salty whipped cream though. You definitely need the creamy, herbed element though. It creates such balance. We loved everything about this meal, and heck, why not make a dessert into dinner? It totally works!! Enjoy :)

Marinating the Chicken:

1Q Buttermilk

¼C Hot Sauce

1T Cajun Seasoning

4-6 Chicken Cutlets (pounded thinly)

For the Strawberry-Balsamic-Pink Peppercorn Preserves:

1Q Strawberries, Cut into Halves or Quarters

2 ½C Sugar

1 Lemon, Zested & Juiced

2T Balsamic Vinegar + ¼C Balsamic Reduction

½-1t Crushed Pink Peppercorn (start off with a little and add until your liking)

For the Fluffy Buttermilk Biscuits:

2 ¼C Cake Flour, Sifted

1T Baking Powder

1T + 1t Sugar

1t Salt

6T Unsalted Butter, Cut into Cubes & Frozen

1T Bacon Fat, Frozen

¾C Cold Buttermilk, Well-Shaken

Melted Butter, For Brushing 

For the Boursin Cheese Whipped Cream:

6T Heavy Whipping Cream, Cold

4oz Herbed Boursin Cheese, Softened

Salt & Pepper, To Taste

For the Fried Chicken Cutlets:

1C AP Flour

Salt & Pepper, To Taste

2 Eggs

1C + 2T Buttermilk

2T Hot Sauce

1C AP Flour

2T Cornstarch

1T Salt & Pepper

1t Cayenne, Paprika, Cajun Seasoning

Vegetable Oil, For Frying

For the Fried Chicken Strawberry Shortcakes:

Fluffy Buttermilk Biscuits, Baked until Golden Brown

Fried Chicken Cutlets

Boursin Cheese Whipped Cream, Chilled

Strawberry-Balsamic-Pink Peppercorn Preserves, Warmed

Chives, For Garnishing

Directions:

1. Marinating the Chicken: Place the chicken cutlets in a large plastic bag and add in the buttermilk, hot sauce, and seasoning. Marinate overnight in the refrigerator.

2. For the Strawberry-Balsamic-Pink Peppercorn Preserves: Rinse the berries and slice them into halves or quarters, depending on their size. Combine the berries, sugar, lemon juice and zest, and balsamic vinegar. Toss to coat the berries. Cover and let them macerate in the refrigerator overnight. The next day, put the berry mixture into a large saucepan and bring it to a gentle simmer. Stir occasionally until the sugar dissolves then remove from heat. Using a sieve, separate the berries from the juice. Return the liquid to the pan, along with the balsamic reduction, and bring it to a boil. Cook on high until concentrated or the mixture reaches a temperature of 221 degrees. Add the reserved strawberries and pink peppercorn back into the syrup and allow the mixture to boil for about 10-15 minutes. (Start off with a small amount of crushed pink peppercorns and keep adding until you have reached your desired strength). Process the jam immediately or refrigerate until it is thick.

3. For the Fluffy Buttermilk Biscuits: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt. Add in the frozen butter and bacon fat, and cut the fat in using a pastry cutter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs, but pea-sized pieces of butter still remain. Pour in the buttermilk and use a fork to mix it until the dough just comes together. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface, knead with floured hands, and pat into a thick square. Using a large, floured biscuit cutter, cut the biscuits from the dough and place them about 1-2inches apart on an ungreased baking sheet (I made about 5-6 very large biscuits). Brush the tops of the biscuits with some melted butter and bake for 20-30 minutes, depending on their side, or until the tops are golden brown. Just before serving, brush the tops of the biscuits with more melted butter.

4. For the Boursin Cheese Whipped Cream: In the bowl of a standing mixer, whip the heavy whipping cream until it forms stiff peaks. Slowly add in the softened Boursin cheese and beat until a whipped cream is formed. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Keep chilled until ready to serve.

5. For the Fried Chicken Cutlets: Heat the vegetable oil over medium heat in a deep sauté pan. Next, you have to set up a battering station. I use 3 pie tins. For the first station, I mix the flour with salt and pepper. For the second station, I whisk together the eggs, buttermilk, and hot sauce. For the third station, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, and seasonings. Drizzle the 2T of buttermilk into this last pie tin, and using a fork, mix until little shaggy pieces form (these will help build a nice crunch to the chicken). Now, place the marinated chicken cutlets into the flour mixture, then into the egg wash, and finally the shaggy flour mixture. Fry the breaded chicken cutlets for 3-5 minutes on each side, or until golden brown and crispy. Once cooked, remove from the oil to drain and sprinkle with a little salt and pepper. Keep warm until ready to serve.

6. Assembling the Fried Chicken Strawberry Shortcakes: Cut a warm biscuit in half and top the bottom half of the biscuit with a fried chicken cutlet, a spoonful of strawberry-balsamic-pink peppercorn preserve sauce, a dollop of Boursin cheese whipped cream, and top with the other half of the biscuit. Garnish the top with more strawberry sauce, whipped cream, and minced chives. Enjoy immediately.

Date Night : Red Velvet Fried Chicken & Buttermilk Waffles with Cream Cheese-Pink Peppercorn Gravy and Spicy Cinnamon-Maple Syrup

I feel like it's been forever since I had a date night with my Mountain Man. We've just been so busy with school, work, and St. Patrick's Day last weekend... it's just kinda slipped our minds. So, we finally brought it back and decided to make chicken & waffles, again. I know our obsession is down right dirty. But we love it, so there. And we really outdid ourselves with this crazy combination. I had heard of Red Velvet Fried Chicken from some restaurant in San Francisco that made it famous. Well, I knew that I had to make it the second I could... it's just too crazy to pass up! So, I marinated chicken tenderloins in my red velvet cake batter for 24 hours, and then I made a second batch of my red velvet batter and baked a cake. After it was done baking, I crumbled the cake into a breadcrumb-like texture, and then toasted them in the oven until they were nice & crunchy (but not burt). I deep fried these suckers until they were a deep red color and crispy on the outside. Also, I made a homemade gravy with some cream cheese, as a play off the cream cheese frosting typically served with the cake, and added some pink peppercorns for some bite. The waffles needed something sweet, so I made a spicy cinnamon-maple syrup. The chicken was served on top of delicious buttermilk waffles and topped with all the homemade fixin's. This is definitely one odd dinner, but somehow it all works. The chicken alone is sweet, but with the gravy, waffles, and syrup, it is all balanced out. So don't be afraid, just jump right in!! Enjoy :)

Red Velvet Fried Chicken & Buttermilk Waffles with Cream Cheese-Pink Peppercorn Gravy
and Spicy Cinnamon-Maple Syrup

Look at that gorgeous red hue that the chicken got from the marinade

For the Red Velvet Cake Batter:

2lbs of Chicken Tenderloins

2 ½C AP Flour

1C Sugar

1t Baking Soda & Salt

2t Cocoa Powder

1 ½C Vegetable Oil

1C Buttermilk

2 Large Eggs

1oz Red Food Coloring

1t White Distilled Vinegar & Vanilla

For the Toasted Red Velvet Cake Crumbs:

2 ½C AP Flour

¾C Sugar

1t Baking Soda & Salt

2t Cocoa Powder

1 ½C Vegetable Oil

1C Buttermilk, Room Temperature

2 Large Eggs, Room Temperature 

1oz Red Food Coloring

1t White Distilled Vinegar & Vanilla

For the Red Velvet Fried Chicken:

Red Velvet Cake Batter-Marinated Chicken Tenderloins

Toasted Red Velvet Cake Crumbs

Canola Oil, For Frying

Salt & Pepper, For Sprinkling

For the Buttermilk Waffles:

¾C AP Flour

¼C Cornstarch

½t Baking Powder & salt

¼t Baking Soda

1 ½t Sugar

1C Buttermilk

1/3C Vegetable Oil

1 Large Egg, Lightly Beaten

¾t Vanilla

For the Cream Cheese-Pink Peppercorn Gravy:

4T Butter

3T AP Flour

2-3C Milk

4oz Cream Cheese, Softened

1-2T Pink Peppercorns, Whole & Crushed (depends on how much pepper you like)

Cayenne, Ground Mustard, & Garlic Powder, To Taste

For the Spicy Cinnamon-Maple Syrup:

1C Pure Maple Syrup

1-2 Cinnamon Sticks

1T Hot Sauce

For the Red Velvet Fried Chicken & Cream Cheese Waffles:

Prepared Red Velvet Fried Chicken, Cooked

Prepared Buttermilk Waffles

Prepared Cream Cheese-Pink Peppercorn Gravy

Prepared Spicy Cinnamon-Maple Syrup

Directions:

1. For the Red Velvet Cake Batter: Place the chicken tenderloins into a large plastic bag, and set it aside. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, and cocoa powder. In a small bowl, whisk together the vegetable oil, buttermilk, eggs, red food coloring, white distilled vinegar, and vanilla. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and lightly mix until combined & a smooth batter is formed. Pour the batter over the chicken in the plastic bag, and let the chicken marinate in the batter overnight or preferably 24 hours.
2. For the Toasted Red Velvet Cake Crumbs: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and spray a 13x9 pan with Pam and set it aside. In a large bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, and cocoa powder. In another large bowl, whisk together the oil, buttermilk, eggs, food coloring, vinegar, and vanilla. Using a standing mixer, mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined and a smooth batter is formed. Pour the cake batter into the prepared pan. Place the pan in the oven and bake, rotating the pan halfway through the cooking, until the cake pulls away from the sides of the pan, and a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean, about 30-45 minutes. Remove the cake from the oven and run a knife around the edges to loosen them from the sides of the pans. Invert the cake onto a cooling rack and let cool completely. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Once the cake has cooled, crumble the cake by hand onto a baking sheet until coarse crumbs are formed. Toast the cake crumbs until lightly golden brown & slightly crisp (making sure to toss them throughout the baking process). Now that they have cooked, let the toasted cake crumbs cool completely before coating the chicken in them.
3. Heat the quart of canola oil in a deep fryer to 350-375 degrees. While the oil heats, set up a battering station with red velvet marinated chicken and toasted red velvet cake crumbs (for coating). When ready to fry, place the chicken into the crumbs to coat the chicken in them (pressing the crumbs into the chicken, so there’s an even coating). Once you’ve coated the chicken, quickly add them to the hot oil and fry the chicken until they are deep reddish brown and cooked through, about 5-6 minutes (making sure to flip halfway through). Once the wings are fried, remove them to a wire rack to drain, and then season with salt and pepper. Keep the chicken warm in the oven while you make the waffles.
4. For the Buttermilk Waffles: In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, salt and sugar.  Whisk together to blend.  In another mixing bowl, beat together the buttermilk, oil, egg and vanilla.  Add the dry ingredients to the bowl with the wet ingredients and whisk just until incorporated and few lumps remain.  Set aside to rest for 30 minutes. Preheat a waffle iron.  Fill waffle wells and cook according to the manufacturer’s instructions.  Cook until crisp and golden. Serve immediately with the fried chicken or keep warm in the oven.
5. For the Cream Cheese-Pink Peppercorn Gravy: Melt the butter in a skillet. Combine the butter with the flour, continuously whisking, cook on medium heat for a couple of minutes until a roux is formed. Add the milk slowly to the skillet and mix the roux using a whisk. Turn the heat down to low and continue stirring until he mixture is thickened, 2-3 minutes. Add in salt and the pink peppercorns (I used some crushed peppercorn and whole peppercorns) to taste (and any other seasonings you would like to add). If the gravy is too thick for your taste, you can thin it by adding more milk, a tablespoon at a time. Keep warm until ready to garnish.
6. For the Spicy Cinnamon-Maple Syrup: Heat the syrup and cinnamon sticks over low heat for 10 minutes. Remove from heat, add in the hot sauce, and let it steep for 1 hour. Remove the sticks and pour into a small pitcher.
7. To Assemble the Chicken & Waffles: Place the buttermilk waffles in the center of your plate and spread with softened butter. Top the waffle with the red velvet fried chicken. Drizzle a heavy helping of peppercorn gravy and drizzle with the outsides of the plate with the spicy cinnamon-maple syrup on top and enjoy!!