Scary Halloween Recipe: Spider Web Soup

Spook your family and friends this Halloween with this scary Halloween spider web soup recipe:

Ingredients:
2 large red peppers
6 1/2 cups red tomatoes, fresh or canned
1/3 cup heavy cream, plus 1 TBS
1/2 cup *creme fraiche
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon vegetable base
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 tablespoon light brown sugar
1 teaspoon all-purpose flour
Sea salt, to taste
White pepper, to taste

Directions:
In a medium-sized, heavy-bottom sauce pan, melt 1 teaspoon butter over medium heat. Add flour and combine well to create a roux. Reduce heat and cook the mixture until light tan in color and fragrant, about 2-3 minutes. Set aside.

Grill the red peppers or expose to an open flame, turning frequently, until blackened all over.

Place the warm, roasted peppers in a paper bag, seal and set aside for 3-4 minutes. Peel off the skin, gently wiping away any remaining black skin from the surface. Slice open the peppers and discard the seeds and any white membrane. Do not rinse the pepper.

If using fresh tomatoes, cut a small X shape into the bottom of each whole tomato. Add tomatoes to a pot of boiling water and cook uncovered for 2 minutes. Remove tomatoes from water using tongs. Peel off the skins and discard.

Using a blender, puree the peppers and tomatoes together until smooth. Use a fine mesh strainer to remove the seeds and fiber.

Whisk 1/2 cup of the tomato-pepper mixture into the roux over medium heat and combine well. Working in several batches, add the remaining mixture to the saucepan, blending until smooth.

Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Simmer covered for 5 minutes, then uncovered for 15 minutes.

Add 1/3 cup heavy cream, vegetable base tomato paste, granulated and brown sugar. Continue to simmer, uncovered for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool for 2-3 minutes then gently whisk in the remaining butter. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Cool, the soup, transfer to a ceramic bowl, cover and refrigerate overnight.

The following day, heat the soup over medium-low heat, stirring frequently. Meanwhile, combine the creme fraiche with the extra tablespoon of heavy cream. Fill a plastic squirt bottle with the thinned creme fraiche. You can also use a zip-seal type sandwich bag. Simply fill the bag, seal and cut off a tiny corner section to create a quick and easy piping bag.

Starting at the 12 o'clock position towards the rim of the bowl, dispense a thin stream of cream working inwards and clockwise to create a spiral design.

Next, take a knife and place it at the top, 12 o'clock position. Put the knife just barely in the soup and draw a thin, straight line to the center. From there, turn the knife a bit and draw a straight line out to the 1 o'clock position. Repeat all the way around the bowl, creating a spider web pattern.

I have found that a small drop of green food color added to the creme fraiche produces a fun, eery and kid-friendly spider web that's the perfect compliment to this spooky Halloween soup recipe.

*Link provided below for Homemade Creme Fraiche recipe.