Jackie

Hop Shortbread Beer Cookies

Hop Shortbread Beer Cookies

I’m still trapped. Under several feet of snow in a city that can’t deal, surrounded by iced-over, hilly roads that my little car isn’t able to navigate. Still. The Californian in me is screaming and vitamin D deficient. So, obviously, it was time to bake.

I had to use what was on hand —and of course, I DO have dried hop flowers on hand—and decided to make you valentines cookies. Because for beer people, hops are far superior to hearts. I even had the hop cookie cutter on hand from when I made this.

You can get yourself one, too. You just have to look for a “pinecone” cookie cutter because normal people don’t just go around making cookies in the shape of beer ingredients, but I promise you, it’s a hop.

Even though I can’t leave the house and I’m about to start chewing on the curtains, at least I’m well stocked with the necessities, like dried hop cones and cookie cutters. I also have a lot of beer, so if you need any I’m here for you.

Dried hop cones can be bought at any local homebrew supply store, or online. Do not use pellets. You only need one dried hop flower, so if you have a homebrewer friend that can give you one, that’s your best bet. Or, if you’re adventurous, you can make Hopsta (hops pasta) with the rest of the dried hops.

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Ingredients

For the cookies

  • ½ teaspoon (3g) salt
  • 8 tablespoons (114g) unsalted butter softened
  • 1 teaspoon (3g) vanilla extract
  • ½ cup (62g) powdered sugar
  • 1 ½ cups (180g) all-purpose flour
  • 2 tablespoons (30g) beer

For the icing

  • 1 cup (125g) powdered sugar
  • 2 tablespoons (30g) beer
  • ½ teaspoon dried hop flowers, crushed (citra, mosaic, galaxy)

Instructions

  • 1. Add the salt, butter, and vanilla to a stand mixer, beat until well combined.
    2. Add the powdered sugar, beat until light and fluffy.
    3. Stir in the flour until just combined, then add the beer, stirring just to combine.
    4. Form into a log on a sheet of plastic wrap then wrap tightly. Refrigerate for one hour and up to 3 days.
    5. Roll out on a lightly floured surface until about ½ inch thick, cut into desired shape with cookie cutters.
    6. Evenly space on a baking sheet covered with parchment. Add to the freezer, freeze for 15 minutes (this will help prevent the cookies from spreading during baking).
    7. Preheat the oven to 325° F.
    8. Bake until the edges start to turn lightly golden brown. Remove from oven, pull the parchment on to the counter to cool.
    9. In a small bowl stir together the frosting ingredients.
    10. Spread the icing onto the cookies in a thin layer. 

Notes

Dried hop cones can be bought at any local homebrew supply store, or online. Do not use pellets. It's best to use aroma (or dual purpose) hops like citra, mosaic, or galaxy rather than a strictly bittering hop. 

 

Chocolate Stout Pretzel Peanut Butter Bars

Chocolate Stout Pretzel Peanut Butter Bars

This is what happens when I’m trapped. The snow is piling up around Seattle in a way that we are fundamentally unprepared for, physically and emotionally. Inches have turned to feet and there is no end in sight.

I’m a California girl, in my blood and in my bones, and even after a handful of years living here I’m still not used to what winter actually means in a normal city. My only defense is to seal myself into my house and just bake with what I have. Which is why I should call these “shelter in place bars” because that’s pretty much how I feel right now.

These peanut butter bars use what I had on hand, no need to brave the icy roads and the throngs of panicked doomsday grocery hoarders at the store in order to satisfy my baking urge. It’s also a small miracle that my friendly neighbor UPS guy dropped off some beer mail from one of my favorite breweries just yesterday. Said fortuitous package happened to contain an absolutely outstanding Nitro Stout with notes of coffee, chocolate, and toffee from Lefthand Brewing, perfect for my dessert endeavors.  Snowpocalypse or not, that had to be opened, and it did not disappoint.

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Chocolate Stout Pretzel Peanut Butter Bars

Prep Time10 mins
Cook Time35 mins
Total Time45 mins
Servings: 9 bars

Ingredients

  • ½ cup (128g) creamy peanut butter
  • ½ cup (114g) unsalted butter, melted
  • 1 ½ cups (400g) golden brown sugar, packed
  • ½ cup (100g) white sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • ¼ cup (2oz) stout beer
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ½ teaspoon (3g) salt
  • 2 cups (240g) all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup (195g) dark chocolate chips, divided
  • ½ cup mini pretzel twists, slightly crushed

Instructions

  • 1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
    2. Add the peanut butter and melted butter to a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat on medium speed.
    3. Add the brown and white sugar, mix until well combined. Add the eggs, beer, and vanilla one at a time, beating well between additions.
    4. Stir in the salt, flour and half of the chocolate chips.
    5. Spray an 8x8 baking dish with cooking spray (or line with parchment paper) pour the batter into the pan in an even layer.
    6. Top with remaining chocolate chips and pretzels.
    7. Bake until the edges have turned golden brown, about 35-40 minutes.
    8. Allow to cool before cutting. 

Stout Braised Short Ribs over Creamy Pale Ale Polenta

Stout Braised Short Ribs over Creamy Pale Ale Polenta

I accidentally found my new favorite get-away town on Monday. A four-hour drive to interview a brewery owner for an article I’m writing turned into an overnight stay in a Northern Oregon. A little town that I’m convinced haphazardly, and purely by accident, wound its way into being excessively charming. As if one day the residents of this little river town, this former not-more-than-a-train-stop location woke up, looked at the row of shops and cafes adjacent to the water, the glorious views of the surrounding mountains, the outstanding breweries, and said, “well, look at that! We’re adorable.”

I’d HEARD of Hood River, Oregon. I’d even stopped in once on a road trip because I NEEDED to visit Pfriem. But I’d never been there long enough to look around, long enough to really see it.

Then, I was there. A Monday night, alone except for this beast, and my gypsy soul decided to stay the night. Chatting with locals for a while, drinking the beer, and realizing why I moved to Seattle in the first place. You just stumble into these little towns that make you feel like you’re a lifetime away from the place you started.

Then I realized that it’s been almost 5 years since I moved here, packed my little car and my bulldog and headed north. I realized how lucky I am to live here, to have the people in my life that currently occupy space in my surroundings, and how even when your life feels like it’s accidentally happening to you, even when things feel haphazard, you can one day wake up and realize how great they really are.

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5 from 1 vote

Stout Braised Short Ribs over Creamy Pale Ale Polenta

Servings: 4 servings

Ingredients

For the Short Ribs

  • Kosher salt
  • 3 lbs beef short ribs
  • ¼ cup cornstarch
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 large carrots diced
  • 2 ribs celery diced
  • 1 cup diced white onion
  • 12 ounces stout beer
  • 1 cup beef broth
  • 1 sprig thyme
  • 1 sprig rosemary

For the polenta

  • 4 tablespoons butter
  • 1 cup pale ale
  • 2 cups whole milk
  • 3/4 cup dry polenta
  • 3/4 cup fresh grated parmesan reggiano
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper

Instructions

Make the ribs:

  • 1. Preheat the oven to 325° F.
    2. Generously sprinkle salt on all sides of the ribs.
    3. Add the cornstarch to a wide bowl, toss the ribs in the cornstarch until well coated.
    4. Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Sear the ribs on all sides, remove from the pan, set aside.
    5. Add the carrots, celery and onions, cook until browned and starting to caramelized, about 15 minutes.
    6. Pour in the beer, scraping to deglaze the pan. Stir in the broth.
    7. Add the ribs into the pot, add the thyme and rosemary, add the lid onto the pot.
    8. Place the pot in the oven, cooking until the ribs are very tender and easily pull away from the bone, 3 to 4 hours. 
    9. Remove the ribs. Strain the sauce into a pot, removing the solids and any large pieces of fat, discard the fat.
    10. Separate the fat from the sauce, either spoon it off (it’s lighter color and will sit on top), or if making in advance, add to the fridge and allow to cool, peel the fat layer off the top and discard.
    11. Add the broth and ribs to a serving platter (add the carrots and celery to the serving platter, if desired). 

Make the polenta:

  • 1. In a pot over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the beer and milk, bring to a simmer.
    2. Whisk in the polenta. Simmer until polenta is tender and thickened, whisking occasionally, about 25 minutes.
    3. Stir in the parmesan, salt and pepper

Skillet Chorizo Beer Cheese Dip in a Pizza Crust Ring

Skillet Chorizo Beer Cheese Dip in a Pizza Crust Ring

I’ve made a decision. I’m hosting a Super Bowl party, and as I do, I’ll probably make too much food. I do this as if we will all surely starve if we don’t have at least 17 tons of food per person to sustain us as we hang out for a few hours. If you grew up in a very large family, you understand this struggle.

I wanted to tell you what I’m making, because I want to know what you’re making, too.  I’ll be making a few new dishes but I’ll also break out some of my favorites:

Two kinds of wings because wings need to be kicked up with some heat but some people are crazy and don’t like spicy things. I’ve decided on these Sriracha IPA wings, and Honey Porter Sticky wings, with accompanying sauces.

Dips, of course. This Skillet Chorizo Beer Cheese Dip in a Pizza Crust Ring must be there, but I’m also making Stout Caramelized onion dip.

Then I thought that maybe I should have sliders, too. Because tiny sandwiches are fun and easy to eat when one hand is already occupied by a beer. So I’m making these Carnitas Sliders, and I’m going to sliderify a Caprese salad.

But, of course, we need desserts. So I’m going to turn this cake into cupcakes and color the frosting to match the colors of the teams playing, because I like to be extra. And I’m making mini chocolate footballs, don’t hate me.

Yes, I know, this may take me the next two weeks to complete all these tasks but I don’t care. It’ll just give me more reasons not to leave my house.

Beer Pizza Dough recipe, 1 hour Beer Pizza Dough recipe

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Skillet Chorizo Beer Cheese Dip in a Pizza Crust Ring

Prep Time10 mins
Cook Time20 mins
Total Time30 mins
Keyword: Beer Cheese Dip

Ingredients

  • 4.5 ounce Mexican pork Chorizo (½ of a 9 ounce package)
  • 1 lbs pizza dough (store bought or homemade, link to my recipe above)
  • Olive oil for brushing
  • coarse salt
  • 1 cup (112g) shredded mozzarella cheese
  • 4 oz cream cheese (½ of an 8oz package)
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • 1/2 cup (4oz) evaporated milk
  • 1/4 cup (2oz) beer (IPA, pale ale, wheat beer)
  • Chopped green onion or cilantro (optional)

Instructions

  • 1. Preheat the oven to 425°F.
    2. In a skillet over medium-high heat, cook the chorizo until cooked through, remove from the pan, set aside.
    3. Cut the pizza into 16 equal sized pieces, form each into tight balls.
    4. Place in a ring in the outermost part of the inside of a 10-inch cast iron skillet.
    5. Brush with oil, sprinkle with coarse salt. Bake for 10 minutes, remove from oven (bread will not be finished cooking)
    6. Add the mozzarella, cream cheese, cornstarch, evaporated milk and beer to a blender, blend on high until well combined. Stir in the chorizo.
    7. Pour the dip into the center of the skillet bread ring.
    8. Put back into the oven, bake until the cheese is warm and the pizza dough is golden brown 8-10 more minutes.
    9. Remove from oven, allow to cool enough to eat, sprinkle with green onions or cilantro. 

Beer Braised Meatball Banh Mi Sandwiches

I’m not sure why I do these things. It’s that part of me that leans toward obsessing, and it’s a small but powerful part. Mini but mighty.

Food, in one form or another, often finds it’s way into that space. Duck confit, pickling weird foods, doughnuts, bolognese, you really never know when something will settle into my major obsession zone.

When I do have things fall into the crack in my personality that sucks up obsessions, it doesn’t let them go (see also: beer, early rock photography, serial killers, bulldogs. It’s Ok to dislike me based solely on that list).

Right now, it’s Banh Mi, or if I use it as a command: BANH ME! It should be a socially acceptable command that you’re allowed to yell at people until they give you a Vietnamese-French fusion sandwich. But it’s not, so don’t try it.

After making a vegan Mushroom Bahn Mi sandwich for my book that’s in the processing of being published, I want to Bahn Mi all the things. ALL THE THINGS. I’m going to try to keep this obsession in check, but it has leaked through today, onto you so I hope you’re OK with that.

 

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5 from 1 vote

Beer Braised Meatball Banh Mi Sandwiches

Banh Mi and Meatballs in one sandwich with a sweet and spicy beer glaze!
Servings: 4 Sandwiches

Ingredients

For the pickled shallots:

  • 1/4 cup very hot water
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1 tablespoon salt
  • 1/4 cup beer (lager, pilsner, pale ale)
  • 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
  • 1 large shallot bulb thinly sliced

For the meatballs

  • 1/2 cup Thai sweet chili sauce
  • 3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoons fish sauce
  • 1.5 lbs frozen mini meatballs (pork or beef)
  • 1/2 cup beer (lager, pilsner, pale ale)

For the sandwiches

  • 1/4 cup sour cream
  • 2 tablespoons sriracha
  • 1 large carrot grated with a box grater
  • 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
  • 1 large jalapeno
  • 4 crusty sandwich rolls

Instructions

  • 1. Add the hot water, sugar and salt to a small bowl, stir until dissolved.
    2. Stir in the beer and vinegar, add the shallots. Cover and refrigerate for one hour and up to 3 days.
    3. In a small bowl stir together the chili sauce, brown sugar, and fish sauce, set aside.
    4. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the meatballs, pulling the pan back and forth until starting to sear.
    5. Lower heat the medium, pour in the beer. Allow to simmer until most of the beer is gone, stirring occasionally.
    6. Pour the sweet chili mixture over the meatballs, raising the heat slightly, adjusting to maintain a low boil.
    7. Cook until the sauce has thickened and the meatballs are well coated.
    8. In a small bowl stir together the sour cream and sriracha (can be done up to 3 days in advance).
    9. Spread the sriracha sour cream inside the rolls, fill with meatballs, carrots, cilantro, pickled shallots and jalapenos. 

General Tso Sticky Beer Chicken Wings

We need to talk. Sit down, and get your list ready. You know the one, the list of things you need to do. I have something you need to add to your list, it’s very important.

You need to go out and drink yourself a Brut IPA, because it’s your new favorite beer that you haven’t had yet. What is a Brut IPA, you ask? Great questions.

I’ll save you the beer nerd talk (but if you want that, Beer & Brewing does a great job of explaining it) and just tell you that it’s a bone dry IPA with almost no malt character at all, and it finishes with a sparkling, effervescent champagne-like finish. It has almost none of the sweetness usually found in the malt flavors of a beer, and the hops are present but not overpowering. It’s all sparkle and hops, no sweetness or heavy flavors.

I KNOW! I haven’t had one that I didn’t like, and now they are my go-to beer order when I see them.

For a hot minute they were almost impossible to find. Then Sierra Nevada does what they do and saved us all a lot of work by putting out an excellent example of the style that’s fairly easy to find. What would we do without them, really?

So I did what I do and made a Beer Chicken Wings recipe with a sauce that usually calls for a wine-like-vinegar and swapped it for a wine-like-beer and all was well in the world. Which now gives you two reasons to seek this beer out.

I’m not saying that if your local bottle shop DOESN’T have it that you should throw a medium sized tantrum, but if you did I would understand. 100%.

Wings recipe adapted from America’s Test Kitchen’s Cooks Illustrated 

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General Tso Sticky Beer Chicken Wings

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

    For the wings:
  • 3 lbs chicken party wings
  • 1 tablespoon salt
  • 12 oz beer (wheat, brown ale, pale ale, or pilsner)
  • 2 tablespoons baking powder
    • For the sauce:
  • ½ teaspoons fresh grated ginger (grated with a microplane)
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon garlic powder
  • 1 tablespoon sesame oil
  • 1/3 cup Brut IPA (Pilsner will also work)
  • ¼ cup soy sauce
  • ¼ cup mirin (Japanese cooking wine)
  • 1 tablespoon fresh ground chili paste (sambal oelek, sold next to the Sriracha at the store)
  • 2 teaspoons brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
    • Garnishes (optional):
  • Sesame seeds
  • Chopped cilantro

Instructions

  1. Add the wings to a shallow bowl or baking dish, sprinkle with salt. Pour beer over the wings, cover and refrigerate for one hour and up to over night.
  2. Preheat oven to 250°F.
  3. Remove chicken from the beer, rinse and pat dry, making sure wings are as dry as possible.
  4. Add the wings to a large bowl. Sprinkle with baking powder, toss to coat.
  5. Place a wire rack over a baking sheet, brush with oil or spray with cooking spray.
  6. Place the wings on the wire rack.
  7. Bake in the lower section of the oven for 30 minutes. Move to the upper 1/3 of the oven, increase oven temperature to 425. Bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown (rotate the pan about halfway through cooking).
  8. While the wings bake, make the glaze.
  9. In a saucepan off heat whisk together the sauce ingredients until well combined. Add to high heat, stirring continually until thickened, about 3 minutes, remove from heat.
  10. Pour the sauce over the wings until well coated, add to a plate.
  11. Sprinkle with seeds and cilantro.
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Secret Ingredient Smooth and Creamy Beer Nacho Cheese Sauce

Secret Ingredient Smooth and Creamy Beer Nacho Cheese Sauce

I did it. It only took two years and countless recipe trials to FINALLY bring you what I call, “7-11 pump cheese nacho cheese” but the homemade version. I know, I know, OFFICIALLY, that’s gross. But secretly, it’s amazing. It’s creamy, and it never seperates or gets grainy. HOW DO THEY DO IT?!

I don’t know, probably a chemical shitstorm that I don’t want to know about. But I do know how YOU can do that. You can be the cooker of the creamiest cheese sauce in all the land, and it’s made in your blender in 3 minutes. I know, you love me. I love you back.

It’s not one, but TWO secret ingredients that are super easy to find. Evaporated milk is the big one, it’s just milk that has been reduced. The same amount of milk proteins but will less water to interfere with stabilization (not to be confused with sweetened condensed milk, we aren’t making nacho fudge, that’s an entirely different website).

Second is cornstarch, it helps bind everything together and prevent it from separating. Just add in some cheese (obviously), beer and spices to those two secret ingredients and blend to your heart’s content. Then just heat and serve. You can even make it ahead of time. If you’ve ever tried that before, you’ll know that with a regular cheese sauce that’s laughable. But this stuff is the cheese sauce dreams.

Unless you don’t dream about cheese sauce, in that case, I’m not sure we can be friends.

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Secret Ingredient Smooth and Creamy Beer Nacho Cheese Sauce

Prep Time: 3 minutes

Cook Time: 5 minutes

Yield: 3 cups

Ingredients

  • 2 ½ cups (300g) shredded cheddar cheese
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 (12 ounce) can evaporated milk
  • ½ cup (4oz) beer (IPA, pale ale, wheat beer)*

Instructions

  1. Add all ingredients to a blender, blend until smooth.
  2. Add to a saucepan over medium heat, heat to desired temperature.
  3. Store in an airtight container in the fridge until ready to use, heat to serve. Can be made up to 3 days in advance.

Notes

*Hoppier beers (IPA’s, American Pale Ales, etc.) will have a stronger beer flavor. For a lower beer flavor, opt for a wheat beer or a pale lager.

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Stout Osso Buco Sliders with Gremolata Sour Cream

Stout Osso Buco Sliders with Gremolata Sour Cream

We’ve made it. Made the turn into the New Year and survived to tell the tale. January is about breathing, stepping back, reflecting and fireplaces. Stouts are also a January thing, even when you’ve resolved to be healthy so you can run faster and jump higher.

One won’t hurt. Maybe just buy one for the fridge to look at and remind yourself of the reward you have coming once your goal has been met. Don’t forget about Football, it’s another January thing. An even-if-you-don’t-like-sports thing, because it’s a how we get out of the house and see other humans in the depths of winter thing.

Maybe, if you’re not ready to jump into football appetizer like food yet, just pin it for later. A mental prep for February (just as dark as January but graciously shorter) when we will break our diets to eat all the things and watch the Big Game with other people who will mostly be rooting against one team or another. This is important, we need things to look forward to right now as we’ve rounded the corner out of all the look-forward-to things portion of the year and we’re not sure what to do with ourselves.

Just make some Osso Buco Sliders, they’re tiny. How much damage can one really do?

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Stout Osso Buco Sliders with Gremolata Sour Cream

Yield: 12 sliders

Ingredients

  • 4 slices thick cut bacon
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • ¼ cup flour
  • 3 lbs beef shanks (4 to 5)
  • 2 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 ½ cups carrots, peeled and sliced (about 2 large)
  • 2 ribs celery, chopped
  • 1 cup white onions, chopped
  • 1 cup porter or stout beer
  • 3 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 3 cups broth
  • ¼ cup fresh flat leaf parsley, chopped
  • ½ teaspoon lemon zest
  • ½ teaspoon orange zest
  • 2 large cloves garlic, grated with a zester or microplane
  • 1 ½ cups sour cream
  • 12 slider buns

Instructions

  1. In a large pot or Dutch oven, cook the bacon over medium heat until most of the fat has rendered and the bacon starts to crisp. Remove bacon with a slotted spoon, set aside. Leave about 2 tablespoons of bacon fat in the pan, discard the rest.
  2. Salt and pepper the beef shanks liberally.
  3. Add flour to a bowl. One at a time dredge shanks in the flour until well coated.
  4. Return the Dutch oven to heat, allow the bacon fat to get hot but not smoking.
  5. Sear the shanks in bacon fat until browned on both sides. Remove shanks from pot.
  6. Add olive oil to pot along with carrots, celery and onion. Cook until softened, about 8 minutes.
  7. Add the beer, scraping to deglaze the bottom. Stir in the tomato paste.
  8. Return shanks and bacon to the pot. Pour in broth until shanks are ¾ of the way covered.
  9. Allow liquid to simmer but not boil for 3 ½ hours or until meat is tender and falling off the bone. While shanks are cooking, turn over every 30 to 45 minutes. Add additional broth to maintain a liquid level that is about ¾ of the way up the side of the shanks.
  10. Once tender, remove the meat and bones. Discard the bones and any large pieces of fat. Pull the meat into small pieces using two forks, return to the pot, stir to combine with the sauce.
  11. Spoon the meat mixture into slider buns.
  12. Combine the parsley, lemon zest, orange zest, garlic and sour cream in a small bowl.
  13. Top the meat with a spoonful of sour cream mixture before putting the top of the bun on the slider. Serve immediately.
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Chewy Gingerbread People with Chocolate Stout Pants

Gingerbread People with Chocolate Stout Pants

Leave it to me to booze up a holiday classic. I do that sort of thing this time of year. I also have very specific ideas about gingerbread and cookie making in general I want to tell you about. I can be opinionated about small things far more than big things, but cookies need rules.

First, soft and chewy will always be preferable to crispy and hard. You can keep your mouth scraping sugar cardboard, I’ll take mine soft and chewy because I don’t hate myself.

Also, while I find intricately decorated royal icing covered masterpieces impressive and beautiful, I don’t want any part in making them. My rule is: it must take more time to eat them than it takes to decorate them, or you’re spending too much time on the wrong part of enjoying the cookie. Keep it simple.

Also, when it comes to gingerbread, the ginger shouldn’t be the loudest of the flavors. I firmly believe that the cinnamon, molasses, and ginger should all have equal voices. Which is why I should change the name to Gingolassamon cookies but that’s just too much to explain. And you can disagree with me and make your own cookie rules, you do you.

Also, cookies shouldn’t have a gender because that makes me think of putting genitals into the mouths of people whom I’ve baked cookies for and that makes me uncomfortable. I don’t want to be responsible for making that sort of choice for another person. Therefore, my gingolassamon cookies aren’t men, they’re genderless people. With pants.

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Chewy Gingerbread People with Chocolate Stout Pants

Yield: 12 large, or 24 small

Ingredients

    For the cookies:
  • 3 ¼ cups (390g) all-purpose flour
  • 1 ¼ cup (250g) dark brown sugar, packed
  • 2 teaspoons ground ginger
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon ground cloves
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ¾ cup (172g) unsalted butter, softened
  • ¾ cup (180g) molasses (not blackstrap)
  • 2 tablespoons stout beer
    • For the Chocolate Pants:
  • 10oz bittersweet chocolate
  • ¼ cup stout beer

Instructions

  1. Add the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, salt, and baking soda to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Stir to combine.
  2. Add the softened butter, molasses and beer, stir on low speed until combined.
  3. Transfer to a long sheet of plastic wrap, form into a flat disk, wrap tightly.
  4. Refrigerate for 2 hours and up to 2 days.
  5. Roll dough out on a lightly floured surface until just under ½ inch in thickness.
  6. Cut out gingerbread people, add to 2 baking sheets that have been covered with parchment paper.
  7. Freeze for 20 minutes (this will help prevent spreading).
  8. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
  9. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven, pull the parchment paper off the sheets and onto a flat surface. Allow to cool.
  10. In the top of a double boiler set over lightly simmering water, add the chocolate and beer. Stir constantly until most of the chocolate has been melted. Remove from heat and continue to stir until all the chocolate has melted.
  11. Using a spatula or butter knife, spread chocolate onto the cookies. Decorate as desired.
  12. Allow to cool until chocolate has set before serving.

Notes

Blackstrap molasses is what happens when you boil cane juice three times, removing nearly all the sugar resulting in a black, bitter sludge. Dark, light or unsulphured are all fairly interchangeable and pleasantly sweet. Make sure never to use Blackstrap when a recipe calls for molasses unless it’s specifically called for.

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Pressure Cooker Stout Pho (AKA-The best and easiest way to feed a group)

Pressure Cooker Stout Pho (AKA-The best and easiest way to feed a group)

I have a confession. You won’t be surprised, it’s very typical of who I am. The last THREE times I’ve had people over for dinner, this is what I made. All three times. And then I acted like it was creative and inspired when I really just wanted to eat this again.

Luckily, these three groups of people don’t know each other and won’t be able to compare notes and realize that I’m not as creative as I pretend to be. I also have a large pot of this in my freezer, just in case I need to feed more people at the last minute. Or in case I just want to feed my own face at the last minute.

The thing about this Pressure Cooker Stout Pho, is that it’s the easiest way to get that broth, and we all know that Pho is all about the broth, once you have that handled, the rest is quick. You can even make it in a huge batch, then freeze it for when you know you’ll have to pull this off in less than 30 minutes, it’s completely doable. And you’ll look like a rock star, even if you do it three times in a row.

Just serve it with good beer and no one will say a word.

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Pressure Cooker Stout Pho (AKA-The best and easiest way to feed a group)

Serving Size: serves 6

Ingredients

    For the broth:
  • 2 pounds marrow or knuckle beef bones
  • 2 tablespoon olive oil, divided
  • 1 pound oxtails
  • 1 cup stout beer
  • 1 knob of unpeeled ginger, about 4 inches long
  • 1 large yellow onion, peeled and quartered
  • 2 tablespoons fish sauce
  • 1 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 1 whole star anise
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 2 tablespoons coriander seeds
  • 8 cups water
  • 2 teaspoons salt
    • For serving:
  • 1 pound flank steak
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 lbs rice noodles 1 lime, cut into wedges
  • 4 Thai peppers, thinly sliced
  • 1 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped
  • 1 bunch fresh Thai basil, chopped
  • 1 bunch fresh mint, chopped
  • 2 cups bean sprouts
  • Sriracha sauce
  • Sesame chili oil

Instructions

  1. Add the beef bones to a stock pot, cover with salted water. Bring to a boil for ten minutes, discard the water, rinse the bones, set aside (this is the only way to get rid of the scum that happens when making beef broth).
  2. Turn the Instant pot or Multi-Cooker to sauté (this can also be done in a pan on the stove top), add 1 tablespoon olive oil. Once hot, add the oxtails, cooking until browned on all sides.
  3. While the oxtails cook, char the ginger. Slice the ginger lengthwise into 4 strips, add to a baking sheet along with the quartered onions.
  4. Using a kitchen torch, char ginger and onions on all sides until blackened. You can also add the baking sheet to an oven with a pre-heated broiler, broiling until blackened, turning the ginger and onion pieces to make sure they char on all sides.
  5. Once the oxtails have cooked, add the beer, stirring to deglaze the bottom of the pot.
  6. Add the charred onions and ginger, beef bones, the fish sauce, soy sauce, anise, coriander, cinnamon, water and 2 teaspoons salt.
  7. Add the lid tightly to the pressure cooker. Set the pressure cooker to cook for 60 minutes. Once the cooking has finished, vent to release pressure then remove the lid. Drain, removing the solids and saving the broth (broth freezes well, it can be made in advance and frozen for up to a month).
  8. While the broth cooks, make the steak and noodles.
  9. Dry the steak well on all sides with paper towels. Sprinkle liberally with salt. Allow to sit at room temperature for 30-60 minutes.
  10. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
  11. Add the remaining olive oil to a cast iron skillet or other oven-safe pan over high heat until just before smoking. Add the steak, cooking for 2 minutes on each side. Add pan to the oven, cooking in the oven for 6 minutes. Remove the steak, add to a cutting board, allow to rest for 5 minutes. Slice very thinly, add to a serving plate.
  12. Cook the rice noodles in boiling salted water until al dente, drain and add to a large bowl. Toss with oil to prevent sticking (store noodles separate from the broth to prevent over cooking).
  13. Serve broth along side the steak, herbs, sprouts, limes, peppers and sauces, allowing all guests to build their own bowls.
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Invisible Apple Cake with Beer Caramel Sauce

Invisible Apple Cake with Beer Caramel Sauce

This is why you don’t try to do things halfway. And by “you” I mean me, I’m talking to myself again. It happens, look away if you must.

On my way to dinner at a lovely couple’s house, I decided to kill two birds (not literally, I swear) and bake a dessert for these two wonderful men, one that I could also photograph and give to you (work bird, dinner party bird: both dead). It was a great plan until I decided that I didn’t REALLY need to cut into it to photograph it. You were just going to have to trust me about all those gorgeous apple layers.

The thing is, these are two guys that aren’t just amazing humans they are also fantastic cooks and cocktail makers, people who have outstanding and beautiful taste. I didn’t want to do what I normally do, which is cut up the thing, take pictures of the thing, put-back-together the thing, and then apologize for the thing once I arrived. So I was just going to take photos of the OUTSIDE of the cake, and bring it intact.

Which worked long enough to get myself out the door and over to dinner to enjoy beautiful cocktails and Thai food as well as an intact dessert. Until I got home and realized that I can’t do that to you.

It also needs to be mentioned that this is 100% about my own neurosis, the lovely friends in question would have found a previously detached, photographed, and reattached dessert adorable and charming and encouraged me to do this, had I asked.

So I made it again, just so that I could cut it open and show you these layers. Then I ate it. Maybe that was my subconscious plan all along, I do things like that.

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Invisible Apple Cake with Beer Caramel Sauce

Yield: 6-8 servings

Ingredients

    For the cake
  • 2 lbs (3-4 x-large) Honeycrisp apples
  • 2 eggs
  • ½ cup (100g) sugar
  • 1/3 cup (72g) beer (pilsner, lager, pale ale)
  • 3 tablespoons (42g) butter, melted
  • ¾ cup (90g) all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon salt
    • For the sauce
  • ½ cup (100g) brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon (14g) butter
  • 3 tablespoons beer
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • ½ cup (130g) heavy cream

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
  2. Peel and core the apples. Slice very thinly, set aside.
  3. In a large bowl stir together the eggs, sugar, beer, butter, flour and salt.
  4. Add the apples, toss to coat.
  5. Line a large (10 x 5) loaf pan, or an 8x8 square pan with parchment, spray with cooking spray.
  6. Add the apple mixture to a the prepared pan.
  7. Bake for 60 minutes or until the cake as set. Allow to cool, remove from pan. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
  8. Add the brown sugar, butter and beer to a saucepan over high heat. Boil for two minutes, remove from heat. Stir in the vanilla and heavy cream, return to heat and bring to a boil again. Boil for one minute, remove from heat, allow to cool.
  9. Pour the caramel over the cake, slice to serve.
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Provençal Beer Chicken

Provençal Beer Chicken, five minutes prep and perfect for weeknights or dinner parties!

Provençal Beer Chicken, five minutes prep and perfect for weeknights or dinner parties!

This is what happens when I get excited without thinking. I’m just finishing up the back-and-forth-editing phase with my publisher for my next book. The vegetarian book I finished writing this summer (you guys, I love it. I can’t wait to show it to you), so as a celebration I made chicken.

Provençal Beer Chicken, five minutes prep and perfect for weeknights or dinner parties!

Yes, let that sink in. I made CHICKEN to celebrate my “cooking with beer and in-season produce” vegetarian cookbook. I don’t make sense, you guys know that. Like how I decided to make homemade candy the day after Halloween, or when this happened.

But, the thing is, good food is good food. Sometimes that food has meat in it, sometimes it doesn’t. Roast chicken is one of my favorite ways to feed people, no matter the season. And this beer chicken was perfect: 5 minutes prep, and tastes fancy. I hope you like it. Unless you’re vegetarian, in that case, I apologize. But I do have an entire book headed your way, so I hope you forgive me.

Provençal Beer Chicken, five minutes prep and perfect for weeknights or dinner parties!

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Provençal Beer Chicken

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 6 cloves garlic, peeled
  • 2 large shallots, peeled and thinly sliced
  • 1/3 cup beer (pale ale or pale lager, I used Odell Colorado Lager)
  • 2 cups grape tomatoes
  • ¼ cup kalamata olives, pitted
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
  • 2 sprigs of thyme
  • 1 sprig rosemary
  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • ½ cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 tablespoons herbs de Provence
  • 4 chicken leg quarters, bone-in, skin-on
  • Rice or pasta for serving.

Instructions

  1. Heat the oven to 400°F.
  2. In a baking dish add the olive oil, garlic, shallots, beer, tomatoes, olives and 1 teaspoon salt, stir to combine. Add the sprigs of thyme and rosemary.
  3. Combine the pepper, flour, herbs de Provence in a shallow bowl.
  4. Sprinkle the chicken on all sides with remaining salt. Dredge the chicken in the flour until well coated on all sides.
  5. Add the chicken on top of the tomatoes in a tight, even layer.
  6. Bake, uncovered, until the chicken is cooked through and skin is golden brown, about 45 minutes, basting with pan juices two or three times during cooking.
  7. Serve over rice or pasta.
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Easy Chocolate Beer Pretzel Truffles

Easy Chocolate Beer Pretzel Truffles, 4 ingredients, and just a few steps!

I have a problem, the sort that will probably be solved with beer-infused chocolate, as most minor problems usually are. My problem (one of many, I’m sure you already know) is that I almost always assume that people—upon first meeting me—don’t like me. For one reason or another, this is what I default to: “I don’t think she likes me. Sure, she’s being nice, but that’s just because she’s a nice person.” This does not, however, stop me from being chattier than said new person would probably like.

I know, it’s ridiculously insecure and eye-rolly. I know this. But it’s my default mode, thinking I have to earn it, like most things I have in my life. Then I do things like make chocolate truffles and bacon cupcakes and give them away hoping to earn peoples likes. Also: don’t do that. I don’t recommend it. But I’m far better at giving advice than I am at taking it. I’m an excellent advice giver, just ask. I’ll kick some wisdom at you.

I don’t take the advice, I just give it away. Unless that advice is about what beer to cook with or how to infuse chocolate with booze, those nuggets of wisdom I keep close. Also, if you want advice about what beer to pair with your dinner, or what city to visit on a whim, I’m your girl. How to navigate the intricacies of unknown humans? Maybe ask someone else. I’ll just be over here with these truffles trying to make friends with the new UPS guys.

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Easy Chocolate Beer Pretzel Truffles

Yield: 24 truffles

Ingredients

  • 8 weight oz dark chocolate (60%)
  • ¼ cup heavy cream
  • ¼ cup stout beer
  • 1 cup crushed pretzels

Instructions

  1. Add the chocolate, heavy cream and beer to the top of a double boiler set over gently simmering water.
  2. Stir until just before all of the chocolate has melted. Remove from heat, continue to stir until the chocolate has melted.
  3. Allow the chocolate to cool until set (add to the refrigerator to speed up setting).
  4. Add the pretzels to a shallow bowl.
  5. Once the chocolate has set use a melon baller to pull out a ball about the size of a large marble. Roll in your hands until even and round.
  6. Add the chocolate ball to the pretzels, roll until well coated. Add to a sheet of wax paper. Repeat for the remaining chocolate.
  7. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
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Beer Mac N Cheese Stuffed Jalapenos

Beer Mac N Cheese Stuffed Jalapenos, the perfect game day snack!

I was born in California, cut my beer drinking teeth on Sierra Nevada, spent most of my life living up and down the Golden State. It’s a part of who I am and will always be my first home. You already know about the fires that have devastated one of the most gorgeous parts of our country. I watched, horrified, from my Pacific Northwest perch as my old neighborhoods were destroyed, my friends evacuated, places I used to roam burned beyond recognition.

Living in LA outsiders always asked if earthquakes scared me. No, never. Not once. It was the fires that ravaged us every year that put fear into my bones, not the occasional earthquake that hardly rattled the hanging lamps. This past year was the worse we’ve ever seen. I don’t need to go into statistics and details, you already know. When you just want to retreat into a beer and forget how bad it is, the good news is that there is a beer that can actually help.

Sierra Nevada has collaborated with over 1200 breweries nationwide to brew Resilience IPA, donating 100% of the sales (all of it, not just some of it) to the Campfire Relief Fund. Not only have they started out by donating 100K to the fund, brewed a beer to increase that amount on an hourly basis, partnered with over 1200 breweries, but they have also made it as easy as drinking a beer to help out. There will never be an easier way to do something to help a national tragedy.

Want to drink a beer for a charity? Find the brewery participating in the Resilience Butte County Proud IPA  project. I’d bet there’s a brewery close by you, and a way that your weeknight happy hour can be more than just an excuse to meet up with friends. Contact your local brewery to find out when their Resilience IPA hits the tap room, mark your calendar, organize a get-together, feel good about your nightly pint.

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Beer Mac N Cheese Stuffed Jalapenos

Yield: 24

Ingredients

  • 2 cups (180g) elbow macaroni
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted (14g) butter
  • 1 tablespoon flour
  • 1 teaspoon cornstarch
  • ¾ cup (6oz) whole milk
  • ½ cup (4oz) Pale Ale
  • 3 cups (240g) cheddar cheese, shredded (plus additional for top)
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
  • 12 large jalapenos
  • 2 tablespoon (14g) melted butter
  • ½ cup panko (25g) bread crumbs

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 400°F
  2. Cook the macaroni in lightly salted boiling water until just before al dente, about 5 minutes. Drain, set aside.
  3. In a large pot over medium high heat, melt the butter. Whisk in the flour and cornstarch until well combined. Add the milk and beer, bring to a low simmer, do not boil.
  4. A hand full at a time add the cheese, whisking until all the cheese has melted before adding more.
  5. Stir in the salt and garlic powder (add additional to taste).
  6. Add the noodles, stir until well combined, allow the noodles to finish cooking in the sauce, about 3 minutes.
  7. Cut the jalapenos in half, scoop out the seeds and membranes.
  8. Place the jalapenos, cut side up, on a baking sheet covered with parchment.
  9. Fill the jalapenos with mac n cheese.
  10. Sprinkle with shredded cheese.
  11. Stir together the melted butter and panko. Sprinkle the panko on top of the jalapenos.
  12. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the panko has browned.
  13. Serve warm.
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Bourbon County Beer Marshmallows

Bourbon County Beer Marshmallows

Bourbon County Marshmallows

When you count the seasons by what’s available in the bottle shops, you see the months pass in a different way. Right now we’re just leaving Fresh Hop Season and moving into Barrel Aged Beer season, one of the best beer seasons of the year.

It’s also the time of year when beer releases hit a fevered pitch and people wait in line for hours hoping to score a bottle or two of a beer that’s been aging in a wooden barrel that formerly housed liquor. It’s worth it, even if just for the bragging rights and the perfect cellarable beer. Beers that you always want two of, one for now and one to save for later. Stored properly they can be even better years later.

Bourbon County is the Godfather of the bourbon barrel aged beer. Goose Island is widely credited as being the first people to take a discarded bourbon barrel, load it up with stout, store it for nearly a year and then drink it just to see what would happen. This, more than anything, is a commentary on the heart of true brewer.  Curious, courageously experimental, and unafraid to think outside the bottle.

It was a move that would have cultural repercussions beyond their wildest dreams. Starting a movement so strong and widely adopted it caused spent liquor barrels to go from a nuisance that distilleries had to deal with to a sought-after commodity that caused a shortage.

The face of beer is undeniably altered for the better because of the curiosity that caused Greg Hall to fill 6 bourbon barrels with stout in the early 1990s. In the name of that experimentation and curiosity, I decided that I’d like to figure out what would happen if you put a beer — one that had spent time cohabitating in a wooden barrel with the remnants of bourbon — into a marshmallow. Turns out, it’s pretty fantastic.

 

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Bourbon County Beer Marshmallows

Yield: 24 marshmallows

Ingredients

  • Powdered sugar
  • 3 envelopes unflavored gelatin (such as Knox)
  • ½ cup beer of choice (flat and cold)*
  • ½ cup water (or beer)
  • 2 cups, plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • ½ cup light corn syrup
  • 2 large egg whites
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Instructions

  1. Grease a 9x13 baking pan, sprinkle with powdered sugar until well coated, set aside.
  2. In the bowl of a stand mixer add ½ cup cold, flat beer. Sprinkle with gelatin. Allow to stand while the sugar is being prepared.
  3. In a large saucepan (mixture will bubble up) over medium heat, add the water, 2 cups sugar and corn syrup. Stir until the sugar has dissolved.
  4. Raise heat to high and allow to boil until the mixture reads 240F on a candy thermometer (about 6-8 minutes).
  5. Once the temperature has been reached, turn off heat.
  6. Turn the mixer on low and slowly pour the hot sugar mixture into the gelatin. Once all the sugar has been added turn the mixer on high until light and fluffy and tripled in volume, this can take up to 10 minutes.
  7. While the mixer is running, prepare the egg whites. Add the egg whites to a bowl with the salt. Beat on high with a hand mixer until stiff peaks form. Sprinkle with remaining 2 tablespoons sugar, beat until stiff peaks return.
  8. Gently fold the egg whites and vanilla extract into the stand mixer ingredients until just combined.
  9. Pour the marshmallows into the prepared pan. Sprinkle with powdered sugar. Allow to set at room temperature until set, about 2 hours. Remove from pan, cut into squares. Toss with additional powdered sugar to prevent from sticking together.

Notes

*Open the beer at least two hours before you plan to make the marshmallows, and up to several days in advance. Pour ½ cup into an open container. Loosely cover and refrigerate. Enjoy the reaming beer, since you HAD to open the beer it’s your job to finish the rest.

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Darth Vader Stout Beer Fudge

Darth Vader Stout Beer Fudge

This is ridiculous. I know what you’re thinking: why can’t you just make fudge like a normal person? But I found this silicon Darth Vader mold from that time I made Star Wars cupcakes and you can’t honestly think that I could just put it away and forget about it? Of course not.

And since we’re just entering Barrel-Aged-Beer-Season, as well as Fudge-Making -Season, it just makes sense. If you don’t have a Darth Vader silicon mold (but really, why not? You totally should) you can use any silicone mold. Because fudge is great, but it’s not as fun as Dark Side Fudge, right?

Plus, there’s beer in there. And since Barrel Aged beers come in large bottles and I’m only asking you to pour out 1/4 cup for the homies, I mean for the fudge, then you get to drink the rest. Have I talked you into this yet? Do I need to hone my Jedi Mind Trick skills? How about you make some fudge and we can talk about it.

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Darth Vader Stout Beer Fudge

Yield: 12-14 peices

Ingredients

  • 16 wt oz dark chocolate (60% cocoa content)
  • 1/3 cup (102g) sweetened condensed milk (not evaporated milk)
  • ¼ tsp (.5g) vanilla extract
  • ¼ cup (2oz) barrel aged beer
  • ¼ teaspoon salt

Instructions

  1. Add the chocolate, sweetened condensed milk, vanilla extract, beer and salt to the top of a double boiler (or a metal bowl set over a pot of gently simmering water).
  2. Stir over medium-low heat (make sure the water does not boil) until most of the chocolate has melted. Remove from heat, continue to stir until all the chocolate has melted.
  3. Pour into silicone molds, chill until set.
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Super Soft Butter and Beer 1 hour Dinner Rolls

Super Soft Butter and Beer 1 hour Dinner Rolls

Are you ready? Take a deep breath because you don’t have a choice, the holidays and all that goes with them, are upon us. Let’s take a second to inventory this upcoming Q4 on a personal level, shall we? Of course we should, we like doing things like this.

Let’s pretend like we like excel spreadsheets (ok, maybe you do, they make me break out in hives), and make some columns. First up, the good stuff! (always start with the good stuff).

The first snowfall; the majestic, glorious, wonder of little, frozen flakes of water floating to the ground like natures glitter. The smell of a winter evening spiked with the glow of a fireplace. Or better yet, a fire PIT in your backyard, and there is hot cocoa (boozy, obviously)! See, good stuff. Lots of good stuff.

Food. Winter food is amazing. Big, steamy bowls of spicy ramen. Roast chicken. A big pot of spicy chipotle chili.

Beer! We are now in the dessert of the beer season. Barrel aged beers are coming at us with a vengeance and they’re excellent for winter and that fire pit in your backyard. Invite your friends over, it’s perfect.

Bad stuff. Oh, yeah, bad stuff. I guess if we should flesh out that list, in the spirit of fairness and balance and spreadsheets. First up: higher than average possibility of family drama. Also see: icy roads, scraping frozen water off things that it shouldn’t be on, and all the stress. All. The. Stress.

Let’s default to the first list to combat the second. The first one is pretty much the remedy to the second. Also, don’t forget about leftovers (add it to the good list). And how nothing is better the day after Thanksgiving than making a turkey sandwich with a dinner roll bun. Make a double batch of these. They help with stress and family drama. Oh, and stock up on those barrel aged beers.

 

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Super Soft 1 hour Butter and Beer Dinner Rolls

Prep Time: 1 hour

Yield: 12 large rolls or 16 small

Ingredients

  • 4 cups (480g) all-purpose flour
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 2 ¼ teaspoons (one packet) active-dry yeast
  • ¾ cups (6oz) beer (pale ale, pilsner, wheat beer, lager, nothing too hoppy)
  • 6 tablespoons (84g) melted butter
  • ½ cup cream (120g) or half and half
  • 1 teaspoon salt, plus additional for the top
  • egg wash (1 egg plus 2 tablespoons milk, beaten)
  • Coarse salt

Instructions

  1. Add the flour, brown sugar, and yeast to the bowl of a stand mixer. Mix to combine.
  2. In a heat safe bowl or pot stir together the beer, melted butter and cream then heat to 110°F (check the temperature listed on your package of yeast and default to that temperature rather than the one listed in any recipe).
  3. Add the liquid to the stand mixer, beating on low to medium speed to combine. Add the salt once the flour has been moistened.
  4. Raise the speed to medium high, beat until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes.
  5. Transfer to a lightly oiled bowl, cover and allow to rise until doubled in size (about 40-60 minutes, the warmer the room the faster the rise. In a cold room this can take up to two hours).
  6. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
  7. On a lightly floured surface, pat the dough into a rectangle. Fold into thirds, like a letter about to go into an envelope. Press out into a long rectangle again, fold again. Repeat three times until the dough feels a bit stiff.
  8. Cut into 12 equal size pieces.
  9. Roll each piece into a tight ball.
  10. Oil a 9x13 baking dish, place the dough balls equally spaced in the pan.
  11. Brush the tops of the rolls with egg wash, sprinkle with salt.
  12. Bake until the tops have turned golden brown, 20-25 minutes.
  13. Remove from the oven and cover with a kitchen towel as they cool (this will make the rolls soft, rather than crusty).
  14. Serve warm.
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Beer Ricotta Raviolo with Egg and Herb Butter Sauce

Beer Ricotta Raviolo with Egg and Herb Butter Sauce, time to get fancy!

Plus a book giveaway! 

It’s somewhere North of 3 am and we’re walking the winding back country roads of Big Bear, California. Thin dresses swishing in the cool August air as we try to walk back into town from the wedding Linda and I are in the mountains for.

Giggly and drunk on wine and still love-high from the touching vows we’d witnesses, we realize that we’re only “sort of” lost as we try to navigate the dusty walk back, void of any sidewalks or street lamps. Our ride had left hours before we did, and since this isn’t the sort of place that Uber inhabits, we decide that walking back down the mountain is our only option.

Grateful that one of the grooms insisted we wear flats—the more appropriate footwear choice for a mountain wedding over the heels we both reluctantly left in the hotel—we realize that running may be necessary when the only vehicle we’ve seen so far suddenly takes notice of us.

As the semi-truck pulls to a stop near us the driver climbs out of his cab to make his way towards us,  and we bolt. In unison, we run towards town and around the bend in the road. Like a desert oasis, we see the hotel. Sprinting towards the doors, we finally stop to catch our breath once inside. We look at each other and burst out laughing. Not sure if we were in any real danger, or if the wine had turned a guy just checking on a flat tire into a sure-threat, we don’t care. We’re safe, slightly drunk, and happy.

Since that day Linda has steadily become one of the most important people in my life. Helping me in ways she can’t even understand through two of the most difficult points in my adult life. From frantic texts at midnight to long talks over bottles of wine, she’s the sort you always want to find solace in when the storm hits, or celebrate alongside when the moments are perfect. Although meeting her, years before the Big Bear wedding, I was immediately intimidated.

At a food conference in Los Angeles, she seemed to just appear in front of me. Tall, beautiful, wickedly smart, and incomprehensibly talented, she’s the sort you should be intimidated of. With a rapidly growing following and several TV shows and appearances under her belt, she’s the type that can pull of being pretentious and snobby. She could even get away with it, if she wanted. But the thing about her, possibly the most endearing part, is that there isn’t a trace of that in her, not one bit. She has a heart of gold, a passion for social justice, and she connects with damn near everyone. She won’t just remember you, she’ll remember the story you told her three years ago about your mom being in the hospital and she’ll ask you about it. She is just so likable. She’s also charmingly inappropriate, and wildly unpredictable. Which just makes you like her more.

She’s spent the better part of the past two years pouring herself and her immense knowledge of pasta into her new book, Pasta, Pretty Please, and it’s beautiful. If you don’t follow her on Instagram, you’re missing out, it’s the most impressive feed you’ll see.

I’m giving away a signed copy of the books that won’t just teach you how to make pasta, it will make you fall in love with it. You can enter on Instagram. Don’t have an Instagram? Share this post on Facebook (make sure it’s public so that I can see!) and post a link to your Facebook post in the comments below.

Linda has offered to sign the book for you, or Linda has also offered the option for her to sign your boobs, or both if you’re up for it.

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Beer Ricotta Raviolo with Egg and Herb Butter Sauce

Yield: 6 servings

Adapted from Pasta, Pretty Please by Linda Miller Nicholson

Ingredients

    For the Green Dough*:
  • 1 tablespoon kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 punch flat leaf parsley
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 ¼ cups “00” pasta flour
    • For the Red-Orange Dough:
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 ¼ cups “00” pasta flour
  • ¼ cup tomato paste
    • For the Ricotta:
  • 3 cups whole milk (do not use Ultra-Pasterized, it won’t work)
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1/3 cup Saison beer, Plus 2 tablespoons divided
  • 3 tablespoons Apple Cider Vinegar (you can also use lemon juice, or a combination of the two)
    • For the Filling:
  • 6 large egg yolks
    • For the Sauce:
  • ½ cup unsalted butter
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 large leaves sage, minced
  • Leaves from 1 sprig rosemary, chopped
  • ½ cup chicken or vegetable broth
  • Salt to taste (the amount of salt you need will be dependent on the broth you use)
  • ¼ cup fresh grated parmesan

Instructions

    Make the ricotta:
  1. In a pot over medium high heat (do not use an aluminum pan) add the milk, cream, salt and 1/3 cup beer.
  2. Clip a cooking thermometer onto the side of the pan.
  3. Bring the liquid to 190°F degrees, stirring occasionally to prevent the bottom from scorching. Keep a close eye on it, the liquid reaches and passes 190 very quickly and you don’t want it rising above 200.
  4. Remove from heat, add the 2 tablespoons beer and then the vinegar (or lemon juice) and stir gently once or twice. It should curdle immediately. Allow to sit undisturbed for about 5 minutes.
  5. Line a large strainer with 1 or 2 layers of cheesecloth; place the strainer in the sink over a large bowl.
  6. Pour the ricotta into the strainer and allow to drain for 15 to 30 minutes and up to an hour (the longer it drains, the firmer the consistency)
  7. Place in an air-tight container and store in the fridge, can be made up to 3 days in advance.
    8. Make the green dough (skip if you aren't making the decorations):
  8. In a large saucepan over high heat, bring the salt, baking soda and 8 cups water to a boil. Add the parsley and boil it for 15 seconds, remove it and place in a strainer, run under cold water to blanche. Drain and press out the water.
  9. Add the parsley to a blender along with the eggs, blend first on low speed, then increase the speed and green liquid until smooth.
  10. Strain the puree with a fine mesh strainer, reserving the green liquid and discarding the pulp.
  11. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine the flour and puree. Mix on low speed until a ball of dough forms. Raise the speed to medium and continue to knead for 3 minutes (or by hand for 6-8 minutes) until the dough is smooth and elastic. Cover the ball of dough with plastic wrap and allow to rest at room temperature for 30 minutes (you can also refrigerate the well-wrapped dough for up to three days).
    12. Make the red-orange dough:
  12. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine the flour, eggs and tomato paste. Mix on low speed until a ball of dough forms. Raise the speed to medium and continue to knead for 3 minutes (or by hand for 6-8 minutes) until the dough is smooth and elastic. Cover the ball of dough with plastic wrap and allow to rest at room temperature for 30 minutes (you can also refrigerate the well-wrapped dough for up to three days).
  13. *(skip to step 17 if you aren’t making a decoration) Cut the green dough into four equal sized pieces. Roll one piece out several times to make it thin enough to pass through your dough roller (wrap up the remaining pieces so they don’t dry out).
  14. Pass through your dough roller on the widest setting, then again. Close the dough roller one more stop to make it thinner (one away from the widest setting), pass the dough through twice. Fold into thirds, like a letter going into an envelope. Pass through your dough roller again with the folded ends on the sides (this will make the sides of the dough sheet straight rather than jagged).
  15. Continue to pass through the dough roller stopping down to a thinner setting every two passes until you reach halfway between the thinnest and thickest setting.
  16. Using a cookie cutter, cut out 6 of your desired decoration shapes, set aside while you work on the rest of the Raviolo.
  17. Cut the red-orange dough into four equal sized pieces. Roll one piece out several times to make it thin enough to pass through your dough roller (wrap up the remaining pieces so they don’t dry out).
  18. Pass through your dough roller on the widest setting, then again. Close the dough roller one more stop to make it thinner (one away from the widest setting), pass the dough through twice. Fold into thirds, like a letter going into an envelope. Pass through your dough roller again with the folded ends on the sides (this will make the sides of the dough sheet straight rather than jagged).
  19. Continue to pass through the dough roller stopping down to a thinner setting every two passes until you reach two stops away from the thinnest setting.
  20. Repeat for one more piece of red-orange dough.
    21. Make the Raviolo:
  21. Lay the pasta sheets on a flat surface lightly dusted with flour.
  22. If using a decoration, brush the top of one sheet of pasta with water. Brush the bottom side of the green pasta decoration with water. Place the decorations evenly spaced every 6-8 inches on the sheet of dough. Gently roll with a rolling pin to press together and adhere.
  23. Add the ricotta to a piping bag or a Ziplock bag with the corner cut off.
  24. Make circles of ricotta (a ricotta “nest”) on the blank pasta sheet evenly spaced every 6-8 inches. Nests should be about 3 inches across with a well big enough to just nestle an egg yolk into.
  25. Place one unbroken yolk into each nest. Brush the pasta with water around each nest.
  26. Carefully move the sheet of pasta with the green decorations on top of the sheet with the ricotta nests. Line the sheet up so that the green decorations are directly above the egg yolks.
  27. Press firmly to adhere the top sheet of pasta to the bottom, taking care to remove all the air and seal the dough together.
  28. Cut each Raviolo between each nest making 6 individual Raviolo. Allow to dry for about 15 minutes, flip over and allow the bottom to dry for about another 10 minutes.
  29. Prepare a large pot of salted boiling water.
  30. In a large saucepan melt the butter over medium heat. Stir in the garlic, sage and rosemary, cook for about 5 minutes.
  31. Stir in the broth, cooking until warmed, salt to taste. Allow the sauce to simmer gently but not boil.
  32. One at a time gently add the Raviolo to the boiling water, boil for 2 minutes. Using a large slotted spoon or a Spider, gently remove and allow all the water to drain off. Add to the sauce, cooking for an additional 3 minutes in the sauce while gently spooning the hot butter on top of the Raviolo.
  33. Add to a plate with a spoonful of sauce, top with a sprinkle of parmesan cheese, serve immediately.

Notes

The green pasta decoration is optional. I used a hop flower cookie cutter, but any cookie cutter will do. Feel free to skip this step, it's mostly asthetic and skipping it will not diminish the overall flavor of the dish.

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