Lemon Beer Pound Cake

I’ve always been an adventurous eater.

I ate ants in Colombia, snake meat in Greece, mint tea made with a brown liquid I couldn’t identify in Morocco. If it’s new to me, I want to try it. I want to eat all the things, even if I know I’ll hate them. Even the few things I can’t stand, like pears, bananas, and raw celery, if you make them in a way that’s new and exciting, I’ll dive right in. Even if I know with every ounce of certainty that I’ll hate it. Curiosity rules my decision making at time. Even in the midst of my eat-all-the-things ambition, I have a true love for simple food done well.

It took years for me to figure out how to make the perfect steak, and how to cook ribs at home that taste like a southern BBQ, and how to make mac n cheese that’s creamy out of the oven. Sometimes, simple is the most beautiful.

Lemon pound cake is a simple but beautiful food. It’s perfect early in the morning with coffee, or late at night with a beer or a classic rye Old Fashioned. My main goal was the perfect icing. I wanted that thick layer that sits on top like a crown, not dripping down that side. I wanted coffee shop style icing. I figured out that a thick paste, spread on while the cake was still in the pan, then chilled for an hour gave me that gorgeous look. Although I do think this version is better for late-night-with-booze consumption than those cakes served in the morning. But it’s your call.

Yum

Lemon Beer Pound Cake

Yield: 6 to 8 servings

Ingredients

1 tbs lemon zest
1 ¼ cup sugar
2 tbs butter, softened
3 eggs, room temperature
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/3 cup lemon juice
1/3 cup wheat beer
3 tbs olive oil
1 ¾ cups flour
½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
Glaze:
2 cups (1/2 lbs) powdered sugar
pinch salt
2 tsp lemon juice*
½ tsp water

Instructions

Preheat oven to 325.
In the bowl of a stand mixer add the lemon zest and sugar. Beat for about 2 minutes on high to release the lemon oils into the sugar.
Add the butter, beat until well combined.
Add the eggs and vanilla, one at a time, beating well between additions.
Add the lemon juice, beer and olive oil , beating until well combined, scraping the bottom of the mixer to insure all ingredients are well incorporated.
Stop the mixer and sprinkle with flour baking powder, baking soda and salt, sitr until just combined.
Pour into a large loaf pan that has been greased.
Bake at 325 for 55 o 60 minutes or until cake is golden brown and tooth pick inserted in the center comes back with just a few crumbs attached. Allow to cool completely.
Stir together the powdered sugar lemon juice and salt to make a thick paste. Spread over the top of the cake, chill until set about 3 hours. Cake is best made a day ahead of time.
Substitute all of some of the beer to increase the beer flavor.

Notes

Substitute all of some of the lemon juice in the glaze to increase the beer flavor.

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http://thebeeroness.com/2015/08/14/lemon-beer-pound-cake/

Chocolate Stout Frapp-Brew-ccino

Chocolate Stout Frapp-Brew-ccino

There is a point in every day that the clock tips from coffee-drinking hour to beer-consumption o’clock. It’s a gradual transition, the coffee cravings are slowly pushed aside by your desire for a beer that’s beckoning you from the fridge. In the middle of these two worlds is a bit of a beverage gray area, an afternoon slot where a crossover can take place. Beer and coffee, both are accepted. Coffee beer had this time in mind when it was being brewed. A beverage no-mans-land. Because coffee beers exists, you no longer have to choose between these two well-loved drinks.

But what is a coffee beer?

Brewers are magically creative people, constantly chasing new flavor combinations, new ways to brew, waking up in the middle of the night to jot down beer concepts to flush out the following day. Most brewers start the day in a similar way, a steaming cup of coffee in their hands, rubber boots pounding the wet cement between fermenters and mash tuns, checking batches, sampling wort, mashing in. Coffee still fresh in their mouths as they make giant batches of beer. Coffee and beer never seemed a peculiar combination to this set.

Coffee can be added to beer in a variety of ways. Most commonly is right from the beans. Either ground and added to large bags that function like tea bags, or whole beans added during brewing, the beans are steeped to extract the flavors. On occasion brewers use brewed coffee or espresso. Brewers have a natural affinity for local ingredients, you can bet that in most cases craft breweries will seek out high quality, local, craft beans. Most beers that are infused with coffee are dark beers, like porters and stouts. But don’t ask a brewer to limit themselves or fit within any box. Cream ales have been used and Fort George Brewing makes a coffee IPA called Java The Hop. For this recipe, a bold coffee stout or porter is the way you want to go.

A few to seek out:

Great Divide// Espresso Oak Aged Yeti

Founders // Breakfast Stout

Surly // Coffee Bender

Ballast Point // Victory at Sea

Alesmith // Speedway Stout

Southern Tier // Mokah

Lagunitas // Cappuccino Stout

Schlafly // Coffee Stout

Stone // Coffee Milk Stout

Yum

Chocolate Stout Frapp-Brew-ccino

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Yield: 2 servings

Ingredients

¾ cup espresso or very strong coffee, chilled
¾ cup half and half
¾ cup espresso or chocolate stout
¼ cup chocolate syrup
¼ cup chocolate chips
2 tbs sugar
2 cups ice

Instructions

Add all ingredients to a blender.
Blend until smooth.
Serve immediately.

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http://thebeeroness.com/2015/06/15/chocolate-stout-frapp-brew-ccino/

Stout Mushroom Gravy and Chicken with Beer Biscuits

Stout Mushroom Gravy and Chicken with Beer Biscuits

I was once friends with a man who was 100 years old. We had a bit of an unlikely friendship, since he had reached retirement age long before I was even born. He was smart, funny, and seems to have no concept of the age gap.

Life was a constant opportunity to make people laugh, and he took full advantage of it.

When he moved to Los Angeles in the 1940’s to get his pneumonia stricken daughters out of the frigid East Coast winters, he was without money, without a job, and without an education. He walked in to a Taxi company headquarters and asked for a job. He had a fantastic driving record and a winning smile, in his book, that’s the only resume he needed. As soon as the hiring manager found out that he had only lived on the West Coast of a week, knew nothing about Los Angeles freeways, and had never driven a cab, he shut down the interview.

“If you don’t know how to get from LAX to the Roosevelt Hotel, how are you going to get the client there??”

Jack responded with this famous smile, “Well if you don’t give me the cab, it’s gonna take a whole lot longer!”

He got the job.

Jack worked as a cab driver, running tourist from the Airport to Hollywood for over 30 years. He was also the very first Employee of the Month for the cab company, and to date, the recipient of the most complimentary letters ever sent to the cab company about any one of their employees.

As I sat with him only a few months before his 101’s birthday, eating biscuits that his nurse had made us, I asked him if he had any regrets.

“Not really. The secret to living 100 years old and not regretting anything is this: Do your best. Don’t hurt anyone. Make friends with anyone who will let you.”

When my job moved me farther from his apartment in the valley, I wasn’t able to visit as often as I used to so I wrote letters, postmarked from my Santa Monica office. One day I got a return letter, addressed to me with flowery handwriting. It was from his 76 year old daughter:

“Jackie,

I’m not sure what it was that formed a friendship between you and my Dad, but I wanted you to know how much he valued you. Your visits brightened his day, even his week. If there was a highlight from his last decade of life, it was the time he spent with you. He spoke of you often, and although my sister and I were at first skeptical of a friendship between him and a girl in her 20’s, it quickly became clear that there was a special bond between you two. I’m so sorry to tell you that he passed away, just a week shy of his 101’s birthday. I do want you to know that we appreciate the time you spent with him in his last year. Thank you.”

I cried. And ate biscuits in his honor, his favorite breakfast. To this day, “Do your best. Don’t hurt anyone. Make friends with anyone who will let you” is some of best advice I’ve gotten.

Stout Mushroom Gravy and Chicken with Beer Biscuits

Ingredients

For the Biscuits:

3 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
8 tbs unsalted cold butter, cut into cubes
1/2 cup buttermilk
2/3 cup Belgian ale (or wheat beer)
2 tbs melted butter
¼ tsp course sea salt

For the Chicken and Gravy:

3 tbs butter
2 boneless skinless chicken thighs
½ tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
¼ cup chopped yellow onion
8 wt oz chopped crimini mushrooms
¼ cup flour
1 cup beef stock
¾ cup stout beer
¼ cup heavy cream
1 tbs honey
salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Preheat oven to 400.
In a processor add flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar.
Pulse to combine. Add the cold butter, process until well combined. Add to a large bowl.
Add the buttermilk and beer. Mix with a fork until just combined.
Add to a well-floured flat surface, pat into a rectangle. Using a cold rolling pin (preferably marble) gently roll into a large rectangle, about 1 inch in thickness, using as few strokes as possible.
Fold the dough into thirds as you would a letter about to go into an envelope. Roll lightly, once in each direction to about 1 inch thickness, fold in thirds again. Gently roll into about 1 1/2 inch thickness (this will give you the flakey layers).
Using a biscuit cutter cut out 6 to 8 biscuits. Place in a baking pan that has been sprayed with cooking spray.
Brush biscuits with melted butter, sprinkle salt.
Bake at 425 for 10 to 12 minutes or until the tops are golden brown.
While the biscuits bake, make the gravy.
Melt the butter in a sauce pan over medium high heat.
Sprinkle the chicken thighs with salt and pepper. Sear on each side until golden brown, remove from the pan, chop (they do not need to be cooked through).
Add the onions, cook until softened, about five minutes. Add the mushrooms, cook until mushrooms are dark brown and soft.
Sprinkle with flour, cook until the flour has turned brown, about 2 minutes.
Add the beef stock and stout. Simmer until thickened. Add the chicken cubes back into the pan, simmer until cooked through.
Add the cream, honey, stir until well combined.
Salt and pepper to taste.
Split the biscuits, fill with gravy.

http://thebeeroness.com/2014/10/01/stout-mushroom-gravy-chicken-beer-biscuits/

Pumpkin Porter Beer Brownies Sundaes

Pumpkin things are upon us.

Of course we have those pumpkin spice lattes that the weather is far too warm to warrant, and the overly orange plastic pumpkins that Target is trying to push on us, but it’s the beer that gets me most excited. It can be a triple digit August afternoon when a package of pumpkin porter arrives and I’ll still break into it as soon as I can open the box.

As early as July those hotly anticipated squash infused brews start to hit bottle shops and brew pubs across the land. From a pale lager to a deep stout, every style of beer has had a tryst with a pumpkin. Every brewer has a different take. Some like to spice it up, others favor a drinkable pumpkin pie, while some want the flavor to be a subtle background note you should have to work at identifying. Whatever you prefer when it comes to this super special release category, there is a beer that will suit your mood.

A box of He Said Baltic Porter brewed with pumpkin and spice arrived on my door step last week reminding me that the days of driving with the windows down and eating ice cream outdoors are rapidly coming to a close. So I did what any rational person would do: I made brownies. But, somehow, that didn’t seem like enough. So I made a pumpkin porter infused chocolate sauce and added in the more weather appropriate giant scoop of cold ice cream. Which makes this the perfect transitional recipe from the heat wave afternoons to the fireside evenings. It’s both pumpkin and ice cream, regardless of the weather in your town, this recipe fits.

Porters are a great vehicle for the flavors of pumpkin. The deep earthiness is delivered well with the roast notes of the darker beers and this beer is no exception. The flavors of pumpkin in He Said are perfectly mild in a way that I prefer, these beers can often be treated heavy handed. This Baltic porter delivers the flavors of pumpkin and spice without molesting you with them, it’s more seductive. It’s a deep, smooth porter that draws you in. And, apparently, makes you bake things. Or maybe that’s just me.

Pumpkin Porter Brownies Sundaes

Ingredients

For the brownies:

1 ½ cups unsalted butter, cut into cubes
10 wt ounces 60% chocolate (about 2 cups)
1 cup pumpkin porter
1 tsp vanilla
2 large eggs
1 ½ cups white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup pumpkin puree
1 cup bread flour
½ tsp cinnamon
2 tsp espresso powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

For the Sundae:

10 wt oz dark chocolate (53% cocoa)
2 tbs light corn syrup
1/3 cup pumpkin porter
1 quart vanilla ice cream

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400. In the top of a double boiler, or metal bowl set over (but not touching) gently simmering water, add the butter and the chocolate. Stir occasionally until just melted. Remove from heat, stir in 1 cup pumpkin porter and vanilla extract.
In the bowl of a stand mixer beat the eggs on high until light and frothy, about 2 minutes. Add both kinds of sugar and beat for 6 full minutes. Add the pumpkin puree, stir until combined.
In a separate bowl add the flour, cinnamon, espresso powder, salt and cocoa powder, whisk until well combined.
While the mixer is on low, add the chocolate mixture to the eggs. Mix until well incorporated, stopping to scrape the bottom of the bowl to insure the batter is fully combined.
Remove the bowl from the stand mixer, sprinkle with dry ingredients. Stir until just combined.
Grease a 9x13 baking dish, or spray with butter flavored cooking spray, pour in batter.
Place in the oven and immediately reduce to 350. Bake at 350 for 35 minutes. The top should look completely dry but the center should still be fudgy. Don’t over bake. Remove from oven and allow to cool until set and come to room temperature before attempting to cut, about 1 hour.
Add the dark chocolate, corn syrup, and 1/3 cup pumpkin porter to the top of a double boiler over medium heat.
Stir until melted and well combined, remove from heat, pour over ice cream.

http://thebeeroness.com/2014/08/29/pumpkin-porter-beer-brownies-sundaes/

Asparagus and Sausage Meatball Orzo with Parmesan Beer Cream Sauce

I get a little itchy if I don’t get to cook.

The way musicians get when you keep them away from a stage, or an athlete when you take the ball away or how a runner will start to chew on the curtains if he can’t get out on the road. Even on the tail end of writing recipes for my second cookbook, like this one, I spend most days cooking in my kitchen surrounded by dirty dishes and half empty bottles of beer. And even though I should be writing recipes for my cookbook, I just wanted to make something that I wanted to make because I wanted to make it. It just happened to turn out photogenic, and so delicious that I wanted to share it with you. It’s an amalgamation of stuff in my fridge as well as half started recipes in my brain, and it also helped me use up one of those half empty bottles of beer I had laying around. And in the midst of cooking three other recipes, this one just took twenty minutes, which is good given the amount of cooking I need to do on a daily basis.

After six hours of cooking, and three rounds of dishes, I feel a little less itchy. But I do need a beer, a full one.

Asparagus and Sausage Meatball Orzo with Parmesan Beer Cream Sauce

Ingredients

½ lbs raw Italian sausage (removed from casings)
2 tbs pale ale, plus ½ cup pale ale, divided
1 tsp red pepper flakes
2 tbs olive oil
1 lbs asparagus
¼ cup heavy cream
2 wt oz fresh shredded parmesan cheese (about 1 cup)
1 tsp honey
½ tsp black pepper
2 cups orzo
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
½ cup grape tomatoes (optional)

Directions

In a small bowl stir together the sausage, 2 tbs pale ale, and 1 tsp red pepper flakes with your hands. Form into small balls, about half the size of golf balls.
Heat olive oil in a pan over medium high heat. Add the meatballs, cook until browned on all sides and cooked through, remove from pan.
Add the asparagus to the hot pan, cook until softened and starting to blister, about 5 minutes, remove from pan.
Add the remaining ½ cup pale ale, scraping to deglaze the pan. Lower heat to medium, stir in the cream. Simmer until reduced and thickened, about 6 minutes. Stir in the parmesan, honey, and black pepper
Cook the orzo in lightly salted boiling water for 6 minutes or until just before al dente. Drain and add the orzo to the sauce, stirring until cooked through, about 3 minutes. Add the meatballs and asparagus back into the pan, simmer until meatballs are warmed through. Transfer to a serving dish, garnish with parsley and tomatoes.

http://thebeeroness.com/2014/08/13/asparagus-sausage-meatball-orzo-parmesan-beer-cream-sauce/

Porter Caramelized Onion Greek Yogurt Dip: 42 Calories a Serving

It’s seems a cruel twist of fate that beer-drinking-burgers-dogs-dips-eating season and bikini season line up perfectly. The same time that we load our paper plates with baked beans, slow roasted ribs, chips and creamy dips, is the same part of the year that we shed our clothes and romp in the sunshine in our bikini clad bodies.

I’m a strong advocate for both summer time gluttony and semi-nude public frolicking, I refuse to chose between the two. Although I’m also an advocate for flaunting your post-lunch glow in all it’s splendor, not everyone is quite so brave.

So here we are, bikini/beer/barbecue season in full swing and here I am as the least diet friendly blogger in all of Blogland. Yet, I’m still a girl. A girl who loves beer, has a large collection black bikinis, and not a lot of modesty. I’m trying to find some balance.

Here is my entry for Healthy Appetizer For A Back Yard Party. Although there isn’t a way to strongly argue that beer is healthy, as a replacement for the butter I would normally use to caramelize onions, it’s much lower calories and gives you a great flavor.

Plus you get to say that the healthy dips has beer in it, which is a win.

And it gives you more room for beer in your pint glass.

Porter Caramelized Onion Greek Yogurt Dip: 42 Calories a Serving

Yield: 2 1/2 cups

Ingredients

1 head garlic
1 tbs olive oil
1 sweet white onion
½ cup porter beer
2 cups Greek yogurt
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
½ tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
¼ cup chopped chives

Directions

Preheat oven to 425.
Place garlic on a sheet of tin foil, drizzle with 1 tsp olive oil. Fold foil tightly around garlic.
Bake at 425 until garlic head is soft, about 30 minutes. Remove from oven, allow to cool.
In a saucepan over medium heat, add the remaining oil and the onions. Cook until onions have started to soften. Add ¼ cup porter beer, cook over medium/low heat until beer has reduced and pan looks dry, about 20 minutes. Repeat with the remaining ¼ cup porter beer.
Once the onions are a dark amber color and pan looks dry, remove from heat.
Add the Greek yogurt, Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper and onions to a food processor. Gently squeeze the garlic until the soft cloves protrude. Add the cloves to the food processor, discard the rest of the head. Process until smooth.
Chill until ready to serve (dip has the best flavor the day after it’s made).
Top with chives prior to serving

Notes

For added flavor (and added calories) and 4 oz cream cheese to the food processor in step 6.

http://thebeeroness.com/2014/07/02/porter-caramelized-onion-greek-yogurt-dip-40-calories-serving/

Lime Sugared Blackberry and Coconut Pale Ale Pastry Cream Tart

When I was a kid I thought you grew up, picked a life and that’s were you sat. You stayed in this grown-up place, and that was it. You’d found your grown-up life and you were done.

But my grown-up life seems to go through a comprehensive metamorphosis every few years. New city, new job, new people. For a natural-born gypsy with the soul of a wanderer, this isn’t a bad thing. Experiences are satisfying and change can be cleansing.

But then there are times when it seems catastrophically difficult, even when it’s necessary. Like cleaning out road rash so the wounds of a bike crash will heal. Sometimes it’s the cleaning that hurts more than the crash. But it’s part of the process, part of the evolution, part of necessity of growth that keeps us from the stagnation that will kill our souls.

Growth, change, healing, just because it hurts doesn’t mean it isn’t the right path. Keep moving forward, keep breathing, know that it isn’t selfish to fight for your own happiness. Know that it’s hard because it’s worth it.

These are the days I bake. The days I cover fruit in sugar. The days I open a beer, grab a friend and take stock of the things I’m truly grateful for. Because no matter what is on the the hard list, the good list can always be longer.

Lime Sugared Blackberry and Coconut Pale Ale Pastry Cream Tart

Ingredients

For the Tart Crust:

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
½ cup unsalted butter, cut into cubes
1 egg yolk
¼ cup ice cold beer
1 tsp. vanilla extract

For the Coconut Pastry Cream:

1 cups whole milk
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup full fat coconut milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
5 egg yolks
1/3 cup Saison beer (or Hefeweizen)
1 ¼ cups granulated sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch

For the Blackberries:

1 lbs black berries
½ cup granulated sugar
Zest from one large lime (about 2 tbs)

Directions

Add ¾ cups of flour, salt and sugar to a food processor, pulse to combine. Add the butter and egg yolk, process until well combined and dough gathers around the blade.
Add the remaining flour and pulse 6-8 times or until all the flour has been coated.
Transfer to a bowl. Using a rubber spatula, stir in the beer until completely incorporated into the dough (don’t add the beer in the food processor or your dough will turn into a cracker). Dough will be very soft.
Lay a long sheets of plastic wrap on a flat surface.
Place the dough onto the plastic wrap, form into flat disks.
Wrap disk tightly in plastic wrap, chill for 1 hour and up to 3 days.
Preheat the oven to 350.
Roll the tart dough into an even circle on a lightly floured surface. Line a tart pan with the crust. Prick bottom of the tart with a fork several times, adding pie weights if desired.
Bake at 350 until lightly golden brown, about 15-18 minutes. Allow to cool.
In a sauce pan off heat add the milk, cream, coconut milk, vanilla, egg yolks, Saison, sugar and cornstarch, whisk until well combined. Add to medium heat, whisk until thickened, about 10 minutes.
Pour pastry cream into crust. Chill until set and cooled, about 3 hours.
Add the sugar and lime zest to a food processor, process until all the lime oils and sugars have been well combined, about 3 minutes (this can be done days or even weeks in advance, keep in an air tight container until ready to use.)
Just prior to serving, add the blackberries to a bowl, pour the sugar over the berries, toss until well well coated.
Top tart with the berries prior to serving.

http://thebeeroness.com/2014/04/11/lime-sugared-blackberry-coconut-pale-ale-pastry-cream-tart/

Hello Seattle + Spicy Steamed Mussels in Beer

Photos in this post were taken in Seattle with vintage Polaroid cameras by my incredibly talented sister Kim van Groos

Check out her Flickr, it’s very impressive.

I told you last week that I’m in the process of saying goodbye to Los Angeles. A process made easier by the fact that it will end with a move to Seattle, a city that I’ve loved for years. A city with a vibrant love for food, people who are aware and grateful, plus a craft beer scene that is one of the best in the world.

I’ll get to discover a new city, fall in love with the local beer, cook with the incredible produce. I’ll also be near my sister who took all these photos, as well as my other sister who almost died with me in Morocco. I’ll be around the world’s best hops and the country’s best seafood. The idea of wandering around a new city, losing myself in the streets and the strangers is incredibly exciting. Especially a city like Seattle that has so much to offer.

I’m not limiting my explorations to Seattle. The entire Pacific Northwest, from Medford to Bellingham, has an incredible craft beer scene that I can’t wait to explore. The beer, the people, the pubs and the events, I plan to jump in with both feet, grab a pint, and become a part of what’s happening up North.

I want to share it all with you. Not just on the blog, but also on Instagram and Twitter. I want you to see the beer I find, the salmon I catch, the people I meet, the butcher shops, the breweries, the farmers markets, the coast and everything else that’s waiting for me up there.

As I pack the boxes and say goodbye to Los Angeles, I wanted to make something that has a bit of Seattle in it, a reminder of what I have to look forward to.

Seafood and beer it is. Can’t wait to dig in.

I start my trek North in two weeks. Join me, it’s going to be a big move and a big adventure. I’d love to have you along for the ride.

Instagram – Facebook – Twitter

Spicy Steamed Mussels in Beer

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 5 minutes

Yield: 2 entre portions, or 4 appetizer portions

Ingredients

4 strips thick cut bacon
1 cup diced white onion
4 tbs unsalted butter
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 lbs diced tomatoes (about 2 large)
1 jalapeno, sliced
1 tbs red pepper flakes
½ cup pale ale
1 lime, juiced
1 ½ lbs black mussels, cleaned and de-bearded
¼ cup green onions, diced
Bread for serving

Directions

In a large pot or deep skillet cook the bacon over medium high heat. Remove the bacon from pot, chop and set aside. Pour off about half of the bacon grease, leaving about 1 tablespoon still in the pan.
Add the butter and cook until melted.
Add the onions, cook until slightly browned.
Stir in the garlic, then add the tomatoes, jalapenos, red pepper flakes, beer, lime juice and chopped bacon. Bring to a low simmer.
Add the mussels, cover and allow to cook until mussels have opened, about 5 minutes.
Discard any that didn’t open. Sprinkle the green onions over the pan.
Serve with crusty bread.

http://thebeeroness.com/2014/02/10/hello-seattle-spicy-steamed-mussels-beer/

Adapted from Epicurious

Chocolate Porter Berry Cobblers

There is this way that I make food that I can only really see in retrospect as a mirror to how I’m feeling. Messy food means that I’ve wandered into internal chaos. It’s OK, there are much less healthy ways of dealing with emotions than the culinary mood ring that my kitchen becomes.

There are some changes on my horizon, good changes, but ones that will put me on a new path. A path I’m ready for, excited for, but the thing about transition is you can only clearly see what you are giving up. What you have to gain is still a mystery, but you have a firm account of what will be lost in the shift. It takes faith in yourself, and those decision you’ve made, to keep your eyes firmly on the next trapeze bar after you’ve already let go of the one you were holding, flying through the air with nothing more than hope in what you’ve decided to do. Faith that the world will conspire in your favor.

I’m not going to keep you in the dark for long. I want you to join me in this transition, this journey. But today isn’t for that. Today is for eating chocolate, drinking beer and enjoying the moment. More about my figurative trapeze leap later.

Chocolate Porter Berry Cobbler

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

Topping

¾ cup flour
¼ cup quick oats
¼ cup white sugar
¼ cup brown sugar
¼ tsp salt
½ cup chilled butter

Filling

3 cups berries* (thawed if frozen)
7 wt oz dark chocolate (about 1 ¼ cups)
¾ cup porter or stout (I used Stone Smoked Porter with Vanilla Bean)

Directions

Add the flour, oats, both sugars, and salt to a food processor, pulse to combine.
Add the butter, process until combined.
Place in the freezer until the filling is ready.
In a double boiler over medium heat, add the chocolate and the beer, stir until melted, remove from heat.
Stir in the berries.
Place 4 oven safe bowls (8 to 10 fl oz size) on a baking sheet.
Add the filling to the bowls, about 2/3 full.
Add the topping until level with the top of the bowl.
Bake at 350 until golden brown, about 45-50 minutes.

Notes

I used a combination of strawberries, raspberries and blackberries. Because overly ripe berries are so hard to ship, most pickers choose those to freeze, making frozen berries of a very high quality. Don't be afraid to use frozen berries when baking, they are often the best choice and most often frozen in season rather then grown in greenhouses out of season like some berries often are in the winter.

http://thebeeroness.com/2014/02/05/chocolate-porter-berry-cobblers/

Beer Soaked Oven Fries

People have irrational culinary fears, I get it. Some people avoid recipes using yeast like they are circus clowns in a dark alley. Some people can’t wrap their brains around the idea of plunging food into hot oil without a spotter. I have an irrational fear of mall Santas so I get it, there are just some things we tend to avoid.

Although I assure you, you’d be just fine if you wanted to fry these suckers in hot oil. I also assure you that if you bought a deep fryer your football parties will never be the same. But if you aren’t there yet, I get it.

I spent most of the summer cooking everything I ate on my backyard grill, taunting the grill-less into Sad Face reactions. One of my go-to sides was grilled french fries. I cut them large enough as not to slip through the grates and I learned that soaking them in a salt brine gave you that creamy middle and crispy outside that you really want in your french fries.

Now that most the grills in America are covered in the unsavory film of winter, I’ve switched to the oven method. The salt water soak is still the way to go when you want that creamy/crispy combo, and letting the baking sheet heat up in the oven will give you more of that golden brown outside that you’d get from that scary vat of hot oil.

Although I do promise that if you do decide to deep fry your potatoes, you’ll be fine. It’s not that scary, not like, say a grown man in a red suit that lurks near a Hollister.

Beer Soaked Oven Fries

Ingredients

1.5 lbs russet potatoes
12 ounces pale ale
1 tbs kosher salt
water
¼ cup canola oil
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp paprika
½ tsp sea salt
½ tsp black pepper
½ tsp sugar

Directions

Cut the potatoes into ½ inch strips.
In a large bowl add the beer and 1 tbs kosher salt. Add the potatoes to the beer, add just enough water that the potatoes are fully submerged, about 1 to 2 cups.
Cover and chill for at least 3 hours and up to 12.
Move the oven rack to the top 1/3 of the oven, place a rimed metal baking sheet on the rack. Preheat oven to 425.
Drain the potatoes and rinse well. Place on a stack of paper towels and pat dry. Add to a large bowl, drizzle with canola oil. Sprinkle with garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, sea salt, black pepper and sugar. Toss until well coated.
Pour the potatoes onto the baking sheet in an even layer.
Bake for 20 minutes. Turn with a spatula and bake until golden brown, an additional 15-20 minutes.

http://thebeeroness.com/2014/01/13/beer-soaked-oven-fries/

Orange Cherry Beer Muffins

These aren’t just muffins. They are two forms of quiet rebellion.

First, it’s beer for breakfast. And unless you’re having a brunch mimosa or in the general vicinity of Las Vegas, breakfast booze is generally frowned upon.

Second, lets be honest, muffins are basically just cupcakes.

But you and me, we’re different. We aren’t like those others. We don’t do the frowning, we do the drinking; and in the “If your friend jumped off a bridge, would you?” analogy, we are the bridge jumping friend; and we eat whatever the hell we want for breakfast, sometimes that’s baked goods made with booze; and sometimes we swear in front of old people and toddlers.

In my opinion, it’s really only that last one we need to work on.

Orange Cranberry Beer Muffins

Ingredients

Muffins

1 large naval orange
2/3 cup white sugar
½ cup brown sugar
½ cup unsalted butter softened
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
¼ cup buttermilk
1 tbs vegetable oil
2/3 cup wheat beer
2 cups cake flour
½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
1 cup dried cherries

Glaze

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 tbs wheat beer
1 tbs reserved juice from orange
1 tbs reserved orange zest

Directions

Preheat oven to 350.
Zest the orange, then juice it. A large orange should yield about ¼ cup juice and 3 tablespoons zest.
Add both kinds of sugar, and 2 tablespoons orange zest to a stand mixer mix on high for two minutes to release the orange oils from the zest. Add the butter and beat on high until the butter and sugar are well creamed.
Add 2 tablespoons orange juice, egg, and vanilla extract, beat on high until well combined.
Add the buttermilk, oil and beer, stir until combined (some curdling is expected).
In a sperate bowl stir together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
Add flour mixture to the stand mixer and stir until just combined.
Stir in the dried cherries.
Pour in the muffin tins that have either been greased or lined with muffin papers until the wells are about 2/3’s full (about ¼ cup per well).
Bake at 350 for 18-20 minutes or until the tops spring back when gently touched.

http://thebeeroness.com/2013/12/31/orange-cherry-beer-muffins/

Honey Chili Beer Chicken

I see how you get here. The keyword searches that bring you to this little blog of mine. Most of these keyword searches make sense, like “Beer recipes,” “Cooking with beer,” and even “The Beeroness.” This past year nearly 8,000 people came to my blog with the keyword “The Beeroness,” or it could have been just one guy searching for me eight thousand times. If that was you, thank you and you’re creepy.

Sometimes those keywords don’t make sense, like the person that found my blog while searching, “fun recipes for toddlers” or all those people looking for “healthy quick meals.” I am not the top pick for either of those catagories. But it’s post holidays, and we are in that ill fitting week between Christmas and New Years that feels like the calendar equivalent of the end of a loaf of bread and you all seem to want something at least semi healthy.

Me too, I did eat three cinnamon rolls yesterday in about 5 minutes. I could use a little not-as-bad-for-me one pot meal.

So here it is. One pot. Not completely unhealthy. Quick and easy. But for the “fun for toddlers” part you’re on your own.

Yum

Honey Chili Beer Chicken

Ingredients

3 tbs olive oil
6 boneless skinless chicken thigh filets
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1-2 tbs flour
½ cup sliced sweet white onions
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup brown ale, divided in half
1 tbs balsamic vinegar
2 tbs honey
½ tsp red chili sauce (such as Sriracha) plus additional if desired

Instructions

In a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat add the olive oil.
Sprinkle the chicken thighs on all sides with salt, pepper and flour.
Cook the chicken thighs until browned on all sides, about 3 minutes per side. Remove, and set aside.
Reduce heat to medium-low, add the onions and caramelize over medium heat until golden brown, about 10 to 15 minutes.
Stir in the garlic then add ½ cup brown ale, balsamic vinegar, honey and chili sauce. Simmer until reduced and thickened. Add the chicken back to the pan along with the remaining ½ cup brown ale.
Cover loosely with a lid, lower heat to maintain a simmer and allow to cook until chicken is cooked through, about an additional 10 minutes. Turning once during cooking.

Schema/Recipe SEO Data Markup by Yummly Rich Recipes

http://thebeeroness.com/2013/12/27/honey-chili-beer-chicken/

I highly recommend this cast iron skillet. I use my almost every day (affiliate link).

Potato, Porter Caramelized Onions & Beer Goat Cheese Tart

Why beer?

I’ve been asked a lot of questions about why I’ve tried so feverishly to squeeze myself into this world. After all, there are a lot of ingredients that make great culinary obsessions. So, why beer?

To explain that, we’ll have to talk about collaboration. Craft beer is the only major market that does this regularly, with breweries constantly teaming up to co-create a beer. Nike and Adidas will never team up for a collaboration shoe. Nor has Ford and Chevy ever co-produced a truck. Wineries don’t do it, or bike makers, or creameries. Brewers do. All the time.

Beer people, big and small, are wide-eyed, unabashed, gushy, groupie style fans of one another. Unafraid to share that mutual adoration. This leads not just to collaborations but deep and meaningful relationships that can be felt widely across the entire industry. It’s common to see the one brewery owner helping another, lending a hand. It isn’t rare for a one head brewery to call another and say, “I’m short a few bags of malt, can I borrow some from you?” and a truck of grains to be immediately sent over. It’s common for a breweries pubs to pour beer besides their own, unheard of any other liquor industry. It’s a community that favors connections over competition. Beer people have a rising tide lifts all ships mentality, the rivalries friendly, pats on the back and cheering each other’s successes. It’s unlike any other industry. And sure the beer is great, but the people are even better.

That’s why beer.

Potato, Porter Caramelized Onions & Beer Goat Cheese Tart

Ingredients

1 white onion
1 tbs butter
2 tbs olive oil
1/3 cup porter beer
4 wt oz goat cheese
1 tbs cornstarch
¼ cup IPA
1 russet potato, thinly sliced
2 tbs butter
½ tsp salt
½ tsp black pepper
1 pastry crust
½ cup baby arugula

Directions

Slice the onion into 1/8 inch rings. In a pot over medium heat add the butter and olive oil. Add the onions and cook until the onions start to soften, about 5 minutes (do not cook the onions at too high heat or they will burn). Add the porter and cook until the beer has evaporated and the onions are a dark golden color, about 15 minutes.
In a small food processor add the goat cheese, cornstarch and IPA, blend until smooth.
In a cast iron skillet melt the butter, add the potatoes, sprinkle with salt and pepper, cook until the potatoes have browned.
Preheat oven to 350.
Roll the pastry crust out to a 10 inch circle, transfer to a baking sheet that has been covered with a Silpat or parchment paper.
Spread the beer goat cheese evenly across the tart, avoiding the outer 1 inch edge.
Top the cheese with caramelized onions then with the potatoes.
Fold the outer edge up over the filling of the tart.
Bake at 350 until the crust has turned golden brown, about 20 minutes.
Top with arugula before serving.

http://thebeeroness.com/2013/10/25/potato-porter-caramelized-onions-beer-goat-cheese-tart/

Garlic Beer Cheese Rolls

My book tour kicks off in a few days and one of my first stops is at Bear Republic, one of my favorite California breweries. On October 10th, from 6:30 to 8:30 I’ll be at the pub in Healdsburg hanging out, signing books, hoping to meet some of you and gleefully consuming some Bourbon Smokey Bear Stout. Join me, if you’re in the area, sit down and have a beer with me.

It was the beauty of Racer 5 IPA that introduced me to Bear Republic, quickly becoming a go-to favorite of mine, one I always have on hand at parties. It’s a crowd pleaser with just the right amount of hops to give you what you want but not overwhelm, it gives a perfect balance.

Because of that perfectly balanced hop kick, it’s a great beer-cheese-beer. Even more perfect to stuff that beer cheese inside a tender garlic filled roll for an awesomely beer flavored garlic cheese roll that can be a meal all in itself. But really, it’s just about being responsible when drinking, you need to eat something to soak up all that fantastic Racer 5 you be able to put down.

Join me October 10th, 2013 6:30-8:30, at Bear Republic!

Garlic Beer Cheese Rolls

Ingredients

For the Dough

3 cups all purpose flour
1 envelope rapid rise yeast (2 ¼ tsp)
1 tbs white sugar
1 tsp garlic powder
1 cup IPA beer
1 tsp salt
¼ cup olive oil

For the Filling:

4 ounces cream cheese
6 wt oz cheddar cheese, shredded (about 2 cups)
½ cup IPA
3 cloves garlic, grated with a microplane
½ tsp salt

For the Topping:

3 wt oz cheddar, shredded (about 1 cup)

Directions

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook attachment, add the flour, yeast, sugar and garlic powder. Mix until combined.
In a microwave safe bowl add the beer. Microwave on high for 20 seconds, test temperature with a cooking thermometer and repeat until temperature reaches between 120 and 125 degrees Fahrenheit.
Add the beer to the stand mixer and mix on medium speed. Once most of the dough has been moistened, add the oil and sprinkle with the salt while the mixer is still running.
Turn speed to high and beat until dough is smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes.
Transfer dough to a lightly oiled bowl, tightly wrap with plastic wrap. Allow to sit in a warm room until doubled in size, about 45 to 60 minutes. Remove from bowl and add to a lightly floured surface. Knead several times, roll out into a rectangle about 10 inches by 18 inches.
Add all of the filling ingredients to a food processor, process until smooth and well combined, about 5 minutes.
Spread the filling evenly across the dough. Starting at the long edge roll the dough into a log. Cut the dough into 8 rolls, each about 2 inches wide. Place cut side down into a baking dish. Cover and allow to rise until doubled in size, about 30 minutes.
Sprinkle with remaining cheddar cheese.
Bake uncovered at 350 for 20-25 minutes or until the cheese is bubbly and starting to brown. Serve warm.

http://thebeeroness.com/2013/10/02/garlic-beer-cheese-rolls/

I use this Microplane to turn a clove of garlic into paste in a second. (Affiliate link)

Salted Beer Caramel Corn

Today is the day.

Today, September 18th, the book I spent months creating, turning myself into a figurative nightmare, pouring blood, sweat, tears and beer into each recipe, hits mailboxes and store shelves across the land. While I should be feeling excessively accomplished now that I can officially slap a Publish Author tittle after my name, there is also a thin film of vulnerability draped over today. Because more than I want it sell like Funfetti Cronuts, I want it to be well received, I want you to love it. I wish all the recipes to be Home Runs, every step to make sense to ever cook, and every Amazon reviews to be glowing.

What you think matters to me, probably more than it should. So if you buy this little book of mine, The Craft Beer Cookbook (affiliate link), and you have a question about a recipe, email me: Jackie@TheBeeroness.com. If you make a recipe and love it, tweet a picture to me @TheBeeroness. If you make a recipe on your own blog, share it on my Facebook page. I want to know what you think (let’s be honest) especially if it’s good.

While I spent the weekend worried about the release of the book, and working out the details of the book tour, I decided it was a great idea to stress eat caramel corn. I even made two batches. The first batch I used a hoppy brown ale, which gave the caramel a mild beer flavor that was a bit lost once it coated the corn. The next batch I used an imperial stout, a big bold beer with enough monster taste to give the caramel corn notes of beer in every bite.

Caramel corn and a beer cookbook, not a bad Wednesday.

Salted Beer Caramel Corn

Ingredients

1/3 cup corn kernels
2/3 cup brown sugar
2 tbs light corn syrup
½ cup imperial stout, plus 2 tbs, divided
4 tbs butter
1 tsp coarse sea salt

Directions

Preheat oven to 250.
Place the corn kernels in a brown paper bag. Fold the top over. Place in the microwave (long side down), microwave on high for 4 minutes. When the popping starts to slow to about one pop per one second, remove from microwave. Measure out 7 cups of popcorn (if there is less than 7 cups, pop additional kernels in the same manner, if there are more than 7 cups, reserve the remaining popped corn for another use).
Spray a large baking pan with cooking spray.
Add the corn kernels to the baking sheet in an even layer, place in the oven until the caramel sauce is ready.
Add the brown sugar, light corn syrup, ½ cup stout and butter to a saucepan over high heat. Stir until the sugar dissolves, stop stirring. Allow to boil for 7 minutes, without stirring. Remove from heat, immediately stir in the remaining 2 tablespoons stout.
Spray a silicon spatula with cooking spray (except the handle).
Gently pour the caramel sauce over the corn, stirring to coat.
Bake for 20 minutes at 250, stir, and bake for an additional 20 minutes.
Remove from oven and spread evenly onto a sheet of parchment or wax paper, sprinkle immediately with salt. Allow to cool, until hardened. Store in an air-tight container.

http://thebeeroness.com/2013/09/18/salted-beer-caramel-corn/

Italian Beer Bread Sticks & Tips for Beer and Food Pairing

Before we jump in to my treasure trove of beer and food pairing tips, we need to dispel one myth: there are no rules. Drink what you prefer and eat likewise. If YOU like it, it’s a good pairing, there are no hard and fast rules, just considerations and principles to keep in mind.

1. Consider intensity. When subjecting your tasters to a palate wrecking chipotle dish or 1000 IBU IPA, consider the delicacy of what you’re pairing that monster with. Mild works well with mild, and strong holds up next to strong. If you really want to pair an intense food or beer, you may consider equally intense counterpart that can take a punch.

2. What flavors linger should be what is paired. Consider what flavors stick around on your palate after the bite when you think about what you pair it with. Making a steak with a garlicky cream sauce? That sauce will probably linger more than the meat. Pair to that rather than the steak.

3. Alcohol intensifies heat. This can be good or bad, but a factor that should be considered. Was that curry a little more mellow than you intended? Grab a high ABV (alcohol by volume) beer to kick the heat up a notch. On the other hand, that jalapeno and Habanero chili might need a low alcohol session beer.

4. Don’t forget texture. I will spare you from a lecture using my least favorite beer term, “mouth feel,” with just a mention of the idea that carbonation cuts through grease and fat. A great compliment to a triple cheese pizza isn’t as much a flavor but a texture, bubbles add a cleansing balance to a rich greasy meal. While a smooth stout, with low carbonation levels, will match the silkiness of a creamy chocolate mousse. Consider carbonation levels when paring, not just flavors.

5. Think of all the flavors being in one bowl. The ingredients should be able to coexist simultaneously, and although the argument can be made for contrasting, the best place to start is complimenting. The best way to do this is thinking about all the flavors together. Let’s just pretend that you made yourself a big pot of homemade chicken noodle soup. What do you want to throw in that pot? a beer with notes of caramel and molasses or a beer with lemon and basil. I don’t know about you but that last beer is looking like a much better man for that job.

When it comes to cooking and beer, it’s always a fairly safe bet to pair with the beer you used to make the dish. I used a higher hop wheat beer for this, a good beer for pairing as well. The wheat matches the flavors in the breadsticks (obviously) and the slightly higher than average hops can keep up with the kick of garlic.

Italian Beer Bread Sticks

1 hour

Yield: 8 breadsticks

Ingredients

2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 envelope rapid rise yeast
1/2 tsp garlic powder
½ tsp fresh rosemary, minced
1 tbs sugar
3/4 cup beer (wheat beer or pale ale)
¼ cup butter, softened
1 tsp salt
Topping:
3 tbs melted butter
½ tsp garlic powder
1 tsp course salt

Directions

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook attachment, add the flour, yeast, garlic powder, sugar and rosemary. Mix until combined.
In a microwave safe bowl add the beer. Microwave on high for 20 seconds, test temperature with a cooking thermometer and repeat until temperature reaches between 120 and 125 degrees Fahrenheit.
Add the beer to the stand mixer and mix on medium speed. Once most of the dough has been moistened, sprinkle with the salt and add softened butter.
Turn speed to medium-high and beat until dough is smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes.
Transfer dough to a lightly oiled bowl, tightly wrap with plastic wrap. Allow to sit in a warm room until doubled in size, about 45 to 60 minutes.
Preheat oven to 400.
Remove from bowl and add to a lightly floured surface. Cut into 8 equal sized pieces.
Roll each piece of dough into a 7-inch breadsticks. Transfer to a baking sheet that has been covered with parchment paper.
IN a small bowl whisk together the melted butter and garlic powder. Brush breadsticks with the butter mixture, reserving any leftover.
Sprinkle with coarse salt (I used smoked Maldon salt)
Bake at 400 for 12 minutes or until a light golden brown.
Brush with remaining butter prior to serving, if desired.

http://thebeeroness.com/2013/08/20/italian-beer-bread-sticks-tips-for-beer-and-food-pairing/

IPA Ceviche Lettuce Wraps

We tend to feminize or masculinize food. Beer is man food, as is bacon, grilled red meat and bourbon. While tea, lavender, scones and blueberries tend to been feminine. Chocolate seems to be neutral go-between, grabbing it’s gender label once the final product is presented. Chocolate Stout Cake with Maple Bacon Frosting: Man Cake. Chocolate Strawberry Mousse: Girly.

Although I don’t ascribe gender to my food, I can clearly see the lines drawn in the sanding sugar. These daintly looking no-cook treats will fool you like the little vixens they are. One look at these mango and shellfish filled lettuce cups and you firmly place these in the Chick Food category. But with a sharp bite of beer and a punch of spicy heat, they would beg to differ.

Along the lines of my I think now is a really good time to tell everyone minor motorcycle crash story, It’s past time to tell you that alcohol intensifies heat. While there is no way to tell the precise Scoville Units in any given jalapeno pepper, I can tell you that number will be dramatically increase after those suckers have spent an hour soaking in a high ABV IPA. So if you don’t want to turn on the oven, and don’t mind a little capsasin abuse to the mouth, this is a great meal.

If you’re man enough.

IPA Ceviche Lettuce Wraps

Yield: Serves 4

Ingredients

1 lb raw shrimp, diced
½ cup lemon juice
½ cup lime juice
1 manila mango, peeled and diced
1 tomato, diced
½ red onion, diced
1 jalapeno, diced, seeds removed
¼ cup lime juice
¼ cup lemon juice
1 tsp sriracha
2/3 cup IPA beer
4 heads endive
1 head radicchio

Directions

Place the shrimp in a small bowl. Cover with ½ cup lime juice and ½ cup lemon juice. Cover and refrigerate until the shrimp have turned pink, about 2 hours.
In a separate bowl combine the remaining ingredients (except the radicchio and the endive), allow to marinate for at least one hour.
Just prior to serving, drain the shrimp, add to the mango bowl and toss to combine.
Scoop a few tablespoons of the ceviche into the leaves of the endive and the radicchio, serve chilled

Notes

For a lower heat level, reduce Sriracha to 1/4 or 1/2 tsp.

http://thebeeroness.com/2013/07/18/ipa-ceviche-lettuce-wraps/

Honey Beer Biscuits with Strawberry Belgian Ale Sauce

If you follow me on twitter, you may have seen my announcement that I shot a TV show for Lifetime back in January. The premise of the show was to take people with interesting ideas for food products and develop those ideas into product lines that end up on grocery store shelves. There is a hole in the market when it comes to beer infused foods. Clearly this is something that people want that currently isn’t being offered on a large scale. The show airs June 22nd on Lifetime, my episode airs on August 22nd at 10:30pm on Lifetime, you’ll have to watch to see how it all turns out for me. Beyond my story, the show was well cast with incredible people, all with stories to tell and passion for what they make.

These biscuits, which would be a fantastic addition to a beer infused food line, are the best biscuits I’ve made so far. The technique creates these beautifully flakey layers, the beer lightly leavens the dough, leaving behind soft notes of beer on the finish. For both the sauce and the biscuits I used Mischief from The Bruery.

There are two types of breweries that I respect, those that offer accessible beer that’s consistent and well done. Solid beer that can be held up as excellent examples of their represented styles. The Bruery is the other type. They aren’t afraid to break a few rules, they make that clear with the spelling of their name. There is nothing traditional about the beer that comes out of this place, it’s innovative, experimental and exciting. It’s a place that you take a true beer lover, not someones who “like some beer, sometimes.” It’s not among the beer I recommend for those who want an easy introduction to craft beer, it’s beer for beer lovers. It’s were you go when you want to see the limits of beer being challenged.

To be honest, I don’t always fall in love with what The Bruery makes, but I’m always intrigued, I always want to try what they’ve come up with because it’s clear how thoughtfully made every batch is. Mischief is one of my favorites. It’s beautifully well rounded with notes of bread, yeast, citrus, grass, with a bit of spice and apricot. It also comes in a bottle that’s a perfect fit for a champagne recorker which comes in handy when you want to open a large 750ML bottle in the morning to make biscuits and want to save the rest for later in the day. It also well distributed, I’ve even heard rumors of it making it past the Booze Guards to the North to earn spots on shelves in Canada.

Another amazing Bruery creation is Black Tuesday, available in October. If you’re near Orange County in late October, it’s worth a drive to the tasting room just for that beer.

If you can’t get your hands on Mischief (although you should try, it’s a great beer) looks for a hoppy Belgian ale or Hefeweizen for this recipe.

Honey Beer Biscuits with Strawberry Belgian Ale Sauce

Ingredients

For the Strawberry Sauce:

2 cups sliced strawberries
1 cup sugar
1 cup Belgian ale (or hoppy wheat beer)

For the biscuits:

3 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
8 tbs butter, cut into cubes
1 tbs honey, plus 2 tbs (divided)
1/2 cup whole milk
2/3 cup Belgian ale (or hoppy wheat beer)
¼ tsp course sea salt

Directions

To make the strawberry sauce:

Add the strawberries, sugar and beer to a saucepan over medium high heat.
Allow to simmer, stirring occasionally, until reduced and thickened, about 20 minutes.
Add to a food processor or blender, blend until smooth.

To Make the Biscuits:

Preheat oven to 425.
In a processor add flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
Pulse to combine. Add the butter and 1 tbs honey, process until well combined. Add to a large bowl.
Add the milk and beer. Mix with a fork until just combined.
Add to a well-floured flat surface, pat into a rectangle. Using a cold rolling pin (preferably marble) gently roll into a large rectangle, about 1 inch in thickness, using as few strokes as possible.
Fold the dough into thirds as you would a letter about to go into an envelope. Roll lightly, once in each direction to about 1 inch thickness, fold in thirds again. Gently roll into about 1 1/2 inch thickness (this will give you the flakey layers).
Using a biscuit cutter cut out 6 to 8 biscuits. Place in a baking pan that has been sprayed with cooking spray.
Add the remaining 2 tbs honey to a microwave safe dish. Microwave for about 15 seconds or until thinned.
Brush biscuits with honey and sprinkle with salt.
Bake at 425 for 10 to 12 minutes or until the tops are golden brown.
Serve warm with strawberry sauce

http://thebeeroness.com/2013/07/17/honey-beer-biscuits-with-strawberry-belgian-ale-sauce/