Pretzel Crusted Chocolate Beer Fudge Cookies

I’ve never really been the girl with the sweet tooth. I’ve had a meat tooth. A salt tooth. A beer tooth. I could eat my weight in guacamole or tater tots and it takes a small act of God to get me to stop eating sushi. But sweets don’t give me the mad rabid cravings that get me to lose my mind. I love chocolate, and pie and cake, and I’ll always eat dessert if it’s around. I’ll take a small slice of every single pie at the Thanksgiving table, but those late night cravings that come after a few IPA’s are almost always of the salty variety.

But every once in a while something will hit the right note. Like this toffee that I ate the entire batch of before I could share and then lied and said it fell on the ground when really it just fell into my mouth. The perfect combination of sweet and salty will get me every time. A little sea salt sprinkle on a danish before it’s baked, or salted caramel, or candied bacon, it’s hard for me to really fall in love with a dessert that doesn’t kick me some salt. Which is why pretzels seem to make it into my desserts more often than fruit does. Maybe you like this too, after all, chocolate and pretzels go perfectly with beer.

Ingredients

1 cup bread flour
¼ cup cocoa powder
½ tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp espresso powder
¼ cup granulated sugar
10 wt oz (about 1 ¾ cups, chopped) good quality dark chocolate (60% cocao)
4 tbs unsalted butter (cut into cubes)
2 tbs vegetable oil
1/2 cup black IPA (stout or porter will also work)
1 large egg plus 1 yolk
2 cups mini pretzels
2 tbs golden brown sugar

Directions

In a bowl add the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, salt, espresso powder, and sugar, mix until well combined. Set aside
In a microwave safe bowl add the chocolate, the butter and the oil. Microwave on high for 30 seconds, stir and repeat until melted. Don't over heat or the chocolate will seize.
Stir in the beer.
Add the chocolate mixture, egg and yolk to the dry ingredients and stir until just combined, some lumps are OK.
Cover and refrigerate until the dough as has set, about 1 hour and up to 36.
Preheat oven to 350.
Add the pretzels and brown sugar in a food processor. Process until pretzels are broken up but large pieces still remain.
Using a cookie dough scoop, make balls just a bit smaller than golf balls, roll into shape with your hands. Place dough balls into pretzel mixture, press until pretzels are coated.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, add cookie balls
Bake cookies at 350 for 8-10 minutes or until the edges have set but the center is still soft. Cookies will firm up as they cool. Don't over-bake or the cookies will be dry and crumbly.

http://thebeeroness.com/2014/09/29/pretzel-crusted-chocolate-beer-fudge-cookies/

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/

Chocolate Stout Shortbread Cookies

I need to start a petition.

To change the usually paring of Milk and Cookies to Beer and Cookies. First of all, it’s just a better idea. If you want to lure friends over, “Hey I’ve got beer and cookies” will go over much better than the alternative. Second, milk is gross. Sure, you turn it into butter, cream or cheese and I’m in. But a tall glass of liquid that was recently inside of a cow just makes me gag. I’m not sure if I have ever in my life drank a glass of milk that wasn’t in the form of blended ice cream. Not even as a kid, I was the juice and cookies type. Now, it’s beer. A nice milk stout is as close as you can get me.

So next time you find yourself at my house and I offer you cookies, don’t expect a glass of milk. But I will give you some good beer, and some cookies made with beer. So I hope that’s a good substitution.

Of course it is, it’s beer and cookies.

Chocolate Stout Shortbread Cookies

Ingredients

For the Shortbread

1 ½ cups butter, softened
1 ¼ cup sugar
½ tsp almond extract
1 tsp vanilla extract
¼ tsp salt
3 cups flour
2 tbs cornstarch

For the chocolate layer:

3 cups (18 wt. oz) dark chocolate chips (60%)
2 tbs heavy cream
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons chocolate stout or imperial stout
1 tsp Fleur de sel or other flaky sea salt

Directions

Preheat oven to 325.
In the bowl of a stand mixer add the butter, sugar, almond extract and vanilla extract. Beat until well combined, light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.
Sprinkle with the salt, flour and cornstarch, mix until just combined.
Line a 9x13 baking pan with parchment paper. Press the shortbread dough into the bottom of the baking sheet in an even layer.
Prick all over with a fork.
Bake at 325 for 25-30 minutes or until the edges have just started to turn golden.
In the top of a double boiler (or a metal bowl set over a pot of water, but not touching the water) over gently simmering water, add the chocolate, cream and stout. Stir until the chocolate is smooth and melted. Pour over the shortbread in an even layer.
Sprinkle with salt. Chill until set, about 3 hours and up to overnight.
Cut into squares. Chill until ready to serve.

http://thebeeroness.com/2013/12/23/chocolate-stout-shortbread-cookies/

Mile High Chocolate Stout Pie

This past Sunday, as I stood at a podium in the middle of a convention center talking about the glorious interplay of beer & chocolate and how to pair the two, I was asked which chocolate stout I recommend.

All I could think of was this Rogue Chocolate Stout that I’d spent a day turning into an excessively large pie. A stout that has all the undeniable lurings of two of the most enticing guilty pleasures: beer & chocolate. If there has ever been a Poster Beer for converting prohibitionists into soused up stout drinkers it’s a beer infused with chocolate.

I also hear their is a beer cocktail of sorts, a mix of Rogue Chocolate Stout & Rogue Hazelnut Brown Nectar, that tastes like a Snickers bar. It’s almost more than should be allowed by law: a boozy liquid snickers. I’ll take one, and a giant slice of pie. And a day off tomorrow.

Mile High Chocolate Stout Pie

Ingredients

For the crust:

2 cups chocolate wafer cookies or 9 chocolate graham crackers (about 1 ½ cups of crumbs)
3 tbs sugar
5 tbs melted butter

For the chocolate fudge layer:

8 wt oz dark chocolate
1/3 cup chocolate stout
3 tbs heavy cream

For the mousse layer:

10 wt oz dark chocolate
1/2 cup chocolate stout
3 cups heavy cream, chilled
¼ cup powdered sugar

For the mascarpone whipped cream:

8 wt oz mascarpone cheese, softened
¾ cup powdered sugar
2 cup heavy cream, chilled
1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions

Make the crust:

Preheat oven to 350.
Add the wafer cookies (or graham crackers) and sugar to a food processor and process until just crumbs. While the food processor is running add the melted butter and process until well combined. Add to a deep dish 9.5 inch pie pan. Starting with the sides, press into shape. Press the crust very well until even and compacted.
Bake at 350 for 10 minutes.
Remove from oven and allow to cool.

Make the chocolate fudge layer:

Add the chocolate to a small bowl.
Heat the stout and cream together until very hot and just starting to steam (microwave or stove top will both work fine). Pour hot liquid over the chocolate and stir until the chocolate has melted and is well combined with the stout and cream. Pour in an even layer in the bottom of the crust. Refrigerate until set, about 30 minutes.

Make the mousse layer:

Add the chocolate to a small bowl. Heat the stout until very hot and just starting to steam (microwave or stove top will both work fine). Pour hot beer over the chocolate and stir until the chocolate has melted and is well combined with the stout. Allow to cool to room temperate. In the bowl of a stand mixer add the cream and powdered sugar, building up speed beat on high until medium peaks form. While the mixer is running slowly drizzle the chocolate into the mixer. Once all the chocolate has been added, stop the mixer and remove the bowl. Using a wooden spoon or spatula gently fold until the chocolate and cream have been well combined.
Add the mousse to the pie crust in an even layer, refrigerate until set, about 3 hours.

Make the whipped cream layer:

In the bowl of a stand mixer beat the mascarpone and powdered sugar until well combined. Add the heavy cream and vanilla, beat on high until medium peaks form. Spread in an even layer on top of the pie. Chill until ready to serve.

Notes

weight ounces (wt oz) and fluid ounces (fl oz) are NOT the same. 8 wt oz does not equal one cup (8 fl oz). Chocolate packages are measured by weight, use a kitchen scale to get the most accurate measurements, measuring cups will not help.

http://thebeeroness.com/2013/10/08/mile-high-chocolate-stout-pie/

Epic Chocolate Stout Cake with Chocolate Bourbon Sour Cream Frosting

Epic Chocolate Stout Cake

Although I may be shattering illusion with this admission, I don’t always cook with beer. I often create very sober meals with teetotaling side dishes, not a whisper of booze in sight.

However, over the years of carving out a niche in this corner of Craft Beer Land, I have found that beer is an essential and non-replaceable ingredient in several dishes, it just does the best job.

My Thanksgiving Turkey will always be brined with a brown ale, the meat tenderizing properties of beer have no match. If you want a juicy bird, it’s the best way to get there.

My dinner rolls will always be made with wheat beer, the leaving agents are just too good.

My steak will always be given a good soak in a dark craft beer, it gives the best results.

And my chocolate cake will always be made with a nice chocolate stout. The first recipe I ever made with beer was a stout cake, it was by far the best homemade chocolate cake I had ever made, wooing me to the boozy side of baking.

The taste was both rich and light, smooth and bold. It may have been a gateway recipe that lead me down a path of beer cooking obsession.

Yum

Epic Chocolate Stout Cake with Chocolate Bourbon Sour Cream Frosting

Ingredients

For the Cake:

7 wt oz 72% dark chocolate, chopped (about 1 ½ cups)
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
12 ounces Chocolate Stout
3 and 1/4 cups granulated sugar
4 eggs + 2 yolks
¼ cup canola oil
2/3 cup sour cream
3 cups flour
1 tbs baking powder
1 tbs espresso powder
¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp kosher salt

For the Frosting:

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sour cream
4 cup dark chocolate chips, melted & slightly cooled
4 cups confectioners sugar
1/4 cup bourbon
½ cup heavy cream

Instructions

For the cake:

Preheat oven to 350.
In the top of a double boiler (or a bowl set over gently simmering water), add the dark chocolate, and butter, stirring frequently until just melted. Stir in the chocolate stout.
In the bowl of a stand mixer beat the sugar, eggs and yolks until well combined, light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
Add the oil and sour cream, beat until well combined.
Slowly add the chocolate, beating until all ingredients are well incorporated, scraping the bottom to make sure all us well combined.
In a separate bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, espresso powder, cocoa powder, and kosher salt.
Sprinkle the dry ingredients over the wet ingredients, stir until just combined.
Grease and flour 3, 9-inch cake pans (or two cake pans, and 12 cupcake tins).
Pour the batter evenly between the pans.
Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes or until the top springs back when lightly touched, (15-17 minutes for cupcakes).
Allow to cool, remove from pans (it’s easiest to transfer to a plate lined with parchment paper.)
To assemble a tall cake it’s easiest if all ingredients are cold, warm cake and frosting tend to slide. For best results chill the cake layers for 1 hour prior to assembling.
Chill assembled cake until ready to serve.

For the frosting:

In the bowl of a stand mixer beat the softened butter on high until creamy, about 3 minutes. Add the sour cream, beat until light and fluffy.
Slowly pour the melted chocolate into the mixer, beating until well combined with the butter mixture.
Add the powdered sugar and slowly building up speed, beat on high until well combined.
A few tablespoons at a time add the bourbon and the cream, allowing to fully incorporate before adding more. Scrape the bottom of the bowl to make sure all ingredients are well incorporated.
Cover bowl and refrigerate until set, about 20-30 minutes.

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http://thebeeroness.com/2013/08/22/epic-chocolate-stout-cake-with-chocolate-bourbon-sour-cream-frosting/

Chocolate Stout and Dulce de Leche Ice Box Pie

There are a few buzz words that seem to grab peoples attention and promote a recipe to Social Media Sharing Gangbusters status. These words include: Skinny, Quick, Easy, No Bake, Only 3 Ingredients, You’ll Never Guess The Secret Ingredient! None of these phrases are the type to attract my attention on their own.

I like a recipe that takes time, uses fat and sugar, and I’m not scared of a long list of ingredients or complicated directions.

Sometimes, however, I do invent a recipe that inadvertently falls into one of those Gangbusters categories that people seem to like. This, for example, takes 15 minutes and zero baking. It also tastes amazing in a way that seems to contradict the short amount of time it took to make.

You can buy Dulce de Leche, or make it from scratch (here is a really great post on How to Make Dulce de Leche from a blogger I have a girl-crush on). It’s simple to make from scratch, but if that doesn’t fit your time schedule, or intimidates you, it’s fairly easy to find in markets.

I found myself in ownership of a batch of Dulce de Leche after spending a 100 degree day knee deep in Holiday Cheer while making and shooting Christmas Cocktails for the Holiday Issue of a print magazine. Nothing screams July like Brandied Hot Chocolate with Candy Cane Whipped Cream or Dulce de Leche Eggnog. Although I was incredibly grateful for the opportunity, I can’t say that I really wanted to consume hot buttered rum or mulled wine on triple digit summer day.

Ice box pie was in order.

Chocolate Stout and Dulce de Leche Ice Box Pie

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients

For the Crust:

12 graham cracker rectangles
2 tbs brown sugar
4 tbs melted butter

For the Chocolate Stout Layer:

1/3 cup stout
1 1/3 cup dark chocolate chips (8 wt ounces)
1 ½ cups heavy cream
¼ cup powdered sugar

For the Dulce de Leche Layer:

1 cup heavy cream
3 tbs powdered sugar
½ cup Dulce de Leche
Additional Dulce de Leche for serving, if desired.

Directions

In a food processor add the graham crackers and brown sugar, process until reduced to fine crumbs.
While the food processor is running, add the melted butter, process until combined.
Add crust to a 9 inch spring form pan. Using a heavy, flat bottom glass, press very well into the sides and bottom of the pan (starting with the sides), make sure to press very well until the crust is very compacted into the sides and bottom of the pan.
Add the chocolate chips to a small bowl. Heat the stout until very hot (about 170 degrees), pour stout over the chocolate chips, stir until well combined and creamy. Allow to cool to room temperature.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, add 1 ½ cups heavy cream and ¼ cup powdered sugar, beat on high until soft peaks form. While the mixer is running, slowly drizzle the cooled chocolate mixture into the mixer. Once it has all been added, turn off the mixer and gently stir until all of the cream and chocolate has been combined an no white streaks or dark chocolate streaks remain. Pour into the crust. Place in the freezer while you work on the Dulce de Leche layer.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, add 1 cup heavy cream and 3 tablespoons powdered sugar. Beat on high until soft peaks form. While the mixer is running, slowly drizzle the Dulce de Leche into the mixer. Once it has all been added, turn off the mixer and gently stir until all of the Dulce de Leche and whipped cream have been combined.
Add the Dulce de Leche cream on top of the chocolate layer, smooth into an even layer.
Freeze until set, about 1 hour. Remove from freezer 10 minute prior to serving and allow to warm slightly before cutting. To remove from pan, run a sharp knife under very hot water, then run the knife between the crust and the side of the spring form pan to release.
Heat remaining Dulce de Leche and drizzle over slices prior to serving.

http://thebeeroness.com/2013/07/09/chocolate-stout-and-dulce-de-leche-ice-box-pie/

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Chocolate Stout Cheesecake Fudgesicle

Chocolate stout cheesecake Fudgesicle

Would you judge me if I tell you that I’m not a huge fan of ice cream? Clearly, I like it just fine I have several ice cream recipes on this blog, but it’s never my first choice.

Of course, I’ll eat it, although I do tend to prefer it in the winter (probably more of that inherent rebellion I told you about earlier), but there are just so many other desserts I’d rather run five miles to work off. Like, cheesecake. Or doughnuts. Or cheesecake doughnuts.

I love cheesecake. So this cheesecake version of ice cream, in pre-portioned sizes (this addresses my serious portion control issues) is just about the most perfect way to consume a frozen dessert.

And because the recipe only calls for 1/3 cup, you are going to have some stout left over that you’re going to have to figure out what to do with.

I apologize for the dilemma this creates.

Chocolate Stout Cheesecake Fudgesicle

Yield: Yield: 8 pops

Ingredients

8 ounces cream cheese, softened
¼ cup sour cream
1 cup powdered sugar
2 tbs whole milk
1/3 cup stout
½ cup dark chocolate chips
6 standard sized graham crackers
2 tbs melted butter

Directions

In a bowl (or a food processor) mix together the cream cheese, sour cream and powdered sugar until well combined.
Add the milk and stout, stir to combine.
Add the chocolate chips to a microwave safe bowl, microwave on high for 30 seconds, stir and repeat until melted. Pour the chocolate into the cream cheese mixture, stir until combined.
Pour mixture into popsicle molds, leaving about 1 inch of the top empty for the crust (if you don’t have popsicle molds, use small paper cups and popsicle sticks) tap the molds gently on the counter to remove air bubbles.
In a food processor add the graham crackers, process until only crumbs remain.
While food processor is running, add the melted butter in a slow stream until the mixture resembles wet sand.
Divide the crust evenly between the popsicles, press down gently to compact. Insert popsicle sticks, freeze for at least 6 hours and up to 3 days.

http://thebeeroness.com/2013/04/19/chocolate-stout-cheesecake-fudgesicle/

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Beerscotti: Chocolate Beer Biscotti, Made with Beer for Beer

Something about this just isn’t right, it’s a cookie made to dunk in your beer. Who does that? Maybe I’m trying to start a beer cookie revolution that ends with crumbs at the bottom of your pint glass. Maybe I just liked the alliteration, or maybe this just ends up working. You’ll have to judge for yourself.

For this I wanted a big beer, with lots of roasted chocolate malt. Drakes Drakonic Imperial Stout works great, it’s a malty beast, as they say, and has those dry cocoa notes that work with the cocoa nibs and hazelnuts in the Beerscotti. It’s a sippin’ stout, made for lingering and conversation, it’s not a beer that wants to be ignored.

But who can ignore the guy dunking a cookie in his beer? Not me.

Chocolate Beer Biscotti

Ingredients

¾ cup white sugar
4 tbs butter
2 large eggs plus 1 yolk
¼ cup stout beer
1 tsp vanilla extract
½ tsp almond extract
2 ¼ cup all purpose flour
½ cup cocoa powder
1 ½ tsp baking powder
1 tsp cornstarch
1 tsp espresso powder
¼ tsp salt
½ cup hazelnuts
1/3 cup coca nibs

Directions

Preheat oven to 350.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the sugar and butter. Beat on medium high speed until well creamed.
Add the eggs and yolk, mix until mixture is pale and fluffy.
Add the stout, vanilla and almond, mix until well combined.
In a separate bowl whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, corn starch, espresso powder and salt.
Sprinkle the dry ingredients over the butter mixture, mix on low until just incorporated. Stir in the hazelnuts and cocoa nibs.
Scoop half of the dough onto a baking sheet that has been covered with a Silpat or parchment paper that has been sprayed with cooking spray.
Shape into a log that is about 8 inches long and 2 inches wide. Repeat with the other half of the dough.
Bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until slightly firm to the touch. Cool for about 5 minutes. Cut diagonally into ¾ inch slices. Return to the baking sheet, cut side up.
Bake until slightly crispy, about ten minutes.
Cool on a wire rack.
Biscotti can be made up to three days ahead of time and taste the best 24 hours after baking. Store in an air tight container.

http://thebeeroness.com/2013/04/03/beerscotti-beer-biscotti-made-with-beer-for-beer/

Chocolate Stout Muffin Bread

Let’s talk about chocolate stouts for a minute.

If you aren’t aquatinted with these Dark Knights, you might be under the impression that your beer will be like a tall glass of malty chocolate milk. For the most part, that isn’t the case. While I was at Hanger 24, those awesome guys let me taste some of the grains they use in their Chocolate Porter.

(By the way, neither of those hands are mine, I’m taking the photo)

It tastes, even pre-brew, more along the lines of unadulterated raw cocoa rather than a giant slice of cake. For me, this is great news. The flavors of cocoa (before the butter, cream and sugar are added) are dry and even bitter, making a great addition to the flavors of a stout. If you’re afraid of a beer flavored Yoo-Hoo, you’re in luck. For the most part, chocolate stouts grab those great dry flavors of that cocoa bean without that cloying sweetness of a dessert that you don’t really need in your pint glass.

Here are some of my favorite chocolate stouts and porters, please let me know if you have a favorite of your one:

Bison Chocolate Stout

Rogue Chocolate Stout

Hanger 24 Chocolate Porter

Ken Schmidt / Iron Fist / Stone Chocolate Mint Stout

Souther Tier Choklat (I have yet to get my hands on this on the West Coast, but it’s on my Must Drink list)

Chocolate Stout Muffin Bread

Ingredients

2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
2/3 cup coca powder
1 cup white sugar
1 tbs baking powder
1 tbs cornstarch
2/3 cup chocolate chips
10 ounces stout
2 tbs vegetable oil
¼ cup melted butter, divided in half

Directions

Preheat oven to 350.
Add the flour, salt, cocoa powder, sugar, baking powder, cornstarch, and chocolate chips stir to combine.
Pour in the stout, oil and 2 tbs of the melted butter, stir until just combined, some lumps are expected.
Pour into a loaf pan that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Pour the remaining butter over the top.
Bake at 350 for 40 to 45 minutes or until a tooth pick inserted in the center comes out with just a few crumbs on it. Allow to cool before slicing.

http://thebeeroness.com/2013/03/22/chocolate-stout-muffin-bread/

Smoky Chocolate Porter Ice Cream with Beer Candied Bacon

Yesterday I was a guest on KCRW’s St. Patricks day episode of Good Food. The host was Evan Kleiman, a chef, author and Los Angeles food scene legend. She called my recipes, “smart,” which if you are a home cook, sitting in front of an accomplished chef, is the best word you can hear.

We chatted about stouts, one of my favorite beer topics. Forget about pale lagers and green food dye, stouts are the life blood of St. Patrick’s day. In preparation for our stout conversation, I asked my Facebook readers what their favorite stouts are, and the response was amazing. My non-scientific poll concluded the most popular stouts among those who have clicked “like” on The Beeroness Facebook page are: Old Rasputin, Souther Tier Choklat, Lagunitas Cappuccino Stout and Founders Breakfast Stout. All of which would be amazing in this recipes, but I used Alaskan Brewing Smoked Porter. Just goes to show how many amazing dark craft beers there are in this nation. If you have a stout or porter that you love, let me know about it. I’m always up for a tall glass of dark beer.

Whatever you use, don’t forget to make it a chocolate bacon beer float.

Smoky Chocolate Porter Ice Cream with Beer Candied Bacon

Ingredients

2 cups whole milk
1 ½ cups semi-sweet chocolate chips (40% to 45% coca)
1 cup cream
1 cup smoked porter (or chocolate porter)
4 egg yolks
1 2/3 cups sugar
1/4 tsp smoked paprika
Beer Candied Bacon (recipe below)

Directions

In the top of a double boiler over gently simmering water, add the milk and chocolate. Stir until chocolate has melted, remove from heat, allow to cool for about 5 minutes.
In a large bowl, add the porter, sugar, cream, smoked paprika and egg yolk, whisk until well combined.
While continuing to whisk, slowly pour the hot chocolate over the egg yolks.
Add mixture to a saucepan, stir over medium high heat until mixture starts to thicken, about 5 minutes. If the mixture is lumpy, pour through a mesh strainer to remove lumps.
Transfer to a storage container, cover and refrigerate until very cold, about 6 hours and up to 12.
Churn in ice cream maker according to manufactures specifications. The mixture will probably only reach a soft serve consistency.
Transfer to a freezer safe container; freeze until firm, about 2 hours.
Sprinkle with crumbled candied bacon (recipe below).

http://thebeeroness.com/2013/03/14/smoky-chocolate-porter-ice-cream-with-beer-candied-bacon/

Beer Candied Bacon

Ingredients

1 cup brown sugar, packed
3 tbs stout
pinch cayenne
12 thick cut strips of bacon

Directions

Combine the brown sugar, stout and cayenne until thick and syrupy.
Lay bacon on a wire rack over a rimmed baking sheet.
Brush bacon with beer syrup on both sides.
Cook at 350 for ten minutes, flip and re-brush with beer syrup.
Cook for 8 to 10 more minutes or until the bacon is an amber color.
Remove from oven and allow to cool. Bacon will harden as it cools.

http://thebeeroness.com/2013/03/14/smoky-chocolate-porter-ice-cream-with-beer-candied-bacon/

Beer Candied Bacon Adapted from Oskar Blues via Tide and Thyme.

Chocolate Stout Waffle Sundae with Chocolate Stout Fudge Sauce

In my world, this is dessert.

But that being said, I ate it at 3 in the afternoon (mostly because I wanted to make it for you, and I refuse to photograph using artificial light, necessitating a mid-day desert for picture taking purposes).

Breakfast in my land, is savory. Although I occasionally indulge in sugar loaded calorie bomb in the morning hours only because for some reason it’s socially acceptable, but if we step back and look at it objectively, this is dessert.

Since I put beer in your breakfast on multiple occasions (Like this, and this and don’t forget about this), I would never judge you for eating this pre-noon. BUT, it’s dessert. And it needs to be served with a stout that’s almost warm. Maybe a sipin’ stout that’s been aged in a bourbon barrel, or a smokey porter.

But it’s definitely dessert. Even if you eat it in the middle of the day.

Chocolate Stout Waffle Sundae with Chocolate Stout Fudge Sauce

Ingredients

For The Sauce

3 tbs butter
½ cup stout
2 tbs corn syrup
1 cup dark chocolate chips

For the Waffles

1 cup flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
1/3cup milk
2/3 cup stout
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs, divided
1/3 cup sugar
Ice Cream for serving

Directions

Add the butter, 1/2 cup stout and corn syrup to a sauce pan. Cook over medium high heat until butter has melted and the mixture has just started to boil.
Turn off heat and stir in 1 cup chocolate chips until completely melted. Allow to cool slightly before using.
Preheat waffle iron according to manufacturers specifications.
In a large bowl add the flour, baking powder, cocoa powder, and salt, stir.
In a microwave safe bowl, add the chocolate chips and milk. Microwave for 30 seconds, stir and repeat until melted. Stir in the beer, vegetable oil, vanilla and only the yolks of the two eggs.
Add the whites to separate bowl, along with the sugar. Whip with a hand mixer until soft peaks form, about 5 minutes.
Make a well in the dry ingredients, add the chocolate milk mixture and stir until just combined. Gently fold into the egg whites until just incorporated.
Cook in waffle iron according to manufacturers specifications, using butter flavored cooking spray if indicated.
Plate waffles, top with desired amount of ice cream, drizzle with chocolate sauce. Serve with a malty stout.

http://thebeeroness.com/2013/02/20/chocolate-stout-waffle-sundae-with-chocolate-stout-fudge-sauce/

Creme Brulee Topped Chocolate Stout Brownies & Some Big News

I have some news.

If you Follow me on Twitter, you probably already know the Big News.

I signed a book deal on Thursday. A publisher has actually decided to pay me to write a cookbook.

How amazing is that?

Writing a cookbook has long been on my list of goals, and as I somewhat naively and idealistically jump into this process, I am reminded that it is you I have to thank for this milestone. The ones who share my posts, tell their friends about my little blog, believe in what I’m doing here, the ones who read every silly word I write, and yes, even those of you who write creepy comments about wanting to wake up in my bed and email me about how you google stalk me on a weekly basis. I am grateful for all of you.

This isn’t just my book, it’s yours too. The ideas you give me, the way I’m inspire by your questions and humbled by being seen as a source of knowledge and beer-cooking wisdom.

I wish I could properly thank you all, over a beer and some possibly inappropriate conversation. But for now, we’ll have to settle for some Creme Brulee Brownies made with two different types of beer. Which seems to be fitting, since chocolate stout was the first beer I ever cooked with and creme brulee was the subject of my first post. It’s an homage to my beer cooking beginnings, hope you like it.

If you are at all interested in helping me with this book, as an un-paid but thoroughly appreciated, recipe tester, for which you will receive my undying love and affection, a mention in the book, a sneak peek at never-before-seen-recipes, and possibly more, stay tuned. Once we get to that place, I’ll let you know how you can be my beer cooking partner in crime.

Creme Brulee Topped Chocolate Stout Brownies

Ingredients

For the Brownie Layer:

3 eggs
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 tsp espresso powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 stick butter
7 oz dark chocolate (60%)
2/3 cup chocolate stout

For The Creme Brulee Layer

1 cup heavy cream
3/4 cup low-hop pale ale beer
1 vanilla bean, split and scraped or 1/4 tsp vanilla bean paste
3 eggs plus 2 yolks
1/2 cup sugar
2 tbs corn starch
Plus 1/4 cup sugar for the brulee topping

Directions

Preheat oven to 350.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the 3 eggs, white sugar, brown sugar and vanilla on high for at least ten minutes. You need a meringue type consistency in order to create a crust on top of the brownies to insure the layers stay separate. In a separate bowl, add the flour, cocoa powder, espresso powder and salt, stir to combine.
In a microwave safe bowl, add the butter and the chocolate. Microwave on high for 30 seconds, stir and repeat until melted.
While the stand mixer is on medium speed, slowly add the chocolate until mostly combined. Add the beer and stir. Add the flour mixture and stir until just combined.
Grease and flour a 9x13 inch baking dish. Pour batter into dish and smooth out the top. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes or until the top is matte and a bit cracked. Don't over bake.
Allow to cool to room temperature.
For the creme brulee layer:
In a sauce pan over medium heat, bring the cream, beer and vanilla to a slight simmer, removing from heat when bubbles start to form around the edges. Remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature.
In a separate bowl, whisk the 1/2 cup sugar, eggs and yolk, and cornstarch until well combined and slightly frothy.
While continuing to whisk the egg mixture, slowly add the cream and whisk until well combined. Make sure the cream has cool or you will just have created vanilla scrambled eggs.
Return the cream to the stove and stir over medium heat until it comes to a low simmer. Continue to whisk until thickened, between 5 and 10 minutes. The cream should leave a track when you drag the whisk through it. Allow to cool to about room temperature.
Pour over the brownies, cover tightly with plastic wrap and chill until set, about 1 hour.
Just prior to serving, cut into squares, cover with a light layer of white sugar and brulee the top with a kitchen torch until the sugar has melted and turned a dark amber color.

http://thebeeroness.com/2012/11/13/creme-brulee-topped-chocolate-stout-brownies/

Chocolate Stout and Bacon Skillet Brownies

I hope you don’t mind my excessive use of stout over the past few weeks, but to be honest I’m really not sorry. I love stouts, I’m unreasonably excited about stouts being back “in season,” and we are only about 2 weeks away from International Stout Day.

I’m geting you all stocked up on stout recipes, in case you want to celebrate via beer infused baked goods.

Which, of course, I hope you do.

You can use a chocolate stout for this, and that will be perfectly fine. You can also use a smoked porter or stout, or you can use a coffee or espresso stout.

Whatever you choose, this is best served warm, in the middle of a table full of fun people, each with a spoon in one hand and a stout in the other.

Yum

Chocolate Stout and Bacon Skillet Brownies

Ingredients

2 strips thick cut bacon
1 stick unsalted butter
3.5 oz (100g) dark chocolate (60%), broken into pieces
1/2 cup stout (chocolate or coffee stouts work best)
2 eggs
2/3 cup sugar
1 tbs espresso powder
1/2 cup flour
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1/4 tsp baking powder
Preheat oven to 350.

Instructions

In a 8 or 9 inch cast iron skillet cook the bacon until done. Remove bacon from skillet. Swirl the bacon fat to coat the pan, discard the excess bacon fat.
Add the butter to the skillet, return to heat and cook until melted. Add the chocolate and stir until melted. Remove from heat. Add beer and stir.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs and sugar until well combined. Sprinkle the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and espresso powder over the eggs, whisk until just combined.
Add the egg mixture to the chocolate skillet and stir until just combined. Chop bacon and sprinkle over the top.
Bake until the top has set (don't over bake) about 25 to 30 minutes.
Remove from oven, top with vanilla ice cream if desired (and I'm pretty sure you should desire) set in the middle of a table full of hungry people. Add spoons.

Schema/Recipe SEO Data Markup by Yummly Rich Recipes

http://thebeeroness.com/2012/10/23/chocolate-stout-and-bacon-skillet-brownies/

Chocolate Stout and Bacon Skillet Brownie6

Chocolate Mint Stout Lava Cake

Let’s talk about mint for a second.

If you know me well, you know I have an issue with mint. Although it would be hard to tell, given that I’ve made you Chocolate Porter Brownies with Mint Frosting, Chocolate Mint Stout Ice Cream, and our neighborhood beer float hussy, The Dirty Girl Scout. You could have even assumed that I LOVE mint by all of those recipes, but the truth is that this is my culinary equililant of Exposure Therapy.

The devolution of mint in my life happened in Morocco. I was traveling though Middle Atlas a few year ago with my sister, being carted from one town to another in the back of what was surely the car of a Moroccan drug dealer (or at least drug dropper-offer-guy, *actual term). I can’t even really pinpoint which incident linked Mint with Morocco in my brain. Maybe it was the cave dweller in Middle Atlas who made me mint tea, or the three Moroccan rug makers who locked me in the back of the factory plying me with mint tea in an effort to convince me to spend $6000 on a rug, or maybe it was the mint vendors waving their wares at me in the walled maze that was the old City Medina.

To be honest, the experience wasn’t entirely bad. Terrifying and life changing, but I’m grateful for the opportunity to have gone to the other side of the world, even if it did involved running for my life through the late night streets of Fez. The rumor is that your sense of taste is more strongly linked to memories than images. Which makes sense. Because even when I see my photos from that trip, it doesn’t even come close to evoking the memories that come screaming back when I smell or taste fresh mint.

I want to like mint, it’s an incredible flavor. It’s fresh and bright, and makes me gag. But I’m working on it. Exposure therapy, one chocolate mint dessert at a time.

Months ago, when I found out about the Ken Schmidt / Iron Fist / Stone Mint Chocolate Imperial Stout I was excited that my self imposed mint affliction could extend into my love of craft beer.

This might do it. And with a bold and creamy taste, and a gentle, but not sweet, mint flavor, I have high hopes that I will someday be the cure to my mint aversion. I think I need to send Ken Schmidt a mint flavored thank you card.

Chocolate Mint Stout Lava Cake

Ingredients

3.5 oz (100 g) Dark Chocolate 70%
1 1/2 sticks butter (10 tbs)
2/3 cup Chocolate Mint Stout (or chocolate stout)
1/4 tsp peppermint extract
3 eggs plus 3 additional yolks
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/3 cup cocoa powder
3/4 cup flour
1 tsp espresso powder (this will not make the dessert taste like coffee. Espresso intensifies chocolate)
2 tbs dark chocolate chips

Directions

Preheat oven to 425.
Butter six soufflé dishes very well. The best way to do this is to soften butter (or use vegetable shortening or margarine) and a wadded up paper towel, smear a large amount inside each dish, making sure to get into the edges.
In a saucepan over medium heat, add the chocolate and butter. Stir constantly until chocolate is melted, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Add beer, and peppermint extract, stir to combine.
In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs, yolks and powdered sugar.
Pour chocolate mixture over egg mixture, stir to combine.
Sprinkle cocoa powder, espresso powder and flour over chocolate mixture, stir until just combined.
Divide equally between souffle dishes, making sure not to fill more than 2/3 full. Press about 4 to 5 chocolate chips into the very center of each cake (can be made one day ahead, cover and chill).
Bake at 425 until the outside is set, but the center is still liquid, about 9 minute no more than 13. (Note: Glass baking dishes cook much faster then ceramic dishes. Take these out of the oven when it looks as if they "need a few more minutes," you want a very runny center.)
Run a butter knife around the edge of the cake. Place a plate on top of each ramekin, turn upside down, lift ramekin to reveal cake. Serve immediately.

http://thebeeroness.com/2012/10/18/chocolate-mint-stout-lava-cake/

The Dirty Girl Scout: Chocolate Mint Beer Float

This isn’t a recipe. Not really, it’s more like assembly instructions for how to make a float that tastes like a Girl Scout Thin Mint, but with beer.

Boozy, chocolatey, minty.

But there really isn’t a recipe involved. Add more ice cream if that’s what you like. Add more beer, if that suits you.

I used my homemade Chocolate Mint Stout Ice Cream & a lot of Bison Chocolate Stout.

It tastes like beer. In case you were hoping for one of those overly sweet concoctions they sell at diners.

But, more or less, this is how you do it:

Step one:

Add a few scoops of chocolate mint ice cream to the bottom of a mug.

Grab some beer, chocolate stout is preferable.

Pour beer over ice cream.

Enjoy.

Chocolate Mint Stout Ice Cream

There are two ways to look at this.

It’s either the summer death rattle manifesting itself in an ice cream during the first week of fall, or it’s the nexus of the best of summer treats and the best of fall beers joining forces at the perfect moment.

For this, I used Bison Chocolate Stout. Rich, dark and beautiful. Although I did try and hold out for the Stone Chocolate Mint Stout that I’ve been teased with for months now, I may have to give this recipe another try when the red tape is lifted and the world is able to indulge in that.

I also used Green & Blacks Mint Dark Chocolate, adding a smooth peppermint flavor.

Resulting in a rich, smooth ice cream that’s like a Girl Scout Thin Mint, but with beer. And, that’s really what those cookies need: beer.

Chocolate Mint Stout Ice Cream

Ingredients

2 cups whole milk
3 fresh mint leaves
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup chocolate stout, or chocolate mint stout
7 ounces of 60% dark chocolate with peppermint oil (such as Dark Chocolate Mint from Green & Blacks), broken into chunks
4 egg yolks
1 1/4 cup white sugar

Directions

In a pot over medium high heat, add the cream, milk, mint leaves cream and stout. Bring to a gentle simmer. Remove from heat, remove and discard mint leaves, and stir in the chocolate until melted.
In a separate bowl, add the egg yolks and the sugar, whisk until well combined. Slowly add the chocolate milk, whisking continually, until about 1/2 the mixture has been added to the egg yolks. Add the egg yolk mixture back into pot, whisk until well combined. Return pot to heat and bring to a mild simmer.
Refrigerator until chilled, about 3 hours.
Churn in ice cream maker according to manufactures directions. Chill until firm.

http://thebeeroness.com/2012/09/18/chocolate-mint-stout-ice-cream/

Green & Blacks provided me with a sample of chocolates used in this post. I was not monetarily compensated for this recipe. All thoughts, opinions and ideas are my own.

Chocolate Chip, Stout & Beer Nut Cookies

If you live in the Los Angeles area, I’m going to need you to do me a favor. I’ve somehow been booked on CBS, Los Angeles mid-day news with a cooking segment this Friday, August 31st. They want me to do a quick Cooking With Beer segment on the news at noon. People will be hungry, naturally, it is lunch time, and my hope is that this will persuade them to ignore any brief moments of nervousness that I have.

But If you could tune in, and support me, that would be great. I’m not really nervous, I keep waiting for that to set in, but it hasn’t yet. When it does, I would love to know that people who have been visiting me here on this little blog for the past year are out there cheering me on.

That would be great.

In the meantime we’re going to make some cookies. These call for the classic Beer Nuts, which I found myself in possession of after a particularly round night of cards at my house. Several bags of Beer Nuts left by an anonymous donor. And I can’t just leave them in my pantry, I need to find a use for them.

We are also going to revisit that crazy idea I have of making beer extract. Because vanilla is just too…well, vanilla.

Chocolate Chip, Stout & Beer Nut Cookies

Ingredients

3/4 cup stout beer
1 cup cake flour
3/4 cup bread flour
1/2 tsp cornstarch
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup butter
2/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 egg
1 cup dark chocolate chips (60%)
3 oz bag Beer Nuts

(Makes 10-12 cookies)

Directions

In a pot over medium high heat add the beer. Cook, stirring occasionally, until reduced to about 1 tbs.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the butter and both types of sugar, beat until well creamed. Add the egg and beat until well combined. Add the 1 tbs of beer extract and beat until well combined, scraping the bottom to make sure all the ingredients are well combined.
In a sperate bowl, add both types of flour (these two types of flour are very important to the end result of your cookies, regular all purpose flour will not give you the same results), cornstarch, baking powder and salt. Mix well. Add dry ingredients to the stand mixer and mix on medium/low speed until just barely combined, don't over mix. Add the chocolate chips and Beer Nuts, and stir until incorporated.
Resting the dough is an important step in this recipe. Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper, scoop golfball sized scoops of dough, roll them into round balls and place on the baking sheet, cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least 4 hours.
Preheat oven to 350.
Bake for 20-22 minutes or until light golden brown, don't over bake. (If you don't chill the dough, or if you make smaller sized cookies, the cooking time will be much shorter. Start to keep an eye on your cookies after about 14 minutes).

http://thebeeroness.com/2012/08/28/chocolate-chip-stout-beer-nut-cookies/

Chocolate Porter Strawberry Shortcakes With Beer Whipped Cream

(Chocolate Porter Strawberry Shortcakes With Beer Whipped Cream)

I’m taking a huge risk here.

You may have taken one look at this post and decided that I’ve lost my magic. Chocolate beer cake is as common as Nascar sweatpants in Walmart. But unlike motor sports fashion blunders in public, I loved this dessert.

I’m combining a past evoking childhood treat with my beer loving present tense self, and topping it with beer whipped cream. Strawberry shortcakes were one of my favorite desserts as a kid, but growing up I never had them from scratch. I was raised in a very prepackaged, frozen food section, shelf-stable house, with a mom who was trying to feed all of her 8 daughters (yes, that isn’t a typo, I have 7 sisters) with no time for any culinary adventure beyond reheating and assembling. Completely understandable.

Making my childhood memory of strawberry shortcakes those pre-packaged round sponge cakes, with Cool Whip and chopped strawberries.

So this is the “I cook from scratch and add beer” version of that. Although not a traditional “shortcake,” I hope once I top it with drunken whipped cream and fresh berries you’ll forgive the misstep in terminology.

Chocolate Porter Strawberry Shortcakes With Beer Whipped Cream

For the cake:

3 cups cake flour

2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

3/4 cup cocoa powder

1 tsp salt

2 sticks butter (softened)

2 cups sugar

5 eggs

1 tbs vegetable oil

12 oz Porter beer

For the strawberries:

4 cups strawberries, hulled and chopped

1/2 cup sugar

For the whipped cream:

2 cups heavy cream

1/2 cup powdered sugar

2 tbs porter beer

(makes 10)

Preheat oven to 350.

In a bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cocoa powder.

In the bowl of the stand mixer cream the butter and sugar. One at a time add the eggs, beating well and scraping the bowl between each addition, then add the oil. Alternating between the beer and the dry ingredients, add both a bit at a time, starting and ending with the dry ingredients, stir until just barely combined.

Grease and flour two 8 inch cake pans.

Pour batter into prepared pans. Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool.

Invert the cake pan onto a flat surface. Using a 2 1/2 inch biscuit cutter, cut out 5 circles from each cake round (you can also use a large knife to cut them into squares).

Place chopped strawberries in a bowl with sugar, stir to combine. Allow to sit at room temperature for ten minutes.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the cream, powdered sugar and 2 tbs beer. Whip on high until soft peaks form, about 4 minutes.

Place one cake round on a plate, top with strawberries and then with whipped cream.

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