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Chocolate Stout Mousse Brownies and What The Heck Is A Stout?

Craft beer 101: What The Heck Is A Stout?

Dark beers, with their inky good looks and sinister darkness have a way of scaring away those new to the brew. But what is a stout? and what makes it so dark?

Don’t let the color fool you, these gentle giants offer a smooth, malty, drinkability with much lower hop bitterness than their lighter counterpoints. Stouts were born from another dark beer, the Porter. Porters and stouts are both made with grains that have been roasted to a dark blackness, giving them their inky color and toasted flavors. Porters came first, gaining wide popularity across Europe in the 18th century. Once brewers started to tinker with the formula (as they often do) and the ABV (alcohol by volume) was raised, the term Stout Porter was born, referring to a stronger version of a porter. Although over time, the ABV of a dark beer has no bearing on weather a it will earn a stout or a porter designation, it’s no longer part of the equation. For example, a Guinness, the worlds most popular stout, has an ABV of only 4.2%, very few porters are at or below that level.

To this day the differences between stouts and porters are well debated and the lines have been aggressively muddied. For the sake of cooking, stouts and porters are interchangeable. The difference between a stout and porter: what ever the brewer wants it to be. Try not to spend too much time on the differences of stouts and porters, for the most part, it just doesn’t matter.

If you are a coffee drinker, or tend to favor the bourbon, the dark beers should be on your Must Try list. The flavor profiles in a stout often have notes of cocoa, espresso, and spices. They have richness that’s easy to enjoy. Although within the genera, several styles exist.

Chocolate Stout Mousse Brownies and What The Heck Is A Stout?

Imperial Stout (or Russian Imperial Stout): These days the term means a big bold stout, full of larger than life flavors and a higher than average ABV. These are generally sippin' stouts, made to savor and share. Don’t be afraid of these giant beasts, brewers can pack some fantastic flavors in these beers.

A few to try: Old Rasputin Imperial StoutFounders Imperial Stout, Rogue Imperial Stout

Milk Stout (or Sweet Stouts): These are beers made with the lactose from milk, one of the exceptions to the Beer is Vegan rule. The sweetness of the lactose gives a creaminess and a velvety texture to a tall glass of dark brew.

a few to try: Left Hand Milk Stout, 3 Floyds Moloko, Revolution Brewing Mad Cow Milk Stout

Smoked Porter: The mild hints of smoke in these beers make them great for a cold winters evening by the fire, as well as the perfect braising liquid of a large pork shoulder. This is my go-to style when braising beef or pork, and also adds a meatiness when cooking chicken or mushrooms.

A few to try: Alaskan Smoked Porter, Stone Smoked Porter with Vanilla BeanDeschutes Imperial Smoked Porter

 

Chocolate Stout Mousse Brownies. Rich and chocolaty with the texture of a fluffy, creamy mousse.

These brownies are a hybrid of the Chocolate Stout Mousse that will be in my Cookbook and my favorite brownie recipe. There is a light, mousse-like texture and deep richness all over a crispy chocolate shortbread crust.

Chocolate Stout Mousse Brownies

Ingredients
  

For the Crust:

  • 3/4 cup flour
  • ¼ cup cocoa
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 1/3 cup powdered sugar
  • 6 tbs unsalted butter

For the Filling:

  • 8 tbs butter 1 stick
  • 8 wt ounes bittersweet chocolate 62% cocoa content about 1 ½ cups
  • 5 eggs separated
  • ¼ tsp cream tartar
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 1/3 cup stout
  • 2 tbs cornstarch
  • 2 tbs flour

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven 375.
  • In a food processor add the flour, cocoa powder, salt and powdered sugar, pulse a few times to combine.
  • Add the butter cubes and process until well combined.
  • Spray a deep dish 8x8 inch baking dish (for 9x13, double the recipe) with cooking spray.
  • Dump crust in the prepared dish, press firmly into an even layer.
  • Place 8 tablespoons of butter, stout and chocolate in the top of a double boiler (or a metal bowl set over a pot of water) over medium heat. Stir frequently until melted, remove from heat.
  • In the bowl of a stand mixer add the egg whites and cream of tartar, building up speed, beat on high until soft peaks form.
  • Move whites to a large bowl.
  • In the stand mixer bowl (no need to clean between jobs), add the egg yolks, sugar, cornstarch, and flour. Beat on high until light and slightly fluffy.
  • Slowly pour the chocolate mixture into the egg yolk mixture, beating until completely combined, scraping the bottom to make sure the mixture is well incorporated.
  • About 1/3 at a time, gently fold the egg whites into the chocolate mixture using a spatula. Stir until egg whites are well combined with the chocolate mixture. Add filling in an even layer on top of the crust.
  • Bake at 375 for thirty minutes or until the top has puffed and looks dry. Remove from oven and allow to cool to room temperature before cutting.

Chocolate Stout Mousse Brownies. Rich and chocolaty with the texture of a fluffy, creamy mousse.

After School Snack: Chocolate Banana Pops

 

Perfect After School Snack: Chocolate Banana Pops

Before I became a member of Club Mom, I had no idea how much time I would spend obsessing over school lunches and after school snacks. Along with how hard it is to cut tiny fingernails and how accustom to contact with bodily fluids you become, these are things not mentioned in those baby books. Heads up kids, there is a LOT they don’t mention in the baby books.

Perfect After School Snack: Chocolate Banana Pops

My little lady is a constant mover, more interested in sports than food at this point. She’s tiny and needs bites that are both nutrient and calorie dense to keep meat on her tiny bones. I started to make these because they’re portable, fruit filled, and just enough chocolate to get her interested.

Perfect After School Snack: Chocolate Banana PopsYou can also make them with cinnamon chips, yogurt chips or peanut butter chips. It all works out about the same. Just slice the banana into 1/2 inch slices, add a toothpick, melt the chips in a microwave safe bowl, dip, add to a baking sheet covered with parchment paper and freeze. Once they’re frozen you can add them all to a large zip lock bag.

Perfect After School Snack: Chocolate Banana Pops

 

Couldn’t be easier.

And while I’m at it, California Strawberries is doing a fun Build a Better Lunch Box campaign and giving away these adorable lunch boxes. Cute, right? Enter the giveaway here.

Red Rocket Lunch Box

Perfect After School Snack: Chocolate Banana Pops

 

 

After School Snack: Chocolate Banana Pops

Ingredients

  • 1 large banana, ripe but firm
  • 1/3 cup chocolate chips (or peanut butter chips, or yogurt chips)
  • 12 toothpicks

Instructions

  1. Slice the banana into 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick slices.
  2. Skewer with a toothpick.
  3. Add the chips to a microwave safe bowl.
  4. Microwave on high for 20 seconds, stir and repeat until melted.
  5. One at a time, dip the banana bites into the melted chips, place on a baking sheet that has been covered with parchment paper.
  6. Freeze.
  7. Serve frozen.

Perfect After School Snack: Chocolate Banana Pops

 

Lemon Beer Dream Cake

Lemon Beer Dream Cake via @TheBeeroness

As I type this, I stand firmly on the waining end of National IPA Day (August 1st).  With two different bottles of IPA rattling around in my bones, I blame all levels of grammatical inaccuracies and typos on higher than average ABV’s.

IPA day was started by bloggers, with nothing to gain but promoting the hoptastic end of craft beer sepctructrum. It wasn’t a cooperate game, a marketing strategy, or a way to promote a single beer. It’s a rally cry, a voice from within this community I’ve come to love that just says, "join us." A way to celebrate the beer that’s at the cornerstone of a movement that identifies us as a community and a way to pull others into the pot. Drink the Dry Hopped Kool-Aid with us, we want you here. No singular voice benefits from this, it’s just a fun, rising tide, that lifts all craft beer ships.

For these reasons, I’ll always participate. Until it gains sponsors, then I may have to reconsider.

Lemon Beer Dream Cake via @TheBeeroness

As I spent a day in and out of comprehensive distraction, I did what I do in this corner of Craft Beer Land, I cooked. I baked. I made a cake that served as a bit of therapy for a strange time in a strange life. I wanted to pay homage to the Beer of the Hour, but that IPA can temperamental. Cooking and reducing an IPA in any capacity can be a bit hit or miss. Higher IBU beer (IBU stands from International Bitterness Units, it’s how to tell how hoppy or bitter a beer is), reduce to a very bitter product. I generally use them when the beer won’t beer cooked (or at least not cooked for an extended period of time), or when I want a little beer to go along way, flavor wise.

Lemon Beer Dream Cake via @TheBeeroness

A fringe benefit of beer blogging is surprise shipments of beer from great breweries. A recent shipment was graciously sent over from a brewery out of Athens, Georgia called Terrapin. Although most of the time I’ve spent in Georgia should go lavishly unrecorded, I would like to take a trip back to visit this place.

Terrpain’s dedication to diversity of brew, as well as a steadfast determination to provide Beer For All, makes this a place I want to hang out. Sampling the beer sent all the way to the far reaches of the West Coast, I found beer that I can give to the Craft Beer Seekers in my life as well as beer that I consider to be Gateway Beer. Gateway beer is a favorite category of mine, and often hard to fill. It’s beer that will rest well on the palates of those in the Craft Beer know, as well as easy beer to serve to people who, "don’t really like beer." It’s my way of pulling a few vodka drinkers and inBev devotees over to the Craft Beer side.

Only hours after a stash from Terrapin landed on my doorstep, I weighed my options. For this cake, I needed a lower hop beer for the cake and wanted an IPA for the filling and the frosting. I choose Maggie’s Peach Farmhouse ale (great gateway beer) for the cake and Hopzilla (beautiful, well balanced IPA) for the frosting.

Lemon Beer Dream Cake via @TheBeeroness

If you’re new to craft beer, or want a beer that’s easy to serve to people on the beer fringes, the Maggie’s Farmhouse is a great one to offer. It would also be a great choice for my Beer Sangria.

The Hopzilla I really liked, it was well balanced and in my world of flavor profiles and balanced tastes, that’s a win. A nice malt finish after a hoppy start always wins me over.

Lemon Beer Dream Cake via @TheBeeroness

Lemon Beer Dream Cake

Ingredients
  

For the cake:

  • 2 ½ cups cake flour
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • 2 cups granulated sugar
  • 2 tbs lemon zest
  • ¾ cup unsalted butter softened
  • 1/2 cup buttermilk
  • ½ cup Saison pale ale or White ale beer
  • 5 egg whites reserve yolks for curd
  • ¼ tsp cream or tartar

For the filling:

  • 2 whole eggs plus five yolks
  • 1 1/4 cup white sugar
  • 1 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice about 6 large lemons
  • 1 tbs lemon zest
  • ½ cup IPA beer
  • 2 tbs corn starch
  • ½ cup unsalted butter cut into cubes

For the Frosting:

  • 1 cup butter softened
  • 2 cups confectioners sugar
  • 1 tbs lemon zest
  • 2 tbs lemon juice
  • 3 tbs IPA beer
  • 3 tbs whole milk

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 350.
  • In a large bowl, stir together the cake flour, baking powder, and salt.
  • In the bowl of a stand mixer add the butter, sugar, and lemon zest, beat on high until very well combined, light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.
  • In a small bowl, add the beer and buttermilk (it’s ok if it curdles).
  • Alternating between the flour and the beer mixture, add a bit of each to the stand mixer while it runs on low speed, until all ingredients are combined. Scrape the bottom of the bowl to make sure all ingredients are well combined.
  • Remove the batter, add to a large bowl. Clean the mixer very well (using a hand mixer or a separate mixer is fine as well).
  • Add the egg whites and cream of tartar to the clean bowl of a stand mixer, any amount of fat and the egg whites will not whip properly.
  • Whip on high until stiff peaks form, about 5 minutes.
  • Add about 1/3 of the egg whites to the cake batter mixture, gently fold to combine. Once combined, gently fold in half of the remaining egg whites, then the final egg whites, stir until combined.
  • Grease and flour three 9-inch cake pans very well (8 inch cake pans will work as well), divide the batter between the three pans.
  • Bake at 350 for 20 minutes or until the tops have just started to brown.
  • Allow to cool to room temperature before removing from pans.
  • While the cake is baking, make the curd.
  • In a pan off heat, whisk together the eggs, yolks, sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest, beer, and corn starch. Add the butter cubes, place the pan over medium high heat. Whisk frequently until thicken to a pudding like consistency, about 10 minutes.
  • Remove from heat, add to a bowl and refrigerate until chilled, about 1 hour.
  • To make the butter cream, add the butter, sugar, and zest to a stand mixer, building up speed, beat on high until very well combined, light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.
  • One tablespoon at a time, slowly add the lemon juice, beer and milk, allowing to re-mix to a fluff consistency between additions, this should take no less than 8 minutes total. Make sure the frosting is very well whipped.
  • To assemble the cake, add one layer of cake to a cake plate. Top with half of the lemon mixture, then with another layer and then with the rest of the lemon mixture before adding the final layer of cake. Top the final layer of cake with the butter cream. If you want to frost the entire cake with buttercream, double the buttercream recipe, assemble the layers and chill the cake for at least one hour before attempting to frost.
  • Chill until ready to serve.

Lemon Beer Dream Cake via @TheBeeroness

 

 

Spent Grain Cookies & Dry River Brewing: Kick Starting a Brewery

DRV family

Homebrewer turned brewery owner isn’t a new phenomenon; in fact, it’s historically the path most commonly taken by those who head our favorite breweries. With the advent of Kickstarter, beer making business men and women everywhere are getting a leg up to their dream job. Today, thousands of campaigns for brewery owning hopefuls exist and the Los Angeles craft beer scene is no exception. With so many craft beer devotees vying of a place in the market, a few shining hopefuls stand out from the crowd as truly innovative and destine for success. Dry River Brewing is one of those elite few that stand head and shoulders above the pack. Due in part to how incredibly likeable the couple is, but largely because of how inventive the beer is. From Rio Secco Pale Ale, and  Horchata Cream ale to Camomile Honey Wheat, this is a brewery that brings solid accessible beer as well as pushes the limits of what’s previously been done with craft beer.

Owners Dave and Vanda have a Kickstarter campaign underway now, to get in on the ground floor of what is poised to be a exciting and dynamic brewery, check it out before it’s too late.

I was able to catch up with Dave and Vanda, ask a few questions and even sample their truly stellar beer. Vanda even gave me the recipe for her fabulous spent grain cookies.

LTR - Dave and Vanda 2

 

1.      How long have you been brewing?

We started Dry River Brewing in 2012, after home-brewing for years.  We have both been interested in craft beer forever and we’re big loca-vores, so it was kind of natural for us to get in to home brewing.

 

2.      When did you realize that you could make the leap from home brewer to brewery owner?

We were initially thinking of opening a craft beer bar, but we were getting great feedback on our homebrew and as we were out talking with bar owners we realized that the big opportunity was on the production side.  LA is way underserved in terms of local breweries — we see tons of pent-up demand for locally produced beer.   I work in green real estate and my wife Vanda comes from a hospitality background, so Dry River Brewing really brings all of our interests together.

 

3.      Tell me about the beer you’ve made that you are most proud of?

At Dry River Brewing we’re brewing sessional beers with non-traditional recipe and a local flavor. Our Horchata Cream Ale will be our flagship beer, and I think it’s a really good example of our style.  It starts as a traditional Cream Ale, but we add flaked rice to the grain bill, add vanilla beans and spices to the boil, then dry hop it with Japanese hops that accentuate the vanilla flavor.  We also do a tart Jamaica-Weisse with hibiscus flowers, and a Smoked Agave Wheat.  There are so many great beers out there, we’re always inspired to try new things to stand out and be different.

 

4.      What vision do you have for the brewery? What type of place will it be?

Dry River Brewing will be a destination brewery/seafood restaurant, with a big patio where people can sit outside and enjoy the river. The vibe will be super casual and the décor will play off of the river/nautical theme – think kitschy yacht-club meets urban brew-pub. Live music will be a big part of it, and we’re planning a bunch of programming to keep it interesting.

Patio mock-up 2

5.      How does the LA River tie on?

We were scouting possible locations and were really drawn to the LA River.  It’s mostly paved over and covered with graffiti, but the river is a really interesting part of LA’s history — and now there’s an amazing vision to revitalize the river, dig up the concrete, reintroduce native plants, and build bike trails, parks, and other amenities to make the river a real destination.  We wanted the name of our brewery to get people thinking, and for our brewery to be part of that revitalization effort.

la-river-kayaking-paddle-summer-2012

6.      You have a lot of support from the Los Angeles craft beer community, how important was that for you?

Huge!  We want to be a truly local brewery – we don’t have plans to expand outside LA County – so local support is super important to us.  We are really collaborative by nature, so it’s awesome to be part of a scene where people support each other rather than tear each other down.

7.      What breweries or brewers do you admire?

Locally, I really admire Browerij West — I think 3 of my 5 current favorite beers ever are by them.  I respect the brewer’s (Brian Mercer) emphasis on simplicity in his recipes, and how he stays so true to his vision.  They only produce Belgian styles, no IPAs or anything else, and they started before Belgians were in style – I think that takes a lot of guts.  I also love their branding and aesthetics.  Brian has a great eye.

As far as breweries outside LA, I am a huge fan of Mikkeler.  He puts out a ridiculous number of beers each year, and pretty much every one I’ve had has been amazing.  I think it’s cool how he partners with other breweries around the world, not just because he comes up with such interesting recipes but also because he can use such a broad range of fresh local ingredients.

8.      Do you have a favorite ingredient when it comes to making beer?

We use lots of non-traditional ingredients in our beers, but I would have to say hops and Vanda would probably say tea.  I love to experiment with different hop varieties, especially new or unusual ones, to see what results I can achieve.  Vanda does a lot of amazing tea infused beers, like her Chamomile Honey Wheat, her Roibos Dubbel, and an Elderflower Blonde that we call the LA Cougar.

9.      What do you do with your spent grains?

Vanda makes cookies!   She blends the spent grains in a food processor, adds some coconut oil, dried fruit, chocolate chips, a few spices, and throws them in the oven – they’re super tasty.  When we open the brewery we hope to use the spent grains to create energy, but if that’s not feasible we will donate them to a local farmer for feed-stock.  There’s still tons of nutritional value left in the grains after the mash, so we want to make sure not to waste it.

10.   What do you want Dry River Brewing to be known for?

We want Dry River Brewing to be known first and foremost for our beer, but we also want Dry River Brewing to be a landmark in LA.  We also hope that we can help to raise awareness of the LA River and the efforts to recreate it as a system of parks connected by bike trails.  We think that when people experience the LA River and see the potential for what it can be that they will get as excited about it as we are.

Spent Grain Cookies- Dry River Brewing2

Chocolate Cranberry Spent Grain Cookies

Ingredients
  

  • 3 cups spent grain aromatic Victory, Caramel, Caravienne or other light sweet malt preferred
  • 1/4 cup coconut oil
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 egg for vegan option, use 2/3 cup coconut oil in total
  • 1/2 cup dried cranberries or dried cherries
  • 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
  • 1/2 cup all purpose flour plus additional, as needed
  • 1/4 tsp salt

Instructions
 

  • preheat oven to 375.
  • Add the spent grain to a food processor, process until about 1/3 as course as before.
  • Add spent grain to a large bowl, stir in remaining ingredients. If the dough is too moist to stick together, add additional flour.
  • Using your hands, make 2 inch wide by 1/2 inch high disks.
  • Place on a cookie sheet that has been covered with parchment paper.
  • Bake at 375 for 25 minutes. Immediately pull the parchment paper and the cookies off the hot cookie sheet onto a flat surface, allow to cool.

Spent Grain Cookies- Dry River Brewing

 

 

Grilled Peach Ice Cream

Grilled Peach Ice Cream

I’m really hard on myself, I’ve told you that before. I’m a nothing-is-ever-good-enough kind of person. Lately, my photos have been in my line of fire when it comes to Stuff I’m Not Good Enough At. I can’t figure it out, why the light is never that beautiful, why the images aren’t compelling enough, why the heck I can NEVER master the over head shot. By the way, this all drives my husband crazy, because in the Grand Tradition of Amazing Husbands, he thinks I’m the most talented person in the world, let’s not disrupt that delusion, I sort of like it.

So, one of my tangible fixation for resolving at least some of the issues I have with my sub par photos was this slightly deranged idea that I NEEDED a reclaimed wood table. I NEEDED it (#firstworldproblems). I priced this absolutely necessary item, and in the Los Angeles area, this need could be fulfilled for the low, low price of about $2000. My aforementioned Amazing Husband disagreed that this was an actual need after seeing the price tag for such items.

I couldn’t stop thinking about such a need, and scoured Craigslist for the possibility that I might be able to pick one up. But as luck might have it, an old house in my neighborhood started to get torn apart. It was a 1920’s California Bungalow and the sight of it being ripped apart made me a little heartsick.

As I drove home one night, I noticed a stack of gorgeous antique wood, full of age and scars that I couldn’t get out of my mind. After dinner I pulled on a pair of old boots, waited for the workmen to leave for the day, and began to dig the gorgeous planks out of the trash piles.

I had two very specific feelings about this slightly insane venture of trespassing to dig through a trash pile, at dusk, in East Los Angeles. First, I felt like a crazy person (and clearly an amateur who didn’t think to bring gloves to dig through construction waste and old wood) as I tried to ignore the freaked out looks from passers by. Second, that I was heroically saving this amazing wood from the fate of a land fill (also slightly insane that I was heroizing myself for something so selfish).

Grilled Peach Ice Cream2

After I got home with Heroically Aquired Gorgeous Wood, I used actual real life and potentially dangerous power tools to nail it together, saw off the excess and I then had myself a Personally Reclaimed Wood (prop) Table. And posted the picture of my slightly insane venture on Instagram.

Although I’m fairly certain that my newly acquired fake table did not improve my photos, I’m still happy to have him in my house instead of a landfill.

Grilled Peach Ice Cream

Ingredients

  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2 cups cream
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 4 egg yolks
  • 4 yellow peaches cut in half, pit removed

Grape seed or canola oil

Instructions

  1. In a sauce pan off heat whisk together the sugar, cream, milk, vanilla, and egg yolks until very well combined.
  2. Place the saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly until it thickens enough to coat the back of a spatula.
  3. Transfer to an airtight container (strain through a fine mesh strainer if any lumps were created), refrigerate until chilled, about 4 hours and up to 24.
  4. Preheat the grill to medium high heat (alternately, a cast iron grill pan can be used).
  5. Brush the cut side of the peaches with oil. Place, cut side down, on a hot grill. Close the lid and allow to grill until deep grill marks appear, about 4 minutes.
  6. Remove from grill and gently peel the skin away (should remove easily).
  7. Chop the peaches.
  8. Add the peaches and the ice cream base to your ice cream maker and churn according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Freeze until set, about 2 hours.
  9. Remove from freezer about 5 minutes prior to serving to make scooping easier.

Grilled Peach Ice Cream3

Chocolate Stout and Dulce de Leche Ice Box Pie

Chocolate Stout and Dulce de Leche Ice Box Pie via @TheBeeroness

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.

Chocolate Stout and Dulce de Leche Ice Box Pie via @TheBeeroness

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
Total 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.

Instructions
 

  • 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.

Chocolate Stout and Dulce de Leche Ice Box Pie via @TheBeeroness

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Mini Brownie Sundaes

Mini Brownie Sundaes via @DomesticFits

This is another one of my "it’s not a recipe" recipes. Because it’s not, it’s assembly instructions on how to assemble these cute little party desserts.

I made these for the Forth, a huge hit with with the under 5 set, and small enough to be the perfect size for little fingers.

The only thing I would do differently next time is nix the cupcake wrapper. It was too difficult to try and disrobe the mini brownies when they are piled high with ice cream and toppings.

Mini Brownie Sundaes via @DomesticFits

I used my favorite brownie batter, and next time will just liberally spray the mini muffin tins instead of using the cupcake papers. If you want to buy them, most "brownie bites" come sans cupcake wrappers, so you’ll be all set. If you want to make them from scratch, skip the wrappers, use a brownie batter not a cupcake batter (you want to avoid the domed top and hope for a concave one), and let them cool completely before topping with ice cream.

Mini Brownie Sundaes via @DomesticFits

If you have the freezer space, you can make up trays of these in advance and just pull them out when the moment strikes. I used an amazing grilled peach ice cream that I’ll be posting later in the week, but for a classic flavor combo, good ol' vanilla works just fine.

Mini Brownie Sundaes via @DomesticFits

Mini Ice Cream Sundaes

Yield: 24

Ingredients

  • 24 chocolate mini muffins, cupcakes or brownie bites
  • 1 pint ice cream
  • 2 cups whipped cream
  • sprinkles
  • 24 cherries

Instructions

  1. Place the mini brownies on a serving tray.
  2. Using a cookie scoop, scoop out a ball of ice cream and firmly place it on top of each brownie.
  3. Top with whipped cream, then sprinkles then a cherry.
  4. Serve immediately.

Notes

If making from scratch, use brownie batter rather than cake batter to avoid a domed top. Skip cupcake papers and spray mini muffin tins liberally. Use a cookie scoop for the perfect sized ice cream ball.

Mini Brownie Sundaes via @DomesticFits

Super Soft Strawberry Cookies

Super Soft Strawberry Sugar Cookies P

Last month California Strawberry Commission generously paid my way to BlogHer Food conference in Austin Texas. As conferences usually go, the memories of the people and food stand the brightest in my mind. The bloggers from all over the globe, the friends I usually only see online, and the food I’ve been reading about for years were right in front of me.

BHF CThe highlight of the actual conference sessions was a fantastic workshop on food preservation and how to use more food, and waste less. This was not only a reminder to me of how much food I waste, but a call to action on what can be done with those food scraps that usually go in the trash or compost bin.

Kate from the Hip Girls Guide to Homemaking is a brilliant source of knowledge on the subject and taught us how to make fruit vinegar (amazing in salad dressing!) like this Strawberry Vinegar on her site. I got me thinking about a strawberry extract, or a strawberry syrup. I love baking with strawberries and I love Italian Sodas, but those syrups always have so many chemicals!

Super Soft Strawberry Sugar Cookies4

Syrup is also a great use of in-season strawberries. Those giant flats of gorgeous berries are being sold at bargain prices right now, but sadly, the berries don’t stay beautiful as long as we’d like. Once the berries start to lose their luster, you don’t have to toss them! There are a lot of fantastic ways to use those up, like making a beautiful syrup that you can store in the fridge, or even freeze for use in colder months when strawberries are harder to come by.

Super Soft Strawberry Sugar Cookies5

At the farmers market last week, I came into ownership of about 3 pounds of strawberries, much to the delight of my strawberry obsessed daughter. Once the shine started to fade, I used most of what was left to make this syrup and froze what was left.

These cookies turned out beautifully, just as soft as I wanted with a hint of fresh strawberry syrup.

Super Soft Strawberry Sugar Cookies3

Super Soft Strawberry Cookies with Strawberry Mascarpone Frosting

Ingredients

For the Cookies:

  • 1 cup butter
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 3 tbs strawberry syrup
  • 3 ¼ cups flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • pinch salt

For the Frosting:

  • 1/2 cup butter, room temperature
  • 8 wt ounces mascarpone
  • 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
  • 1 cups powdered sugar
  • 3 tbs strawberry syrup
  • 1/2 cup chopped strawberries for garnish

Instructions

  1. In the bowl of a stand mixer add the butter and sugar. Beat on high until well incorporated. Add the eggs and strawberry syrup, mix on high until light and fluffy.
  2. In a separate bowl add the flour, baking powder and salt, stir to combine. Sprinkle the dry ingredients over the butter and slowly mix until the dough comes together, scraping the bottom to make sure the butter is full incorporated.
  3. Place a sheet of plastic wrap on a flat surface. Dump the dough into the center of the plastic wrap, form into a disk. Wrap with plastic wrap and chill until firm, about 1 hour.
  4. Preheat oven to 325.
  5. Roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface to about ½ to ¾ inch thickness. Cut into shapes.
  6. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the shapes on the parchment paper and bake until the top no longer looks wet but has not started to brown, about 12-15 minutes. Immediately pull the parchment paper with the cookies onto a flat surface. Allow to cool to room temperature.
  7. To make the frosting add the butter to a stand mixer with a paddle attachment (or a whisk attachment), beat until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the mascarpone and softened cream cheese, beat on high until full incorporated. Add the powdered sugar and beat until well combined. Add the syrup, mix on high, scraping the bottom to make sure the frosting is fully incorporated, until well combined.
  8. Allow cookies to cool completely before frosting, garnish with sliced berries

Strawberry Syrup

Ingredients

  • 4 cups chopped strawberries
  • ½ cup water
  • ¼ cup granulated sugar

Instructions

  1. In a saucepan over high heat, add the strawberries, water and sugar. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently, for ten minutes.
  2. Place a fine mesh strainer over a large bowl (reserve pan). Pour the strawberry mixture into the strainer and allow to all the liquid to drain into the bowl.
  3. Use a spatula or wooden spoon to press the solids into the strainer to extract as much liquid as possible.
  4. Put the liquid back into the sauce pan and simmer until reduced and thickened, about 5 minutes. Store in an airtight container in the fridge.

Super Soft Strawberry Sugar Cookies2

Beer and Peach Potpie

 

Peach and Beer Potpie2

This bowl embodies a bit of culinary contradiction. It’s a bit of soup, and it’s a bit of a dessert, two genres of  menu items that don’t seem to be easily meshed. But I have a love for soupy pies, given to me by a young kid I met in the back of a squad car.

I used to work with propation kids, I’ve told you that before, all from different parts of Los Angeles, some with gang ties, some without families, all wanting help in one form or another. Peter (*Name changed) was a walking contradiction to what most people assume was inside this big kid with a criminal record.

Peach and Beer Potpie

He was a sweet, honest, hard working kid that had never so much as been tardy from any class he’d taken. He had, however, stolen some food when his mom was too drunk to buy groceries and his little sister needed to eat, this earned him a all expense paid trip to Juvenile hall and then a spot in a Group Home. His grades were good enough, he always stayed out of trouble, and I was able to find him part time work at a Jewish deli & bakery in the Valley. When his birthday rolled around I asked what he wanted, the company I worked for had a small budget for special occasions that I was able to access for a present for him. "Pie making…stuff." He’d been working in a kitchen for weeks, fell in love with his ability to produce really great food, but outside work he’d never made food that didn’t require a microwave. I bought him a pie pan, a rolling pin, pie weights and pie cookbook. His reaction to the gift was much more shy and reserved that I’d expected. When I asked him why he was quiet, he said, "This is the first birthday present I ever got. Thank you."

I had to immediately whisk him to the kitchen to put said gift to use or I would have cried all over him. Instead we made a pie. The crust was gorgeous, but with limited ingredients in the state funded Group Home, the pie turned out a bit more watery than I had intended. I was deflated. He didn’t notice. He took one bite and a huge smile lit up his big face. It tasted great, and he had no preconceived ideas about what homemade pie looked like because he’d never seen one. Now, soupy pie makes me happy.

Peach and Beer Potpie4

I found out a few years ago that Peter is doing really well, he’d put himself through culinary school, works as a chef and teaches classes at the community college.

Long live pie.

Beer and Peach Potpie

Ingredients
  

  • 6 cups 6-8 large peaches yellow peaches, sliced (peeled if desired)
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1/3 cup white sugar
  • ½ tsp cinnamon
  • 1/4 cup flour
  • 3 tbs cornstarch
  • pinch salt
  • 1/3 cup hoppy wheat beer
  • 1 sheet puff pastry thawed
  • Egg wash 1 egg, 1 table spoon water, beaten

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 400.
  • Add the peaches to a large bowl. Sprinkle with brown sugar, white sugar, cinnamon, flour, cornstarch, and salt. Use your hands to stir the peaches until they are fully coated with the dry ingredients and all of the dry ingredients have been moistened.
  • Pour the beer over the peaches, gently stir to combine.
  • Place 4 oven safe bowls (1 cup size) on a baking sheet. Divide the filling evenly among the bowls.
  • Roll the puff pastry out on a lightly floured surface, cut into 4 squares. Cover each bowl with a square of puff pastry. Brush with egg wash.
  • Bake at 400 for 18-22 minutes or until golden brown.

Peach and Beer Potpie5

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Matcha Strawberry Shortcakes with Lime Whipped Cream #CAStrawberryShortcakes

Matcha Strawberry Shortcakes with Lime Whipped Cream #CAStrawberryShortcakes

My first official assignment as a Brand Ambassador for California Strawberry Commission was to re-invent the strawberry shortcake.  After a brief stop on the idea of another chocolate strawberry shortcake, and possibly a lemon lavender version, I settled on a matcha version, something I hope is new to you all (I like to feel inventive!), and matcha goes so well with strawberries.

I’ve had Matcha powder (Japanese green tea powder) in the back of my mind for a while,  on my list of foods to bake with. It gives a great contrast of color and flavor to the gorgeous strawberries, if you’re a matcha lover, I think you’ll agree.

I also have a pin contest to tell you all about. It’s a great excuse to spend a little extra time on pinterest while checking out some fantastic strawberry recipes, getting inspired for those summer cook-outs and trying to win some extra cash!

Matcha Strawberry Shortcakes with Lime Whipped Cream #CAStrawberryShortcakes

Matcha Strawberry Shortcakes with Lime Whipped Cream

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 18 minutes

Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients

For the Shortcakes:

  • 1 ½ cups all purpose flour
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • 1-2 tbs matcha powder*
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • pinch salt
  • 6 tbs chilled unsalted butter, cut into cubes
  • ½ cup whole milk

For the Strawberries:

  • 4 cups strawberries, cleaned and chopped
  • ¾ cup granulated sugar
  • 2 tsp lime juice

For the Lime Whipped Cream:

  • 1 ½ cups chilled heavy cream (or whipping cream)
  • 1/3 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 tsp lime zest
  • 1 tsp lime juice

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 400
  2. Add flour, sugar, matcha, baking powder, baking soda and salt to a food processor, pulse to combine.
  3. Add the butter cubes, process until the butter is incorporated, about 1 minute.
  4. Add the milk, process until just combined.
  5. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Drop large spoonful’s (about the size of a lime) onto the baking sheet, evenly spaced.
  6. Bake at 400 for 15-18 minutes or until the tops have just started to brown, remove from oven and allow to cool.
  7. In a large bowl, stir together the strawberries, lime juice and granulated sugar, set aside.
  8. Once the shortcakes have cooled, make the whipped cream. In the bowl of a stand mixer beat the cream, powdered sugar and lime zest until soft peaks form. While the mixer is runner, add the lime juice, beat until incorporated.
  9. Split the shortcakes and fill with strawberries and whipped cream.

Notes

*Note: 2 tablespoons of matcha powder will give you a strong green tea flavor and a deeper green color. If you want a more mild, mellow flavor, add only 1 tablespoon.

 Matcha Strawberry Shortcakes with Lime Whipped Cream #CAStrawberryShortcakes

Chocolate Stout Cherry Pie

Chocolate Stout Cherry Pie3

 

This is a baking PSA, a result of an ongoing panic attack I’ve been having since I turned my book into the publisher. I’ve been convinced that most people who attempt to make my Chocolate Stout Cake with Raspberry Chocolate Ganche won’t know there is a difference between weight ounces and fluid ounces, confuse the two and end up with a failure. These things keep me up at night. Because if you make a recipe of mine and it fails, I feel awful, even if the recipe isn’t to blame. Even if you are totaly to blame for the failure, I still feel terrible.

Weight ounces and fluid ounces are not the same thing. In fact, for the most part, they have nothing to do with one another.

Weight ounces measure weight, fluid ounces measure volume. One does not equal the other.

Take a bag of chocolate chips, for example. It will probably list on the package: 12 weight ounces (often abbreviated as just "wt oz"). Pour those chocolate chips into a measuring cups and you’re bound to see it reach about 2 cups, or 16 fluid ounces.

12 weight ounces of chocolate equals about 16 fluid ounces.

Cheese is the same. 8 weight ounces of shredded cheese is about 16 fluid ounces.

Flour is even worse. Most bakers weigh their flour rather than measure it in cups (although most recipes will say cups) but  if you see a baker call for ounces of flour, she probably means weight, not volume. Have I lost you yet?

Generally, 1 cup (8 fluid ounces) of flour is only 4 weight ounces.

Most of the time, the difference is easy to distinguish, and lucky for us, beer is equal when it comes to fluid ounces and weight ounce. 8 fluid ounces of beer equals 8 weight ounces (one less thing to worry about!)

The biggest worry in the cooking and baking world are generally cheese and chocolate. Mostly because they are sold in weight ounces, but recipes vary when it comes to what they call for. Recipes should call for those items in weight ounces, but if you aren’t familiar, and just load up your measuring cup with shredded cheese or chocolate chips and think you’re looking for fluid ounces, you’ll most likely have a recipe disaster on your hands.

The take away:

When you see a recipe calling for ounces: figure out what type of ounces or your recipe may not work.

Thank you for letting me get that off my chest, I feel better. Although I still want to kick the crap out of the a-hole who decided to use the same word for both.

Chocolate Stout Cherry Pie2

And take moment to check out those glorious cherries in the middle of that pie.

Chocolate Stout Cherry Pie

Ingredients
  

  • 1 pie crust
  • 2 3.5 ounce bars 60% chocolate (total 7 weight ounces)
  • 3 tbs unsalted butter cut into cubes.
  • 2 tbs light corn syrup
  • 1/3 cup stout
  • 3 tbs heavy cream
  • 2 1/2 cups pitted dark sweet cherries such as Bing, about 16 wt ounces pitted

For the Whipped Cream

  • 2 cups heavy cream
  • 2/3 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 tbs stout optional

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 350.
  • Rough out pie dough, transfer to a 9-inch pie pan, trim off excess. Prick several holes in the bottom.
  • Bake at 350 for 18-20 minutes or until a light golden brown. Allow to cool.
  • Break the chocolate into chunks and add to the top of a double boiler over gently simmering water along with the butter, corn syrup and stout. Stir frequently until the chocolate has melted. Add the cream and stir until completely incorporated. Add the cherries, stir until all of the cherries are well coated. Pour into the crust. Refrigerate until set, about 4 hours and up to 24.
  • Once the pie has cooled make the whipped cream. Add the heavy cream, powdered sugar and vanilla extract (and stout, if using) to a stand mixer. Beat on high until soft peaks form, about 3 minutes.

Notes

Note about chocolate: you can use up to 70%, but the higher the percentage (which indicates the amount of cocoa in the bar) the more bitter the chocolate, therefore the more bitter the pie. If you use a really low cocoa content, like a 30%, the pie may have a harder time setting up because of the lower cocoa content, and higher milk content. I would stay between 55% and 70%.

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Chocolate Stout Cherry Pie

Chewy Lemon Blueberry Cookies

Chewy Lemon Blueberry Cookies6

This post is evidence that I am a totally sucker. Twice.

First, my three-year-old lifts a huge tub of blueberries into the shopping cart and says, "Can I have the blueberries? I love them." I agree. Sucker.

The next day, she climbs in my lap and says, "Can we please make cookies?" I agree again. Sucker.

Lemon Blueberry Cookies P

I would show you the picture of her helping me scoop the dough into the cookie sheets, but she did so naked. She’s in a naked phase, as soon as we walk in the door she strips off all her clothes, yells, "Naked lady on the loose!" and runs through the house. I’ve decided not to fight this battle, we’ve just had to come to an agreement about when it is, and is not, appropriate to be naked. Which makes me say things like, "Honey, we don’t get naked at the post office." I’m assuming she’ll grow out of it. Or someday find happiness at a nudist colony, preferably in a warm climate.

Chewy Lemon Blueberry Cookies1

We actually made these twice. I’ve told you this before, but my version of The Perfect Cookie is chewy, not cakey. And despite my best intentions, the first batch came out cakey:

Chewy Lemon Blueberry Cookies4

And although I was disappointed in the lack of chewyness, I still ate five (for real, don’t judge). The second round was exactly what I wanted, soft, chewy, slightly puffy, and not cakey. But I do understand there are those of you who do like the cakey version, also they would be fantastic to make blueberry whoopies with, so I’m posting both.

But the chewy ones were better.

Chewy Lemon Blueberry Cookies5

Chewy Lemon Blueberry Cookies (both cakey and chewy versions listed)

Yield: 24 cookies

Ingredients

Cakey version:

  • 2 ½ cups All Purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • ½ tsp baking soda
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ½ cup (1 stick) butter
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • ¾ cup white sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • ¾ cup sour cream
  • 3 tbs lemon juice (about 1 large lemon)
  • 1 tsp lemon zest
  • 1 cup fresh blueberries

OR

Chewy Version:

  • 1 1/4 cups All Purpose flour
  • 1 cups bread flour (can use AP flour, but won’t be as chewy)
  • 1 ¼ tsp baking soda
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ½ cup (1 stick) butter, cut into cubes
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup white sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 additional egg yolk
  • 3 tbs lemon juice (about 1 large lemons)
  • 1 tsp lemon zest
  • 1 ½ cup fresh blueberries

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350.
  2. In a medium-sized bowl mix together the flour(s), baking soda, (baking powder if making the cakey version) and salt. Set aside.
  3. In the bowl of a stand mixer beat both kids of sugar and butter until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the egg(s), beat until very well combined, about 3 minutes. Mix in the sour cream (cakey version only). Add the lemon juice and zest mix until well combined.
  4. Sprinkle the dry ingredients over the wet ingredients, stir until just combined. Gently stir in the blueberries.
  5. Using a cookie scoop, scoop golf ball sized mounds onto a cookie sheet that has been covered with parchment paper (if making cakey version, chill for 20-30 minutes prior to baking or they will spread too much. Chewy version does not need to be chilled).
  6. Bake at 350 for 12-16 minutes or until the top just starts to turn a very light golden brown.
  7. immediately slide the parchment onto the counter, allow the cookies to cool to room temperature.

Chewy Lemon Blueberry Cookies

Pineapple Pale Ale Cream Cheese Tart

 

Pineapple Pale Ale Cream Cheese Tart

Really, this pie was a necessity. I love the way those banana cream pies look, but I have such a deep loathing for those yellow peeled devils I can’t even bring myself to try one. But they look amazing, so creamy and fluffy, but with the foul stench of banana lurking beneath all that fabulous whipped cream. (Banana Council should accept my sincere apologies, I completely support the consumption of such a healthy fruit, as long as I don’t have to do the consuming. And said consuming does not happen in my near vicinity).

But unlike my mint aversion, this hatred was not triggered by a traumatic event. Nor do I have a desire to fix the issue, I’m cool with a banana free existence.

That’s because I have other fantastic yellow fruits, like pineapple, to pick up the slack. although, I will admit, banana’s do make a much more convenient grab-and-go snack, be it not for the inconvenience of the inevitable projectile vomiting that would ensue if I were forced to eat one. (I may be the only person that has used the term "projectile vomiting" while trying to get you to make a pie).

Pineapple picks up quite a bit of slack in the tropical fruit department, I love them. I was in Costa Rica a few years ago and ordered "Pina y Agua" smoothies several times a day for weeks and never got sick of them. I’ve fully admitted my bias already, but I really think pineapple pie is the new banana pie. And I added beer to try and get you on my side.

Pineapple Pale Ale Cream Cheese Tart2

Pineapple Pale Ale Cream Cheese Tart

5 from 1 vote

Ingredients
  

For the Crust:

  • 9 standard sized graham crackers
  • 2 tbs brown sugar
  • pinch salt
  • 4 tbs melted butter

For the Filling:

  • 1 ¾ cups pineapple chunks
  • 3 tbs cornstarch
  • 6 ounces cream cheese softened
  • 2/3 cup granulated sugar
  • 3 eggs
  • 2/3 cup pale ale

For the Topping:

  • 1 cup whipped cream
  • ½ cup powdered sugar
  • 2 tbs pale ale
  • ¼ cup sweetened coconut flake
  • ¼ cup almond slices

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 350.
  • In a food processor add the graham crackers, brown sugar, and salt process until only crumbs remain.
  • While the food processor is still running add the melted butter, process until it resembles wet sand.
  • Dump into the bottom of a 9-inch tart pan. Starting with the sides, press the crust evenly into the tart pan.
  • Put the pineapple chunks in the food processor, sprinkle with cornstarch, and process until smooth.
  • In the bowl of a stand mixer beat the cream cheese with the sugar until well combined. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well between additions. Mix in the pineapple puree. Add the beer, mix until well combined. Pour into the tart shell.
  • Bake at 350 for 55 to 60 minutes or until the top of the tart turns golden brown. Allow to cool at room temperature for ten minutes. Refrigerate until set and chilled, about 3 hours.
  • In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the whipped cream, powdered sugar and pale ale. Beat on high until soft peaks form. Add to the top of the cooled tart. Chill tart until ready to serve.
  • Add the coconut and almonds to a dry pan. Add to medium high heat, toss continually until toasted, about 5 minutes. Top the tart with toasted coconut and almonds just prior to serving (it will get soggy if it sits on the tart too long. If you want to make the tart ahead of time, store toasted topping separate, garnish just prior to serving).

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Pineapple Pale Ale Cream Cheese Tart3

Strawberry Granita with Candied Mint Leaves

Strawberry Granita with Candied Mint

 

I’m so excited to tell you that I’ve been asked to be a Brand Ambassador for California Strawberry Commission. Given my complete love of strawberries, this is fantastic for me. To be honest, I’ve been asked to be a brand ambassador before but it was never a good fit, I ended up turing other companies down. I can’t endorse a company that I don’t have complete faith in putting my name on the line for. I’m absolutely proud to represent a product as fantastic as California strawberries and I was thrilled to be asked and accepted without hesitation. I love strawberries and the best ones come from California.

I’m working on some strawberry recipes, I have a great savory recipe that just isn’t ready to post yet. It’s good, but I want it to be great so I’ll be working on it a bit more before I’m ready to send into into digital print.

May is National Strawberry Month, but really, you don’t need an excuse to grab some strawberries now that they are everywhere. But if you do need some ideas, here are some strawberry recipes that I love so much:

 

Chocolate Strawberry Shortcakes:

Chocolate Strawberry Shortcakes

Strawberry, Goat Cheese And Quinoa Salad:

Strawberry Goat Cheese Quinoa Salad

Strawberry Brie Mini Galettes:

Mini-Galette-Strawberry Brie

Strawberry Sriracha Margarita 

Strawberry-Sriracha-Margarita

And now, the man of the hour, a recipe for a strawberry granita that requires no special equipment and makes a great final dish for those summer dinner parties on the patio that we are all looking forward to.

Strawberry Granita with Candied Mint 2

Strawberry Granita with Candied Mint Leaves

Ingredients

For the Granita:

  • 1 cup very hot tap water
  • ½ cup sugar
  • 3 cups strawberries, chopped
  • 1 lemon, juiced and zested

For the Candied Mint:

  • 10-15 mint leaves
  • 2 tbs corn syrup
  • 1 Tbs very hot tap water
  • 3 tbs white sugar

Instructions

  1. Put the very hot water in a small bowl or measuring cup. Add the sugar and stir until it dissolves (microwave for 30 seconds if the sugar doesn’t dissolve).
  2. Add the sugar water, strawberries, lemon juice, an lemon zest to a blender or food processor. Process until smooth, about 3 minutes.
  3. Pour into a glass baking dish (7×11 or 9×13 will work well) place in the freezer.
  4. Stir every 30 minutes, combining the frozen edges into the center. Once the granita is mostly frozen, rake the surface with a fork to create flakey mound. Cover and freeze until ready to serve.

To make the candied basil:

  1. Preheat the oven to 175.
  2. Place 2 tbs of corn syrup and 1 tbs hot water in a small bowl, stir until well combined.
  3. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  4. Dip the leaves in the corn syrup water, lay them on the parchment paper. Sprinkle with sugar, turn over, sprinkle with additional sugar (make more leaves than you need, some of them don’t survive the process as well as other, you’ll want extras).
  5. Place in the 175 degree oven for 20 minutes, flip over and cook until dry and sugar has crystalized, about 30 additional minutes.

Notes

Boozy Option: To make this a Strawberry Mojito Granita, add 1/4 cup white rum and 5 mint leaves to the blender with the sugar water, strawberries, lemon zest and lemon juice and just proceed with the rest of the recipe.

Strawberry Granita with Candied Mint 4

Flourless Chocolate Stout Cake with Orange Mascarpone Frosting

Flourless Chocolate Stout Cake with Orange Mascarpone Frosting_I’m on my way to New York right now to cook on The Today Show. I’d like to say that I’m cool enough to not think this is a big deal, but I’m not. I’m thrilled, and also a little nervous (significant nervousness is scheduled for the late 9am hour on Wednesday morning).

Flourless Chocolate Stout Cake with Orange Mascarpone Frosting 2

Before I left on my journey across the country I wanted to leave you with this cake. It’s really easy, really rich and insanely good. A perfect cake to pair with a stout or even one of those black IPA’s I’ve become so found of.

Flourless Chocolate Stout Cake with Orange Mascarpone Frosting 8

Flourless Chocolate Stout Cake with Orange Mascarpone Frosting

Ingredients
  

For The Cake

  • ½ cup butter chopped
  • 7 weight ounces 60% chocolate chopped
  • 1/3 cup stout
  • 1 ¼ cups granulated sugar
  • 3 whole eggs plus 2 yolks
  • ¾ cup cocoa powder
  • 2 tbs cornstarch

For the Frosting

  • 3 tbs butter softened
  • 8 ounces mascarpone
  • 3 cups powdered sugar
  • 2 tsp finely grated orange zest

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 375.
  • In the top of a double boiler over a simmering water add the chocolate and the butter. Stir until the butter is almost melted, turn off heat and continue to stir until butter is melted. Remove the top of the double boiler and place on a clean kitchen towel. Stir in the beer. Whisk in the sugar. Check to make sure the chocolate is room temperature or below, then whisk in the eggs and the yolks. Sprinkle the cocoa powder and the cornstarch over the chocolate, gently stir until combined.
  • Place a round of parchment paper inside a 10 inch spring form pan, rub the inside of the pan and the parchment paper with butter.
  • Pour the batter inside the prepared pan, smooth out into an even layer.
  • Bake for 35-40 minutes or until the top looks dry and the top is slightly springy, don’t over bake of cake will be dry. Remove from oven and allow to cool on a wire rack for 10-20 minutes. Transfer to a cake pan, refrigerate until cool, about 2 hours.
  • In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the butter and the mascarpone, beat until well combined. Add the powdered sugar and zest, mix until well combined. Frost the cake with the mascarpone frosting, chill until ready to serve. (Don’t be afraid to make this a day ahead of time, it’s better the next day).

Flourless Chocolate Stout Cake with Orange Mascarpone Frosting 9

 

Cream Cheese and Jam Crumb Cake

 

Le Creuset Giveaway

In honor of moms everywhere, and the upcoming Mothers Day holiday, I’m hosting some giveaways this week with a Mothers Day brunch theme!

To kick us off is Le Creuset with a gorgeous cake stand (I love cake stands) that is perfect for a cake, pie, cookies, lets be honest, I’d serve roast chicken off this thing, it’s gorgeous! But not just that, we are also throwing in some beautiful French preserves by Bonne Maman. The winner also gets four jars in fabulous flavors like Fig, Strawberry and Golden Mirabelle. I love that these are jams that have simple, honest ingredients, jam like your Grandmother would have made in her own kitchen, with the fruit from her trees.

To celebrate these gorgeous jams, I wanted to give you a recipe that works well with all the great flavors. Of course, I looked to Martha, a woman who is no stranger to French jams. I adapted her amazing crumb cake recipe for the use of these jams, making it three times to get it just right. I love this so much, and I love that it works with all of these fabulous jams.

Cream Cheese and Jam Crumb Cake2

The winner will receive: One cherry red Le Creuset cake stand, four jars of French Bonne Maman preserves, shipped anywhere in the continental USA, you can even have it shipped directly to your mom! Or keep it for yourself, I won’t judge.

Cream Cheese and Jam Crumb Cake

Ingredients

For the Cake:

  • 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/3 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 large egg
  • ½ cup milk
  • 1 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • 1 tablespoons vegetable oil

For the topping:

  • 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
  • 1 egg
  • ¼ cup granulated sugar
  • ½ cup Jam
  • 1 ¾ cups flour
  • ½ cup packed light-brown sugar
  • ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • ½ cup unsalted butter, melted
  • Confectioners sugar for dusting

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 325
  2. line 8X8 pan with aluminum foil, spray with butter cooking spray, set aside.
  3. Stir together 1 ¼ cups flour, granulated sugar, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg, milk, vanilla and vegetable oil. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, batter will be thick.
  4. Spread the batter in an even layer in the prepared f baking pan.
  5. In a small bowl, whisk together the cream cheese, egg and granulated sugar. Spread evenly on top of the batter.
  6. Drizzle with the jam (marble in with a knife, if desired).
  7. Combine the remaining 1 ¾ cup flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon in a bowl. Drizzle with melted butter, stir together until crumbs form.
  8. Bake at 325 for 32-36 minutes or until the top crumbs have just started to turn golden brown. Allow to cool to room temperature, chill until ready to use. Cut into squares and dust with confectioners sugar prior to serving.

Cream Cheese and Jam Crumb Cake3

 

Strawberry Cheesecake Popsicles and I Heart California Strawberries

 

This is a sponsored post, all opinions, thoughts and ideas are my own.I Heart California-Strawberries

While standing in the middle of a strawberry field, having a true Farm to Table lunch (table in a farm?) I tried to think of one person I’ve ever met that doesn’t like strawberries. I couldn’t. I love strawberries, so when I got the invite from California Strawberry Commission to run around the beautiful strawberry fields in Oxnard I couldn’t say no.

I Heart California Strawberries23Look at those things, just  hanging out, looking so perfect. I love the California strawberries I can pick up at the grocery store and farmers markets, but right off the vine, slightly warm from the sun, those babies are incredible. By the way, if anyone ever invites you and your family to run around a strawberry farm, stuffing your face with berries right off the vine: say YES (enthusiastically).

I Heart California Strawberries8

I joined a handful of other bloggers for a day in the beautiful California sun, eating amazing food (and I’m not kidding about stuffing my face with berries right off the vine), a tour of the facility, and head farmer, Bill Reiman, joined the party to answered all of the Strawberry Question we could ever ask.

I Heart California Strawberries22

Here are a few of the Strawberry Facts I learned over the day (And by the way, I am just nerdy enough to think these are super interesting):

  1. None of the California Strawberries are GMO, all the CA strawberries that you can buy are GMO free (awesome).
  2. Strawberries will not continue to ripen once they are picked  (like tomatoes do) if you pick a green strawberry, it will never turn red.
  3. They freeze some of the best berries. They pick the berries that are so juicy and full of natural sweetness to freeze because although they are delicious, they are too fragile to pack and ship.
  4. Eating strawberries regularly has been proven to improve memory and delay the onset of Alzheimer’s Disease.

I Heart California Strawberries21

I love that I don’t have to feel guilt about buying frozen California strawberries (I’m a fresh produce girl, and I actually do feel guilty about buying frozen), this also reminded me that once my strawberries start to show their age, freezing them is a great idea. They freeze so well!

I Heart California Strawberries24

After the tour of the fields, a tour of the packing facility and a fun hay ride, the day ended with a gorgeous dinner cooked up by Tim Kilcoyne, Executive Chef and owner of The SideCar Restaurant in Ventura. The menu included:

  • Bruschetta with fava bean ricotta, house made strawberry mustard and arugula.
  • Braised Chicken Enchiladas with Swiss chard, roasted strawberry mole and queso fresco. Served with a black bean and quinoa salad
  • Chocolate Genoise with strawberry mousse, ganache and white chocolate dipped strawberry
  • Strawberry Basil Meyer Lemonade

I love the use of strawberries in a savory dish, that strawberry mole was incredible.

I Heart California Strawberries9

Apparently I was too distracted by the incredible food and the company of Farmer Bill, whom I sat next to, to photograph the dinner. My camera ended with shots of the menu.

I Heart California Strawberries20

I came home with a car load of strawberries that I couldn’t wait to use. I made popsicles that are perfect for those fresh berries that I love, but are also great for the frozen ones I now feel completly content buying.

Strawberry Cheesecake Popsicles 5

Strawberry Cheesecake Popsicles

Yield: 8 popsicles

Ingredients

  • 8 ounces cream cheese
  • ¼ cup sour cream
  • 3/4 cup powdered sugar
  • 1/3 cup whole milk
  • 6 large fresh strawberries, chopped or ¾ cup frozen strawberries
  • 6 standard sized graham crackers
  • 1 tbs melted butter

Instructions

  1. In a food processor add the cream cheese, sour cream, powdered sugar and milk, process until well combined. Add the strawberries, pulse to combine.
  2. 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.
  3. In a food processor add the graham crackers, process until only crumbs remain.
  4. While food processor is running, add the melted butter in a slow stream until the mixture resembles wet sand.
  5. 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.

    Strawberry Cheesecake Popsicles 6

This is a sponsored post, all opinions, thoughts and ideas are my own.

Soft Batch Beer and Brown Sugar Cookies

 

Soft & Chewy Brown Sugar Beer Cookies

How do you like your cookies? For me, cookies need to be soft and chewy. Did you know there is a bit of a personality test that goes along with cookie preferences? Here it is:

Chewy: You’re generally flexibly and easy going

Crispy: You like to be in control

Soft center: You tend towards the sentimental

Cakey: You tend to be emotionally sensitive

Flat: You don’t like surprises

Puffy: You tend to be chatty

Soft & Chewy Brown Sugar Beer Cookies

 

Actually, I completely made that up. Slow news day over here, forcing me to resort to trickery. Was it true for you? My assessments are based solely on the people I know with those cookie preferences, a fairly small sample that will never meet statistical significance.

Just like the theory I formed about the link between cowboys, their beer preferences and their truck choice:

Coors people like Ford

Budweiser people like Chevy

That theory was formed while growing up on a (Ford, Coors and New Holland) farm. These days I can’t really say I know many people in any of those four camps, but I still maintain that theory has validity.

So what car goes with Russian River?

Soft & Chewy Brown Sugar Beer Cookies

For this recipe I like an American Brown Ale, something that will kick you a bit more hops than the standard English Brown Ale.

Soft Batch Beer & Brown Sugar Cookies

Ingredients
  

  • ¾ cups unsalted butter softened (12 tbs)
  • 1 ¼ cups golden brown sugar
  • 1 large egg yolk
  • ½ tsp vanilla
  • 1/3 cup American brown ale
  • 1 ¼ cups All purpose flour
  • 1 cup bread flour
  • 1 ¼ tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 1 tsp cornstarch
  • ¼ tsp cinnamon

Instructions
 

  • In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the butter and brown sugar. Mix on high until very well combined. Add the egg yolk and the vanilla, beat until light and fluff. Add the beer, beat until well combined.
  • In a separate bowl, add both kinds of flour (bread flour is used to make chewier cookies), baking soda, baking powder, salt, cornstarch and cinnamon.
  • Sprinkle the dry ingredients over the wet ingredients and stir until just combined.
  • Using a cookie scoop, scoop out balls of dough slightly smaller than a golf ball onto cookie sheets that have been covered with parchment paper.
  • Place the cookies in the fridge to chill for at least 20 minutes (this prevents them from spreading too much during baking).
  • Preheat oven to 325.
  • Bake at 325 for 12-14 minutes or until the edges just start to turn golden brown (for a puffier cookie bake at 350 for 8 to 10 minutes). Immediately pull the parchment paper off the cookie sheet onto the counter and allow the cookies to cool to room temperature.