cooking with booze -

by snebbu

100 Ways to Use Beer in Food and Drinks #13: Cupcakes

Cupcakes: a man’s food. Something you hear every day right? Right…and you see plenty of men on Cupcake Wars. But then you put beer in them . Now we’re talking. Previously, the only way I knew how to make cupcakes was with the contents of a cardboard box. But alas, I’ve matured. And through this maturation I bring to you Chocolate Stout Cupcakes.

These cupcakes are nearly 100 percent made from scratch. Beginning with the batter (containing an entire bottle of my own Cafe Vanilla Con Leche Stout), the cupcakes also include stout-infused ganache, and cream cheese frosting. And guess what? As most of my original recipes are—they are healthy cupcakes! Instead of butter in the batter, we used applesauce (we had to save the butter for the cream cheese frosting). Thank the g/f for preventing me from ruining the frosting by trying to use low-fat cream cheese.

The end result: moist chocolate cupcakes with rich ganache filling and topped with creamy frosting. Add a glass of milk and you have a match made in heaven. There was concern about using the applesauce rather than the butter, but I couldn’t tell a major difference. In fact, adding some cinnamon to the batter complements the overall flavor and it even stands out a bit. I took the cupcakes to work for the true test. Everyone loved them. And so should you. You’re welcome.

Vanilla Con Leche Stout Cupcakes

by snebbu

100 Ways to Use Beer in Food and Drinks #12: Steak

BEEF, it’s what’s for dinner (and beer). Really, you can’t go wrong with beef and beer (unless you’re one of those stuck-up vegetarians…no offense of course). At first I was thinking I’d just soak a nice cut of steak in some stout, maybe crust it with espresso, and call it a day. Then, the genius of my other half suggested shishkabobs.

With the sweltering heat after a day at the beach, it was the perfect time to grill up some raw meat, veggies and shrimp. I don’t believe in segregation, so I’m all for including the shrimpies with the beef. But before I get ahead of myself—onto the beer potion.

We decided on some homemade teriyaki sauce. Teriyaki sauce is one of those things that should be sweet and tangy with just a hint of a bite to it. Turns out, finishing the sauce with a good brew gives it a complementary tang. When used as a glaze or dipping sauce, you can actually taste the beer as an end note of this beefy chef-d’oeuvre.

We used it as a marinade and let the steak bathe in the sauce for a long time before finally grilling it. We also marinated the shrimp in it, which was equally titillating. Brushing some veggies (and pineapple) with the sauce when it hit the grill gave them a little extra sizzling flavor too. Finally, I made corn roasted on the grill, in husks—the only way to truly have corn on the cob. It’s a great recipe for a summer day to impress your friends. You’re welcome.

Beer Infused Teriyaki Sauce

in Recipe / Red Meat 0 comments

by snebbu

100 Ways to Use Beer in Food and Drinks: #11 – Pretzels

HOT pretzels. Sorry Philadelphia, I know you like SOFT pretzels, cold from the food cart, but no thanks. I like a crispy outside with a warm and soft interior—not soggy all over. In time, I found a way to fulfill my high standards (call me a snob for wanting a hot pretzel) while also making them out of a beer dough. And you should too.

A word of advice: do NOT make these in the midst of a heat wave . I thought I was doing the right thing, trying to cook seasonal foods, but still—an oven in the high nineties did not please anyone. Luckily the pretzels made up for it.

I was on a strong homebrew streak, with four cases done within the same week, so I finally had a choice of brews to use. I chose my Dark IPA for the beer-dough. The Dark IPA has a malty undertone that added a little sweetness to the dough, while the bitterness of the hops gave it a slight kick. The final product was very tasty and I’d definitely do it again.

BREWvarian Hot Pretzels

in Recipe 0 comments

by bakersroyale

Endless Poptails: Melon Berry Diablo

When someone tells you your food is “interesting,” is that the equivalent of being told you look homely?

It’s a shitty statement to make about someone’s food. And I had a pissed off look to follow after being told my cocktail popsicles were “interesting.” Maybe I’m too defensive—I know food is subjective. But I still felt like shoving this popsicle in the guy’s face and asking him how interesting that way.

What he labeled interesting was this tequila-based, honeydew-body popsicle, which is mixed with ginger beer and softly stirred with a raspberry cassis syrup, turning the classic Diablo cocktail into an Endless Simmer Poptail classic that is anything but just “interesting.”

Melon Berry Diablo Poptail

in Desserts / Endless Poptails / Featured / Recipe 3 comments

by snebbu

100 Ways to Use Beer in Food and Drink #10: Summer Shandy

Independence Day has come and gone, and my mind continues to believe that the weekend flew by and we’re back at the beginning of the week. Quite the troubles… But fear not, the weekend is almost here again, and this time it’s a true weekend. And I have a drink for those of you who enjoy a sweet summertime beverage.

On the fourth, I decided to try out a drink on my list. I’ve had summer shandys made from actual breweries, but I wanted to make my own with homebrew. For the sweet half, all I had available was pink lemonade. My dad cringed as I explained to him what I was drinking. I was also skeptical, but the summer shandy I made was indeed refreshing for a hot day.

The beer Scrooges out there are scowling and saying something like “this guy is ruining beer.” To you I say, stop reading and go sniff your own flatulence. I thought the Dark IPA had a few similar qualities to an iced tea and the bitterness and malty flavor would go well with lemonade. It did. This isn’t something I’d have all the time, but when it’s a billion degrees out and you need a refreshing drink—it hits the spot while giving the boost of alcohol that we all enjoy.

Dark IPA Summer Shandy

in Drinks / Recipe 1 comments

by Emily

Friday Fuck-Up: Sometimes Booze Doesn’t Improve Things

I know. I KNOW! You read that headline and the fact it was written by me, and your world turned upside down. Your illusions were shattered. I’m sorry! Above all, I have let myself down. But… I’m gonna say it anyway…

Sometimes booze makes things worse, not better.

No, no, NO. Before we get any further, let’s get one thing straight right now: I am not about to tell y’all why you should quit drinking or anything preposterous like that. I’m talking about one very specific, very isolated incident.

Now, most people would see a protein shake and probably not think, “I bet this would be way better if I added trashy flavored vodka to it.” But guess what, most people aren’t me. I received a sample of CalNaturale Svelte, a nutritious and soy protein-packed energy shake, and while I thought it was tasty and filling on its own, I was intrigued by the myriad alcohol possibilities I could introduce into the mix. After all, there has been a considerable amount of buzz about alcohol-related diets and weight loss lately, so I figured, why can’t I hop aboard this train?

Next stop, diet White Russian town. I poured a generous amount of Smirnoff “toasted marshmallow” flavored vodka into my shake, added a splash of Kahlua, and prepared my tastebuds for a tasty, boozy, “healthy” (you know, because of the protein shake) treat.

in Drinks 6 comments

by snebbu

100 Ways to Use Beer in Food and Drink #8 and #9: Black and Tan Beer-Infused Garlic Pesto

To all you naysayers out there: you lose! Yet again I accomplish both #8 and #9 of my quest to use beer in 100 different dishes. This time, I wanted to make something versatile, that could go with various meals, so I opted for a pesto that is amped up with flavor of a black and tan beer….plus beer-infused garlic, so I knock two items off the list.

Hopefully you realize that black and tan is a reference to a mix of two tasty and contrasting beers. The mix of beers varies depending on where you get it and from whom, but is generally a dark beer with a pale ale or lager. This time, I used Yuengling’s version: a mix of their porter and their premium beer. I was hoping the porter part of this would bring out the nutty flavor of the pine nuts, but because it’s only half porter, wouldn’t turn the pesto dark.

The black and tan did bring out the pine nuts, while also giving the pesto a bit of the bite when mixed with the garlic. I put one slice of sun-dried tomato in the mix and it lent a very subtle taste that again, I believe was brought out by the beer. I served this as a snack on toast, topped with a slice of sun-dried tomato. Then, for dinner we put it on our burgers, along with the beer-infused ketchup! OR you can make an open-faced tuna sandwich and top it off with some pesto (see above). You’re welcome.

Beer-Infused Garlic

in Recipe / Veggie 2 comments

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