Sweets

Blood Orange Gose Glazed Mixed Berry Pavlova

July 5, 2018 by rachelle 18 Comments

Blood Orange Gose Glazed Mixed Berry Pavlova is a perfect mixture of tart and sweet beer glazed fruit on top of a whipped cream covered meringue cloud.

Obviously I’ve had a thing for all things blood orange lately. From cakes to margaritas I think I’ve been a little obsessed.

I clearly have a thing for meringue too.

But can you blame me? There’s nothing quite like some fruit covered in blood orange gose glaze on a fluffy cloud of whipped cream and sweet meringue.

This Blood Orange Gose from Anderson Valley Brewing Company has been one of my favorite beers to start off the summer. I’m loving it in my glass and in my food!

It was the perfect beer to use in this recipe because it’s not super salty like some gose style ales, but it’s deliciously tart with a hint of salt that went really well with the fruit. All that business made the perfect topping to cut through the sweetness of whipped cream and meringue. This Blood Orange Gose Glazed Mixed Fruit Pavlova would make any Dad happy on Father’s Day. It’s also a great dessert for any 4th of July cookout or party! Cheers, friends!

5 from 1 vote

Blood Orange Gose Glazed Mixed Berry Pavlova

Ingredients

4 egg whites room temp
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons corn starch
1 cup sugar
4 cups mixed berries and fruit
1/2 cup blood orange gose
1/4 cup strawberry preserves or jam
8 - 10 ounces Whipped cream

Instructions

Preheat oven to 215
Add egg whites to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment
Start out on low speed and whip the egg whites
Add vanilla and corn starch and when the eggs start to get foamy, increase the speed to medium
Add sugar slowly, one tablespoon at time
After about half the sugar is incorporated, increase the speed to medium high
Continue adding sugar one tablespoon at a time and beat until stiff peaks form and can stand up on their own without falling over - this process takes about 15 minutes
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper
Spoon meringue onto parchment paper in a 9 inch round circle with a concave center
Bake 90 minutes or until dry to touch
Turn off oven and let cool in oven completely
In a sauce pan heat beer and preserves/jam until thick and syrupy
Transfer to a large mixing bowl and let cool
Toss berries and fruit in beer/jam mixture to coat
Top meringue with whipped cream and spread all the way to the edges
Spoon glazed fruit on top and pour any remaining glaze over top

Smoked Porter Beer Brownies

January 13, 2018 by rachelle 10 Comments

Smoked Porter Beer Brownies are so fudgy and delicious! They’re super easy to make and have a hint of smokey flavor from a smoked porter beer. You can’t go wrong by finishing with a topping of a decadent amount of cream cheese frosting.

I’m not messing around getting 2018 started. I realize that January is about half over and I’m just arriving to the party. What can I say. I had to decide what to lead this new year with. How do I want to represent and forecast what’s to come?

I decided for all of us that we need lots of chocolate, obscene amounts of cream cheese frosting, and beer. So I give you Smoked Porter Beer Brownies. Happy New Year!

2017 was a crapstorm. You guys know that. I have confidence that this year is going to be great and I’m starting with a positive outlook. Awesome things are going to happen for all of us. Let’s do this together. Hello 2018! Bring on all things wonderful!

After all – how can we lose when we’re starting out with Smoked Porter Beer Brownies? Cheers!

5 from 4 votes

Smoked Porter Beer Brownies

Smoked Porter Beer Brownies are so fudgy and delicious! They're super easy to make and have a hint of smokey flavor from a smoked porter beer. You can't go wrong by finishing with a topping of a decadent amount of cream cheese frosting.

Author rachelle

Ingredients

1 cup smoked porter beer
3 sticks butter divided
1/2 cup cocoa powder
5 large eggs
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup flour
2 tablespoon vanilla divided
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk chocolate chips
8 ounces cream cheese
4 cups confectioners sugar

Instructions

Heat oven to 325
Pour beer into a saucepan with fairly high sides, bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer until reduced to a 1/4 cup
When beer is reduced, add 2 sticks of butter and cocoa powder to the same pan and cook over low heat until butter is melted while stirring until the mixture is smooth then set aside to cool slightly
In a medium bowl, whisk together sugar, flour, and salt
Add eggs to chocolate butter beer mixture, whisking them in one at a time
Stir vanilla into the chocolate mixture
Stir the flour mixture into the chocolate butter beer mixture until just combined
Line a 8 x 8 inch square pan with parchment paper or grease the pan with butter then pour in the brownie batter
Sprinkle the milk chocolate chips on top of the brownie batter
Bake for 35 - 35 minutes, cool completely
While the brownies are baking, make the frosting. Add remaining one stick of butter and cream cheese to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat until smooth
Add vanilla
Add confectioners sugar one cup at a time and beat until smooth
Top cooled brownies with cream cheese frosting

Recipe Notes

Keep an eye on the beer while it's reducing. It can boil over - this is why you want to use a fairly deep pan.
You want the beer chocolate butter mixture to cool enough so that you don't cook your eggs when you add them
You will want one stick of butter and the cream cheese softened to room temperature to make it easy to beat for the frosting
After frosting the brownies you can pop them in the refrigerator for an hour or so for the frosting to firm up a bit and it will make them easier to cut

Peppermint Frosted Chocolate Stout Cookies

December 22, 2017 by rachelle 13 Comments

Peppermint Frosted Chocolate Stout Cookies are the most delicious holiday cookie! A soft brownie cookie made with chocolate stout topped with decadent cream cheese frosting and finished with crushed peppermint for the win!

We’re feeling a bit chocolatey over here.

And all things deliciously stout.

I told you how I started drinking beer at the Birdsong anniversary party then came home to bake cookies while watching the snow. There was Coffee Vanilla Beer Pound Cake and Chocolate Mint Stout Crinkle Cookies involved. What can I say. I get creative and ambitious when I start drinking beer and celebrating at 11:00 am.

What? You don’t?

Anyway, these Peppermint Frosted Chocolate Stout Cookies use a modified version of the Chocolate Mint Stout Crinkle Cookies I posted the other day. I couldn’t miss an opportunity to make and share an easy cookie that can be made different ways. Everyone loves saving time and eating delicious cookies!

So, do you have all of your cookies baked and holiday/Christmas/Hanukkah celebration decorations up? It was a challenge in these parts, but we finally got our tree up last weekend while watching the Panthers game. It didn’t magically appear as hoped, but it got done. We even got a fancy light post for out front porch, some lights for the deck, and a GIANT 7 foot light up Santa for the dock. It’s ridiculously hilarious, but totally fun.

I’m not sure you can appreciate how big this guy is from this picture, but his head almost reaches the roof. And while you are looking up – notice the clock. It’s always 5:00 on the dock! Cheers! Happy Holidays!

5 from 6 votes

Peppermint Frosted Chocolate Stout Cookies

Servings 48 Cookies

Author rachelle

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups granulated sugar
3/4 cup vegetable or canola oil
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
4 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/3 cup chocolate stout or chocolate mint stout
8 ounces cream cheese
8 tbsp butter, room temperature
2 tbsp vanilla extract
4 cups confectioners sugar
1 cup peppermint candies or candy canes crushed and broken into medium size pieces

Instructions

Whisk or sift together flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl.
In the bowl of a stand mixer using the paddle attachment (or using a hand mixer) beat the sugar and vegetable oil together.
Beat in unsweetened cocoa powder until combined.
Add eggs, vanilla, and beer and beat until combined.
Gradually add flour mixture and beat to combine.
Transfer dough to an airtight container with lid and refrigerate overnight or at least 4 hours.
When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Using a tablespoon sized scoop, make small balls (about 1 inch round) and set on prepared baking sheet about 2 inches apart.
Bake at 350 for 10 - 12 minutes. They should have spread out and stay somewhat soft.
They come out a bit rounded on top, so I just pushed down the tops with the back of a spoon to make them flat to hold the frosting while they were still warm and pliable.
Cool for 3-4 minutes on the baking sheet then transfer to a wire rack. Repeat with remaining dough until used up.
Combine cream cheese, butter, and vanilla extract in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat until smooth. Gradually add confectioners sugar one cup at a time and beat until smooth.
Using a pastry bag fitted with a tip of choice, fill with frosting and pipe onto cooled cookies.
Top with crushed and broken peppermint or candy cane pieces.
Store in airtight container in refrigerator.

Chocolate Mint Stout Crinkle Cookies

December 20, 2017 by rachelle 4 Comments

Chocolate Mint Crinkle Cookies are a delicious holiday classic. These Chocolate Mint Stout Crinkle Cookies have the additional layer of mint flavor that comes from a chocolate mint stout for a tasty chocolate mint brownie cookie perfect for the holiday cookie tray!

Have you got your holiday bake on?

I got my hands on some of this Thick Mint Imperial Stout from Southern Tier some time ago. It was really hard to have enough self-control to save some for holiday baking, but I can proudly say I did it. The minute I saw it on the shelf, I knew it would make some really delicious Chocolate Mint Stout Crinkle Cookies.

I was right. These guys baked up like little powdered sugared chocolate brownie bites with just enough of a hint of mint to make them extra special. They’re really easy to make, but you do have to plan ahead in order for the dough to chill.

I knew I was going to be going to the Birdsong 6th anniversary party a couple of Saturdays ago, so I made the dough on Friday night and popped it in the fridge. I told you in this Coffee Vanilla Beer Pound Cake post how it snowed the next day and after drinking beer at 11:00 am, I was inspired to come home and get my holiday bake on. There’s nothing like starting your Saturday with beer at 11:00 am and coming home to bake cookies while watching snow fall.

5 from 3 votes

Chocolate Mint Stout Crinkle Cookie

Chocolate Mint Stout Crinkle Cookies are a delicious holiday classic. These have the additional layer of mint flavor that comes from a chocolate mint stout for a tasty chocolate mint brownie cookie perfect for the holiday cookie tray!

Servings 48 Cookies

Author rachelle

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups granulated sugar
3/4 cup vegetable or canola oil
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder I used Hershey's
4 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/3 cup chocolate mint stout I used Southern Tier Thick Mint Imperial Stout
3/4 cup confectioners sugar

Instructions

Whisk or sift together flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl.
In the bowl of a stand mixer using the paddle attachment (or using a hand mixer) beat the sugar and vegetable oil together.
Beat in unsweetened cocoa powder until combined.
Add eggs, vanilla, and beer and beat until combined.
Gradually add flour mixture and beat to combine.
Transfer dough to an airtight container with lid and refrigerate overnight or at least 4 hours.
When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Fill a small bowl with the confectioners sugar.
Using a tablespoon sized scoop, make small balls (about 1 inch round) by scooping out dough and dropping in the confectioners sugar, roll to cover completely, and set on prepared baking sheet about 2 inches apart.
Bake at 350 for 10 - 12 minutes. They should have spread out and stay somewhat soft.
Cool for 3-4 minutes on the baking sheet then transfer to a wire rack. Repeat with remaining dough until used up.
Store in an airtight container.

Recipe Notes

Return dough to refrigerator to keep chilled in between batches.
Using a tablespoon sized scoop, this made 48 cookies.
If a chocolate mint stout is not available, a chocolate stout can be used and add a tiny bit of mint extract to the dough with the vanilla extract.

Coffee Vanilla Beer Pound Cake

December 6, 2017 by rachelle 12 Comments

Coffee Vanilla Beer Pound Cake is a very vanilla pound cake with hints of coffee flavor from the addition of a coffee vanilla blonde ale.

It’s December and I’m finally getting around to posting something sweet. I’m not starting out the holiday season with cookies, but I thought a Coffee Vanilla Beer Pound Cake would be a good way to get things started.

How’s your holiday baking going? Do you have your tree up and your lights lit? We’re working on it. We had such a busy and hectic (but fun!) Thanksgiving we needed a bit down time. We had sort of planned – well maybe planned really isn’t quite the right word. We kind of discussed trying to do the decorating last weekend, but when I say we I really mean me. I said we should, but never really established an executable plan. I guess I expected a Christmas miracle and have everything magically appear.

The weather turned out to be so bad that we wouldn’t have gone outside to hang a bizzillion lights anyway. The sleet turned to snow and I grabbed an Uber to Birdsong Brewing for their 6th Anniversary Party. Then Chris hung out with the dogs while I baked up some cookies.

There’s nothing like baking cookies after starting your Saturday with an anniversary party and beer at 11:00 am.

5 from 6 votes

Coffee Vanilla Beer Pound Cake

Ingredients

3 sticks of butter slightly softened
3 cups sugar
6 eggs
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
3 cups flour
1 cup coffee vanilla blonde ale
cooking spray

Instructions

Preheat oven to 325
Cream butter and sugar together either using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or a hand mixer
Add eggs, one at a time
Add vanilla
Add flour, one cup at a time
Add beer
Scrape down sides and bottom of bowl and mix until combined
Coat a bundt pan with cooking spray
Pour cake batter into the bundt pan and bake for 1 hour and 10 minutes or until a cake tester or tooth pick comes out clean
Remove from oven and let cool in pan for 10 - 15 minutes then invert to a plate or cake stand
Serve with whipped cream or ice cream, if desired

NOTES:

I used Good Morning Vietnam Coffee Vanilla Blonde Ale from Wooden Robot Brewery. If that option is not available, you can use a blonde ale with vanilla and it will be just as good. If you substitute a darker beer like a coffee vanilla porter, it will likely change the color of your cake. That’s not necessarily a bad thing.
If the cake doesn’t easily slide out of the pan when you invert it, just walk away and leave it there. It is likely to come out eventually on its own.

Honey Roasted Grapefruit Wheat Ale and Meyer Lemon Cupcakes

September 5, 2017 by rachelle 20 Comments

Honey Roasted Grapefruit Wheat Ale and Meyer Lemon Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting are so good you won’t want to share

My Honey Roasted Ruby Red Grapefruit Wheat Ale didn’t win the competition, so I consoled myself by using it to make cupcakes.

I mentioned this before, but didn’t really elaborate. I brewed this beer for a competition called Beer and Branding. It was a really cool event where home brewers were matched up with a marketing team. The brewers created a recipe and brewed the beer while the marketing team designed a brand and label to go with it. All the beer had to use a secret ingredient chosen by NoDa Brewing Company’s head brewer.

You guessed it – the secret ingredient was grapefruit. I decided to cut them in half, cover them in honey, and roast them. It was called Groovy Red Ruby and I think it was the best beer I ever brewed. You can even see a little bit of pink from the red grapefruit in the head.

The label was really cool too! My team did an awesome job and created a graphic of my white boxer, Holly, riding a wave on a surfboard. I wish I had a copy to share, but sadly, I don’t.

It didn’t win the competition, but it is an amazing beer that I’m still enjoying and will absolutely brew again. And I might just keep it all for myself. 🙂

Honey Roasted Grapefruit Wheat Ale and Meyer Lemon Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients

For the Cupcakes

3 cups flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 sticks butter room temperature
4 eggs room temperature
2 cups sugar
2 tablespoons lemon zest
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 cup whole milk
2 tablespoons heavy cream
1/2 cup beer

For the Frosting

16 ounces cream cheese
2 stick butter room temperature
4 teaspoons vanilla
2 tablespoon meyer lemon juice
2 teaspoon meyer lemon zest
6 cups powdered sugar

Instructions

For the Cupcakes

Preheat oven to 325
Line 2 cupcake pans with paper cupcake liners
Whisk or sift together flour, salt, and baking powder
Add butter and sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat on medium high until light and fluffy
Add eggs one at a time making sure each one is incorporated before adding the next and scraping down the sides
Add 1/3 of the flour mixture and beat until incorporated
Add milk and beat until incorporated
Add another 1/3 of flour mixture and beat until incorporated
Add the beer, juice, and zest and beat until incorporated
Add the remaining 1/3 of the flour mixture and beat until incorporated
Transfer to prepared muffin tins filling about 3/4 of the way to the top
Bake 25 - 27 minutes or until golden brown on top and done in the center, rotate pans halfway through baking
Cool on wire racks

For the Frosting

Combine butter and cream cheese in the bowl of a stand mixer and beat on medium high until smooth
Add vanilla, juice, and zest and beat until combined
Reduce speed to medium lo and add powdered sugar one cup at a time until combined and smooth
Transfer frosting to a pastry bag fitted with whatever tip you like and pipe onto cooled cupcakes

NOTES:

Obviously you do not have this Honey Roasted Grapefruit Wheat Ale beer, but you can use a grapefruit ale or a wheat ale and substitute some of the lemon zest with grapefruit zest
If you aren’t a cream cheese frosting freak like me, you can use half of the frosting recipe for a lighter frosted cupcake or substitute a butter cream if that blows your dress up
I thought there was a gallery of the branding photos somewhere on Facebook, but I haven’t found them yet. If I do, I’ll update this post and include a link.

Briney Melon Gose and Blueberry Popsicles

August 14, 2017 by rachelle 17 Comments

Briney Melon Gose and Blueberry Popsicles are an adult frozen treat to beat the heat with a sour ale and fruity blueberries on a stick for Popsicle Week!

[Update: In this post I originally said I was taking a break for the month of July. My break is extended to include August as well. I plan to return sometime in September.]

It’s Popsicle Week, yo!

First of all, I would like to say that this is not a sponsored post and I am not stalking Anderson Valley Brewing Company. I just really love their beer and I’m totally digging their gose selection right now.

I’m also keeping things pretty short today, because what more do you need than some Briney Melon Gose and Blueberry Popsicles to celebrate Popsicle Week and head into a holiday weekend.

I’m not going to be the Popsicle Week buzz-kill by dwelling on the negative, but y’all know 2017 has not been kind to my family. So I’m kicking off Popsicle Week and checking out for a bit. I’m taking a break from all things blog for the month of July. I’ll be spending some quality time on the lake, doing a bit of kayaking, and headed to the beach for a welcome week-long vacation. Don’t worry about the fur babies – as always, we have a house/pet sitter.

Happy Popsicle Week, friends and have a great July. I’ll be back sometime in August, but until then there are all kinds of Popsicle recipes you need to try over at Billy’s website Wit and Vinegar. Go check out his Popsicle Week page. Cheers!

Briney Melon Gose and Blueberry Popsicles

Ingredients

1 12 ounce can Briney Melon Gose from Anderson Valley Brewing Company
1/4 cup simple syrup
1 pint blueberries divided

Instructions

Reserve about 20 blueberries and combine remaining blueberries and simple syrup in a blender and puree until smooth
Add beer and blend until combined
Pour blueberry and beer mixture into the bottom 1/3 of each popsicle mold and transfer to freezer for about 1 hour
Remove from freezer and drop a couple of blueberries into each mold
Top with remaining blueberry/beer mixture
Insert sticks and cover with lid overnight or otherwise freeze according to popsicle mold instructions

Notes:

If you can’t find this Briney Melon Gose another sour beer will be fine
I found that if I filled my popsicle molds too close to the top the lid freezes to any overflow and is a complete pain to get off
Be careful when pulling the popsicles out of the mold. Don’t rush or they will break. Just take your time and they’ll be fine.

Tangerine IPA and Meyer Lemon Curd Meringue Nests

July 28, 2017 by rachelle 25 Comments

Tangerine IPA and Meyer Lemon Curd Meringue Nests are a bright and flavorful dessert made with classic lemon curd with beer and pipped into a meringue nest.

I haven’t had a lot of words to share lately.

I’m not going to lie. Life has been rough. I was just starting to find positive things to focus on, embrace spring and all it’s beauty with fresh starts and hope for the future. I made Tangerine IPA and Meyer Lemon Curd Meringue Nests because they are bright, and yellow, and make me think of sunshine and spring and all things happy.

We’ve grieved and dealt with the tragedy as best we could. We were emerging from the darkness with a positive outlook.

I guess I thought it was safe to live and hope again. I guess it was too soon because the universe was there waiting to sucker punch me again. Right in the heart.

Run free sweet girl. You were loved.

Peyton

April 2010 – April 2017

Peyton was a rescue we adopted in April 2010 from Blue Ridge Boxer Rescue. We never really knew exactly how old she was, so we just counted her adoption day as the start of her new life free from gassing shelters and abuse. Please adopt. Don’t shop. There are so many beautiful animals in shelters that deserve loving homes.

Tangerine IPA and Meyer Lemon Curd Meringue Nests

Ingredients

For the Tangerine IPA and Lemon Curd

1/4 cup Meyer Lemon juice about 2 lemons
1/2 cup tangerine IPA beer
8 egg yolks
1 3/4 cups sugar
1 1/2 sticks COLD butter cut into tablespoon size pieces

For the Meringue

4 egg whites room temp
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons corn starch
1 cup sugar

Instructions

For the Tangerine IPA and Meyer Lemon Curd

Combine lemon juice, beer, egg yolks, and sugar in a heavy bottomed pot and heat on medium while whisking constantly, making sure to get into the corners
Continue cooking and whisking, without bringing to a complete boil until mixture becomes thick - about 7 - 10 minutes
Remove from heat and stir in each tablespoon of butter, one at a time, making sure each is melted (for the most part) before adding the next
Transfer to an air tight container and refrigerate until needed

For the Meringue

Preheat oven to 215
Add egg whites to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment
Start out on low speed and whip the egg whites
Add vanilla and corn starch and when the eggs start to get foamy, increase the speed to medium
Add sugar slowly, one tablespoon at time
After about half the sugar is incorporated, increase the speed to medium high
Continue adding sugar one tablespoon at a time and beat until stiff peaks form and can stand up on their own without falling over - this process takes about 15 minutes
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper
Transfer meringue to a disposable piping bag fitted with a star tip and pipe onto the parchment paper one 3 - 4 inch circle, fill in the center, then add two rings one on top of the other around the edge of the base creating a nest, repeat 12 times, then make little stars with the remaining meringue
Bake 90 minutes or until meringue is solid and dry (ish)
Turn off oven and leave the pan inside until cooled completely

For the Assembly

Transfer curd to a disposable piping bag
Pipe into the center of the nests and fill to just above the top
Serve with the meringue stars and whipped cream if desired

NOTES:

I don’t normally recommend cooking with an IPA because they are usually hoppy and when reduced can become very bitter. In this curd recipe I didn’t cook it down very much, so the hops didn’t have a real opportunity to concentrate and get bitter. The flavor combination of the tangerine beer and the sweet and tang of the meyer lemon juice was a perfect balance with the meringue nests. I used Tangier from Southern Tier.
I saw something similar to these nests in a magazine that I was reading while bored out of my mind waiting in Lowes for Chris to finish shopping for boring hardware or screws or something. I was inspired, but have no recollection of what magazine it was.

Peach Beer Blueberry Shortcakes

July 20, 2017 by rachelle 16 Comments

Peach Beer Blueberry Shortcakes are made with peach lambic beer and served on Raspberry Chocolate Stout Biscuits for a tart and sweet treat.

I did it. Two times. All by myself.

I successfully road (rowed?) my kayak alone. Two times! It’s crazy, right?Last weekend Chris went camping and four wheeling in the Georgia woods with some friends. If you have spent any time visiting this here website, you know that I absolutely did not go with them. Everyone had a better time.

I went to the lake. My first couple of times out kayaking was touch and go, but I was bound and determined that I could do it myself. I grabbed my shades, life jacket, and my trusty whistle and headed down to the pier.

I took a few deep breaths and set my kayak in the water and climbed in. Well, truth be told, it wasn’t as graceful as that sounds. Also, Chris knows me well enough to think ahead and bought this contraption that connects my paddle to my boat. Let’s just give a collective sigh of relief there because otherwise I’d still be floating around out there.

About 30 seconds after I pushed away from the dock, I realized that my kayak had been sitting on the pier and I didn’t think to look all the way inside where my feet were and it occurred to me that a snake could come slithering out of there and then I’d have a heart attack and drown. I told myself that if there had been any creatures in my kayak, all the commotion of boarding it would have scared them to kingdom come.

I was concerned about how I was going to extract myself from the kayak and get back up on the dock, but all was well and I was able to use the ladder. Oddly, the first time went better than the second time. I managed to get out without falling in, but there was quite a bit of water that needed to be drained from my vessel.

I rowed (road?) around the lake and all was well, but for one incident. All the safety information tells you to stay close to the shore line. That way you can get to land if you need to and you stay out of the way of the boats with motors that may run you over. I was sailing along nicely until I passed a neighboring dock and right about the time I was behind his boat the neighbor fired it up. I nearly had a heart attack and started rowing as fast as I could. Fortunately, the guy was safety-minded and looked behind him before backing out.

I thought I was going to have to use my whistle!

Peach Lambic and Blueberry Chocolate Stout Biscuit Shortcakes

Ingredients

For the Biscuits

4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoons salt
12 tablespoons cold butter cut into 1/4 inch pieces
1/4 ounces goat cheese softened
1 1/2 cups milk
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup raspberry chocolate stout

For the Blueberries

1 pint fresh blueberries
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup peach lambic or peach beer
Whipped cream for topping

Instructions

For the Biscuits

Preheat oven to 450
Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl
Using a pastry cutter, cut in the butter until the mixture is coarse and somewhat lumpy
Add milk, goat cheese, and beer and gently mix until dough comes together
Turn out onto a lightly floured surface, roughly form into a 3/4 inch thick rectangle
Use a 2 1/2 inch biscuit cutter to cut out biscuits
Repeat shaping and cutting dough until it's all used up
Transfer to a parchment lined baking sheet
Brush tops with the heavy cream
Bake 13-15 minutes or until golden brown
Cool on a wire rack

For the Blueberries

Combine blueberries, sugar, and beer in a pot, bring to a boil, reduce and cook until soft and syrupy - about 10 minutes

Assembly

Cut biscuit in half, top half with blueberries, then whipped cream, finish withe second half of biscuit

Author: Rachelle

Pineapple Ale Cherry Mini Tarts Recipe

June 24, 2017 by rachelle 19 Comments

Pineapple Ale Cherry Mini Tarts are a delightful and delicious transition from summer to fall with some beer infused cherries, pastry and whipped cream.

Hi y’all! How was your weekend? Did you have a big fun cookout? Lay low with a cold beer by a pool or lake or ocean? We spent 5 fantastic days in Hilton Head at the Weston Hilton Head Resort and Spa and I totally wish I was still there – although I did miss my fur babies even though they were so in good hands and no parties were thrown that we can tell.

There isn’t any obvious evidence of shenanigans anyway.

I figured we’d ease our way out of summer and into fall. I know that Labor Day is kind of that unofficial transition with stupid rules about wearing white (I have zero idea who in tarnation came up with this ridiculousness because it’s still hot as all get out down here) and pools and amusement parks closing. Those are some sad and heartbreaking days.

I had to cheer some things up around here with some pastry cream in a tart topped with beer infused cherry compote and whipped cream, so I made you some Pineapple Ale Mini Cherry Tarts. You’re welcome.

I’m still fresh from the beach, so I can’t move on to fall yet. #sorrynotsorry

I gotta tell ya, it’s been a couple of years since we’ve been able to take a beach vacation. With four dogs that belong on Misfit Island, it’s hard to get away. This summer we were able to secure a fantastic pet sitter and made two trips to the beach. There is not much more relaxing to me as laying on the beach, reading chick lit or legal mystery, and listening to the waves crash while drinking a cold beer or banana daiquiri.

So, we’ll talk about apples next week, ‘k?

Pineapple Ale Cherry Mini Tarts Recipe

Ingredients

2 prepared store bought pie crust

For the Pastry Cream

2 cups whole milk
1 cup heavy cream
1 1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
9 large egg yolks
1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste

For the Cherries

1 pound cherries cleaned, pitted stems removed
1 cup pineapple ale beer I used Ballast Point Pineapple Sculpin - peach could be substituted
1 tablespoon corn starch
For the Whipped Cream
2 cups heavy whipping cream
2 tablespoons sugar
1-2 tablespoons vanilla bean paste

Instructions

For the Crust

Preheat oven to 400
Fit crust into mini tart pans, press to form, press edge of dough over top of each pan to cut dough from pan, and prick the bottom of the dough several times with a fork - do this for each of the tart pans
Bake 15 - 20 minutes or until golden brown - you want to bake it all the way because this is the only time it will be in the oven
Cool on a wire rack

For the Pastry Cream

Whisk together sugar, flour, and sal in a large bowl, add eggs and whisk everything together - mixture will be thick
Add milk and cream to a sauce pan and heat over medium heat until steamy, but do not boil
Add 1/2 cup of the hot milk to the egg mixture and whisk to prevent the eggs from scrambling
Gradually add milk 1/2 cup at a time to the egg mixture while constantly whisking until almost all the milk is added to the eggs
Pour all the egg/milk mixture back into the pot
Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until it starts to bubble, continue whisking another 1 -2 minutes until thick
Remove from heat
Set a fine mesh sieve over a bowl and pour the pastry cream into the sieve and strain - this will catch any of the eggs that may have scrambled
Cover pastry cream with plastic wrap making sure to press the plastic to the surface of the pastry cream to prevent a skin from forming
Chill completely in the refrigerator

For the Cherries

Add cherries, beer, and corn starch to a sauce pan and stir to combine
Bring to a boil, reduce heat and cook until thick, stirring often - careful not to let it boil over - this should take 15 minutes or so
Remove from heat and cool

For the Whipped Cream

Chill bowl and whisk attachment for stand mixer in freezer for 20 - 30 minutes
Fit bowl and whisk to the mixer
Add heavy cream, sugar, and vanilla bean paste to the bowl
Turn mixer on low to avoid splashing and increase speed to medium high
Beat until light peaks form - this should take 5 - 6 minutes or so - keep an eye on it so it doesn't turn to butter

For the Assembly

Evenly distribute pastry cream into the prepared tart shells/pans
Evenly distribute cherries to the top of the pastry cream
Top each with whipped cream

Note: All of these steps can be prepared ahead of time and assembled just before serving

Sweets

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Instructions

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For the Frosting

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For the Frosting

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For the Tangerine IPA and Lemon Curd

For the Meringue

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For the Tangerine IPA and Meyer Lemon Curd

For the Meringue

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For the Blueberries

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Pineapple Ale Cherry Mini Tarts Recipe

Ingredients

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For the Cherries

Instructions

For the Crust

For the Pastry Cream

For the Cherries

For the Whipped Cream

For the Assembly

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