beverages

White Hot Chocolate with Bourbon Barrel Stout Marshmallows

December 16, 2016 by rachelle 15 Comments

White Hot Chocolate with Bourbon Barrel Stout Marshmallows is an adult version of a classic winter warmer made with white chocolate and beer marshmallows.

Who wants to faceplant into some White Hot Chocolate and Bourbon Barrel Stout Marshmallows?

As a former Assistant Public Defender, I’m always rooting for the underdog. The forgotten and left behind. I rooted for the Sweet Potato and the Sweet Potato Ale and now I advocate for the white chocolate in which to drown your bourbon barrel stout marshmallows.

The winter and holiday season has everyone making some hot chocolate or mocha coffee to warm up with while sitting by the fire in your cozy fuzzy slippers. I’m here to tell you to put that down right now and turn your attention to some White Hot Chocolate.

Starbucks has nothing on this.

White Hot Chocolate with Bourbon Barrel Stout Marshmallows

Ingredients

For the Marshmallows

1 cup cold beer divided
3 packages unflavored gelatin
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup light corn syrup
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup powdered sugar divided
1 teaspoon cornstarch

For the White Hot Chocolate

2 cups whole milk
1 cup white chocolate chips
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
whipped cream optional

Instructions

For the Marshmallows

Combine 1/2 cup beer and gelatin in the bowl of a stand mixer and set aside
Combine 1 1/2 cups sugar, 1 cup corn syrup, salt, and 1/2 cup beer in a small sauce pan
Cook over medium heat until sugar dissolves
Increase heat until liquid boils, either heat until temp reaches 240 or boil for two minutes, remove from heat
Lock mixer bowl with gelatin and water into the stand mixer, attach whisk, and turn on low
Slowly stream syrup mixture into gelatin with mixer continuing on low
Increase mixer speed to high and continue whipping until fluffy, about 15 minutes
Add vanilla, whisk another 30 seconds or so
Dust a casserole dish with 1/4 cup powdered sugar to coat, transfer marshmallow mix to dish, leave uncovered overnight - either in refrigerator or on counter
Combine remaining 1/2 cup of powdered sugar with the cornstarch and sprinkle it all over a large cutting board
Turn marshmallow square onto the prepared cutting board and cut into desired shapes, turning each piece to coat in the powdered sugar once cut

For the White Hot Chocolate

Combine milk, vanilla, and white chocolate chips in a small sauce pan and heat on low until chocolate is melted, stir to combine and make smooth
Pour hot chocolate into cups, top with marshmallow and whipped cream, if using

NOTES:

As always, the recipes using beer are intended for adults only. Please do not give alcohol to minors. This recipe in particular does not have all the alcohol cooked out of it, which is a nice showcase of the flavor of this beer, but not appropriate for everyone.
The marshmallows are sticky, but once you coat all sides with powdered sugar they are easier to handle.
This recipe makes two 1 cup servings of White Hot Chocolate and the amount of marshmallows will vary depending how they are cut

Boozy Root Beer Float Popsicles

June 24, 2016 by rachelle 11 Comments

It’s Popsicle Week happy hour!

You didn’t think I would end Popsicle Week without giving you a boozy popsicle, did you? I realize that it may be early in the morning when this post hits the interwebs, but it is Friday and the last day of Popsicle Week. Billy at Wit & Vinegar has hosted this party and you should seriously check out his website because this post almost made me blow beer out my nose.

Speaking of beer, we used some boozy hard root beer in these popsicles. You could substitute some regular root beer, but I don’t know whyyyyyy in tarnation you would want to do that.

I know these boozy root beer popsicles aren’t quite as colorful as these or these, but I’m here to tell you that they’re just as delicious and totally festive for the popsicle party.

And they even get all kind of foamy on top (or bottom?) just they way a root beer float (boozy or otherwise) does!

I couldn’t think of a better way to say good-bye and see you next year Popsicle Week! Cheers, y’all! Have a fantastic weekend!

Oh hey! Wait! Wait! Don’t forget to enter the giveaway! You could win a $100 Amazon gift card or a really cool baking collection!

Boozy Root Beer Float Popsicles

Ingredients

2-3 cups your favorite vanilla ice cream softened
1 12 ounce bottle of your favorite hard root beer

Instructions

Scoop ice cream into molds about 1/2 - 3/4 full
Slowly pour root beer in over the ice cream, careful not to overflow
Let root beer settle for the foam to go down and slowly add more
Repeat until full - I had a little bit of root beer leftover, which I promptly drank
Cover and insert sticks
Freeze overnight

Wine Pairing and Dinner at Corkbuzz with Charlotte Food Bloggers

June 8, 2016 by rachelle 17 Comments

Hi y’all! We’re doing something a little bit different here today. I inadvertently found the mothership a couple of months ago. Real live awesome food, travel, and lifestyle (and some other topics) bloggers here in my home city of Charlotte, NC – Charlotte Food Bloggers! You have no idea how excited I was to discover that I was not alone, floating around the interwebs. I tend to live in a vacuum (under a rock) and these wonderful new friends are totally pulling me out from my job and from behind my computer!

I have been lucky enough to participate in several events, “Eat Ups,” and informational/educational programs that the Charlotte Food Bloggers have arranged, coordinated, and sponsored. This week I was honored to be part of a wine pairing and dinner at Corkbuzz. I cannot even begin to tell you what an amazing experience this was. It was so fantastic I’m going to share it with you!

We arrived and were greeted with a delicious and fancy pants cocktail that was a take on the Negroni. It was made with a white vermouth, white wine, and gin with a lemon peel twist. Whoa! It was so herbaceous and refreshing!

After gathering at the bar, we were escorted into our dining room and introduced to one of the two co-owners, Frank Vafier. He was enjoying a glass of wine and told us about his business partner, Laura Maniec, who is a Master Sommelier. Frank also shared their business philosophy. This is a place where you can totally be yourself, learn about wine from an unpretentious and friendly staff, and enjoy some seriously creative, impressive, and fantastic food. This is a restaurant that not only has an excellent wine selection with people who can educate you, but this is a restaurant that is right up there with the Charlotte epic establishments. No joke. Check it out.

Here is where I should have taken a photo of the beautiful table that was set for us in our own personal dining room. Sadly, I did not. It was a cozy and inviting room that can be reserved for up to 20 people for any special occasion and/or wine pairing. I’m envisioning my next birthday party. Seriously.

On with it Rach –

We had one food menu with 5 courses. I KNOW!

We had a second menu with the same courses, but with exciting and experimental wine and/or beer pairings.

Genius.

Our first course was a trio:

Scallop Noodles with apple, mint, jalapeno, and preserved lemon.

Fried Oysters with caviar, cucumber, creme fraiche

Pickled Shrimp with sea beans and smoked ricotta. Whoa! That ricotta is made in house and is to die for.

For this course we had one wine that was absolutely out of this world. Man o’ War Sauvigon Blanc ’14 from Waheke Island, New Zeland. We also had beer pairings for each of the three first course creations – Anderson Valley Brewing Co. Briney Melon Gose – California, Olde Mecklenburg Brewery Hornet’s Nest Hefeweizen – North Carolina (Charlotte and right up the street from me!), Benford Brewing Co. World’s Problem Solver America IPA – South Carolina.

The second course was Veal Tartare with fermented cabbage, turnip, quail egg, and cheddar chips. Now, I’ll be the first to tell you that raw meat is totally not my jam, but this was really an interesting and delicious combination even if the texture is not something familiar. I really liked the quail egg on top and the cheddar chips were amaze-balls.

This course was served with Grangeneuve les Dames Blances du Sud ’14 – Gringnan-les-Adhemar, France (right?!) and Ameztoi Getariako Txakolina Rubentis ’15 – Getaria, Spain. (again! right?!)

By now, you can imagine that we were having a pretty great time. It’s true. We were. And we moved on to the third course.

Corvina Sea Bass with braised radishes, fiddlehead ferns. I do love me some sea bass and this was cooked perfectly. It was absolutely delicious and I think my favorite on the whole menu. I’ll be honest. I had never had a fiddlehead fern before now. LOVED.

They came in with Cordero di Montezemolo Arneis ’14 – Langhe, Italy for the traditional wine on this one, but broke out the Kurt Darting Pinot Meunier Trocken ’13 – Pfatz, Germany as the rouge match up. They were both absolutely delicious and I really loved the walk on the wild side with the red aside a fish dish.

You can imagine that by now I’m getting pretty full. And they brought out the Confit Pork Belly with pork tenderloin, nduja, roasted broccoli, gnocchi, and parmesan consomme. What?!?!

Yep.

And the consomme. I took an action shot for you.

You’re welcome.

I think I was too busy eating this masterpiece and enjoying wine to take any pictures of the wine. Oops.

Then there was dessert. Like I needed that?!?! Our fifth course was Avonlea Cloth Bound Cheddar, blueberries, strawberry jam on rosemary toast. And that little cloud looking thing? Tasted like cotton candy. Whaaaaat?

And this one the objective was to have some leftover red wine from your last course to carry over to the dessert. I’m not saying whether or not we actually had leftover wine or needed refills…..

Yes, that is the same photo, but I want you to see that there was also beer. It was a (13% whoa!) La Perle Mondiale Strong Ale – Belgium. And it was amazing.

Everything I ate and drank at Corkbuzz was absolutely delicious and the creativity there is so impressive! I’m going to give a FULL DISCLOSURE HERE and tell you that everything I experienced at Corkbuzz was complimentary, no one asked me to write about this, and my opinions are all my own. Thank you, Corkbuzz. I had a wonderful time!

Having said that, Corkbuzz is your perfect place for a special occasion, date night dinner, or just because place because you want some fancy pants wine and food pairing without anyone looking down his nose at you. Do it!

I would also like to thank the Charlotte Food Bloggers for inviting me to participate in this epic event. A special thanks to LeAndra Spicer from Love & Flour for making this happen. I loved hanging with my Charlotte Food Blogger friends:

Love & Flour

The Olive and the Sea

Off the Eaten Path

Eat Drink Charlotte

Spicy Southern Kitchen

Bucket List Tummy

Amy on Food

My Forking Life

The aftermath.