treat

Russian Imperial Bourbon Aged Stout Gingersnap Cookies

February 23, 2017 by rachelle 27 Comments

Russian Imperial Bourbon Aged Stout Gingersnap Cookies is a recipe filled with a perfect balance of spicy and sweet for an adult version of a winter treat.

Sometime you just need cookies. And beer.

First, I just want to say thanks to all of you who have left such kind word about our sad family troubles. I appreciate each and every one of you.

We’re totally checking out this weekend and headed to Charleston for Brewvival. It’s time for a beer festival and we need a break. (This is not a sponsored post – we totally paid full price for our tickets.) Things are stabilized enough at the moment for us to get away, so we’re looking forward to all the southern charm Charleston has to offer. (Don’t worry – we have a dog/house sitter). We’ll eat some great food, hang out with awesome friends, and sample some of the most amazing and rare beer from all over the country.

I’ll take it and be grateful. Life is fragile, friends. Enjoy it.

Russian Imperial Bourbon Aged Stout Gingersnap Cookies

Ingredients

2 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons ground ginger
8 tablespoons butter room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup molasses
3 tablespoons bourbon barrel aged stout beer
1 large egg room temperature
1 - 2 tablespoons smoked bourbon sugar or regular sugar if unavailable

Instructions

Whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and ginger
Beat butter and sugar together by hand or in a stand mixer until smooth and fluffy
Beat in vanilla, molasses, beer and egg
Mix in flour mixture slowly until dough is smooth and ingredients are incorporated
Divide dough in half, roll into logs, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate at least 2 hours or overnight
Heat oven to 350
Slice dough into 1/4 inch circles, press one side with bourbon smoked sugar, and arrange on a parchment lined baking sheet about 1 inch apart
Bake 12 -14 minutes, rotating halfway through, until brown - but not burnt
Cool a couple of minutes on baking sheet then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely

NOTES:

You can speed up the chilling process by sticking the dough in the fridge for about an hour
These cookies do spread even if the dough is chilled, so leave enough room on the baking sheet
I used Monstro from NoDa Brewing Company in this recipe
I rolled my cookie dough logs about 1 inch tall and ended up with about 15 per roll – I didn’t measure the length, but I think they were about a foot long each
I bought some bourbon smoked sugar at the Savor Spice Shop and you can order it from their website if you want some

Nothing on this post is sponsored. I’m just excited about Brewvival and recommend beer and products I use and love. Cheers! XO

Christmas Ale Caramels

December 7, 2016 by rachelle 17 Comments

Christmas Ale Beer Caramels are a soft, chewy treat made with Christmas Ale with hints of cinnamon and vanilla perfect for holidays and holiday gifts!

Don’t fear the candy thermometer.

It won’t bite. Seriously, it’s not as hard as it sounds! Santa’s coming and he may want something else to go along with his cookies and milk. Although, over here it’s more likely to be cookies and beer. Or cookies made with beer. Or caramels made with beer. You get the idea.

Anyway, the candy thermometer is your friend. You can pick up a regular glass one that attaches to the side of your pot or a digital instant read at your local cooking store and I’ve even seen them at the grocery.

Once you have that candy thermometer in your hot little hands, you will be armed and dangerous because you’ll realize how easy it is to have homemade soft and chewy caramels around and you won’t want to stop. No judgments here if you don’t.

Of course I put some of my home brewed Christmas Ale in mine, because that’s just the way I roll and I’m ready for some holiday cheer! Speaking of holiday cheer, we’re still celebrating the Sweetest Season Cookie Exchange all week long, so be sure to follow along on all social media with the hashtag #sweetestseasoncookies to get your party started and check out the Pinterest board too! There’s something for everyone on this list!

Cheers and Happy Holidays!

Christmas Ale Caramels

Ingredients

1 cup heavy cream
4 tablespoons butter plus extra for preparing the dish
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup corn syrup
1/4 cup Christmas Ale
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Instructions

Line an 8 x 8 baking dish with parchment paper leaving excess paper hanging over the side
Coat parchment with butter
Heat butter, cream, and salt in a saucepan on medium heat until butter is melted, remove from heat and set aside
In a large heavy bottomed saucepan, combine the sugar, brown sugar, corn syrup, and beer. Stir until all the sugar is moistened and a thick paste is formed.
Wipe down sides of pan with a wet pastry brush to remove sugar crystals above the surface of the sugar mixture
Attach a candy thermometer to the side of pan according to product instructions
Do not stir the sugar after this point
Put the pot with sugar mixture over medium to medium high heat. Let the syrup come to a boil without stirring.
When the syrup reaches 250 degrees F, but before it reaches 325 degrees F turn off the heat.
Slowly pour the warm cream and butter mixture into the sugar syrup while whisking the sugar syrup gently
The sugar syrup will bubble up and triple in size.
When all the cream and butter mixture has been added, stop whisking
Return the pan to medium to medium-high heat. Let the mixture come to a boil without stirring. It will start as a soft buttery yellow ans then darken to a reddish-brown caramel. Remove from heat when it reaches 245 to 250 degrees F.
Quickly whisk in the vanilla
Pour caramel into the prepared pan, but do not scrape the bottom of the pan because there could be little burnt bits
Set the pan somewhere for at least 2 hours or overnight in order for the caramel to set
When set, turn caramel out onto a cutting board and cut with a sharp sturdy knife to desired shapes
Wrap with candy wrappers or pieces of parchment paper

Adapted from The Kitchn

NOTES:

Do not use a pot that isn’t sturdy or big enough or the bottom could scorch and it will overflow when it bubbles up while adding the cream
I used my own home brewed Christmas ale that has cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla, so I recommend using something similar or at least a beer that’s very vanilla forward
If your a fan of salted caramels, you can always sprinkle a bit over the top right after you transfer it to the pan. You’ll want to do this before it sets or it won’t stick.
I cut mine into pieces about 1 inch long and 1/2 inch thick. I just cut it into strips then cut each strip into 4 pieces. I think I ended up with about 60 pieces, but can’t be sure because we ate some of them before I remembered to count them.

Blueberry Coconut Milk Popsicles

June 20, 2016 by rachelle 32 Comments

Hi! Hi! I know it’s Monday and I’ve kind of been taking a break, but it’s a big fun party up in here this week!

We’re celebrating all kinds of fun things this week! And, normally when I say we, I really mean me, but this time I’m not alone. First of all, it’s POPSICLE WEEK! Billy at Wit & Vinegar is the genius behind Popsicle Week and I’m so excited to join in the summer fun!

A ton of bloggers will be posting crazy awesome popsicles all week long and the list will be updated daily. Be sure to check out the Pinterest board and follow along #popsicleweek on your social media for all the fun summer treats!

But WAIT! WAIT! There’s more! I know! I can’t take much more excitement either!

Are you ready? There is a GIVEAWAY too! OMG!

Megan from The Emotional Baker is celebrating her 100th recipe post, so I’ve ganged up with 15 other bloggers to party! We have two party favors for this soiree! Whaaaaaat?!?!?!

No joke! We’re giving away a $100 Amazon gift card for one lucky first place winner and a lucky second place winner will go home with The Emotional Baker’s Favorite Baking Tools Prize Pack! Scroll down below the recipe to see the prizes and use the Rafflecopter to see the rules and enter. Good luck!

OMG! Why in tarnation didn’t you keep me on track here? I got so worked up about Popsicle Week and the awesome giveaway, I totally forgot to tell you about my popsicles! I had so much fun making popsicles that I had to order another popsicle mold because my ideas were happening faster than they could freeze and be photographed! This 3 ingredient blueberry coconut milk combo is so super easy it’s not really fair to call it a recipe, but summer is about easy and who doesn’t love a simple and refreshing treat to beat the summer heat?!?!

Blueberry Coconut Milk Popsicles

Ingredients

1 pint blueberries
1 13.5 ounce can full fat coconut milk divided
2 - 4 tablespoons agave depending on taste and sweetness of blueberries

Instructions

Add blueberries, agave, and 1 cup of the coconut milk to a food processor or blender and puree until smooth
Pour into popsicle molds, leaving an inch or so of space at the top
Transfer remaining coconut milk to a measuring cup and slowly pour on top of the blueberry mixture
Take a butter knife and slide into each mold and swirl a little bit
Cover with lid, insert sticks into each, leaving about an inch or so out
Freeze overnight
To remove the pops, fill sink with hot water and set into water for 15 seconds, careful not to go over the top
If the popsicles don't easily slide out, dunk the mold again for another 10 - 15 seconds
Serve immediately or refreeze on a plate

I’ve teamed up with 15 other bloggers to help celebrate The Emotional Baker’s 100th Recipe! We’re giving away two prizes.

Grand Prize: $100 Amazon Gift Card.
2nd Place: TEB’s Favorite Baking Tools Prize Pack.

The prize pack includes:

One Camry High Accuracy Digital Kitchen Food Scale // $18.99 value
One iSi Basics Flex-It Measuring Cups // $24.99 value
One RSVP Endurance Spice Measuring Spoon Set // $13.95 value
One Wilton ColorSwirl 3-Color Coupler 9-Piece Decorating Kit // $7.90 value
One Chef’n Switchit Narrow Silicone Spatula // $9.99 value

Giveaway Made Possible By:

Giveaway Rules:

Enter the giveaway through the Rafflecopter widget below. Earn entries by following the host bloggers on social media. (If you’ve followed in the past, that counts! Just enter the information as prompted.) All entries will be verified. No purchase is necessary to win.
The giveaway is open until Wednesday, June 29, 2016 at 11:59 p.m. EST. One Grand Prize winner and one Second Place winner will be chosen at random and e-mailed within 48 hours. Winners must claim prize within 48 hours of initial contact. The retail value of the prize is $75. Prizes listed above are the only ones available.
Grand Prize: Open to USA, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Netherlands, Spain, United Kingdom.
Second Place: Open to U.S. residents with a valid shipping address only.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Chocolate and Candy Cane Homemade Marshmallows

December 3, 2015 by rachelle 32 Comments

Well, hello there December and all things holidays! It’s the most wonderful time of the year!!!!

Is it just me or is December probably the most fun and exciting month of the whole year?

The change from November to December is so dramatic. It’s as if fall has ended on Thanksgiving and winter starts December 1st. Even though this is the gateway to winter, we can embrace and celebrate December because there are cookies and candy and hot chocolate and marshmallows and awesome lights and decorations and presents …..

You get the picture.

FULL DISCLOSURE: I do not eat marshmallows. I have a weird aversion to all things sticky. It’s a texture issue. I do love how they look, my family and other peeps dig them, and they’re fun to make, so here we are.

And yes. I have a pink Kitchenaid. Don’t judge me. Also, I’m bringing sexy back with my reflection in the bowl wearing pink pajama pants and a green t-shirt while taking this photo.

Chris is one lucky guy.

Seriously, have you ever made marshmallows? It’s super easy and totally fun! I made some last year for Christmas gifts and they were loved by all.

You can keep it simple and just cut them into squares or use a cookie cutter and make them into fun shapes.

Then, of course, you can (and probably should!) coat them in some chocolate. I used Wilton because I happened to see CANDY CANE MELTS at the grocery. Whaaaat???!?!?!

This is totally not a sponsored post, I just got excited about the candy cane option I haven’t seen anywhere else.

You can (and probably should!) do some chocolate ones too. And then toss on some festive decorations! Because why wouldn’t you?

Then maybe drop one in some hot chocolate because that’s always a great idea!

Happy Holiday Season!

Chocolate and Candy Cane Homemade Marshmallows

Ingredients

For the Marshmallows

1/2 cup cold water
3 packages unflavored gelatin
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup light corn syrup
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste
powdered sugar for coating pan and cutting board

For the Toppings

4 ounces candy cane Wilton melts
4 ounces light cocoa Wilton melts
Cookie sprinkles
Shortening to thin chocolate if needed

Instructions

Combine water 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 water 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, attache 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 bean paste, whisk another 30 seconds or so
Dust a casserole dish with powdered sugar to coat, transfer marshmallow mix to dish, leave uncovered overnight - either in refrigerator or on counter
Turn marshmallow square onto a powdered sugar cutting board
Use a cookie cutter of desired shape to cut out marshmallows
Melt each chocolate and candy candy chocolates according to package directions
Dip marshmallows into melted chocolate for the desired amount, sprinkle with cookie decorations, transfer to cutting board, refrigerate overnight
If desired, insert a skewer to have a marshmallow on a stick

Marshmallow recipe from Ina Garten

Note: I used Wilton melts and the directions on the packaging. If you use this or something else and the result is too thick, thin it out with some vegetable shortening. I just added a teaspoon at the end and microwaved it on 50% for 30 seconds.

treat

Russian Imperial Bourbon Aged Stout Gingersnap Cookies

Ingredients

Instructions

Christmas Ale Caramels

Ingredients

Instructions

Blueberry Coconut Milk Popsicles

Ingredients

Instructions

Chocolate and Candy Cane Homemade Marshmallows

Ingredients

For the Marshmallows

For the Toppings

Instructions

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