Once again I have fallen of the blogging train. Yes, I am fully aware it has been almost a month since my last post. But good readers, I have a very good excuse. I got engaged a couple of weeks ago to the bf and it has been a whirlwind of visiting venues and wedding cakes and sugar plums and dancing fairies and rainbows and unicorns. Err, maybe not exactly like that but we've been busy planning the wedding of our dreams! Very exciting, very stressful, very unproductive for this little blog of mine.
I decided to no longer neglect my blog when a friend of mine asked for an easy cookie recipe to share with friends. I have a few recipes that I think are really good, and when he said he was looking for oatmeal or chocolate chip cookes I thought of a recipe that was given to me by my grandmother. My grandfather's favorite cookies are oatmeal. Not just oatmeal cookies, BURNT oatmeal cookies. He can't get enough of them. Or maybe he likes 'em burnt just so he doesn't have to share....When my grandma decided to change it up and use a different recipe (not sure where it came from), I asked her to leave some normal ones for us to try. They were fantastic!! I couldn't get enough. The cool thing with these is you can mix in pretty much any kind of "whatever" you want to throw in there. (See suggestions at the bottom) So we'll call them "Everything Cookies". Yes, it's kind of a lot of ingredients, but you throw it all together in three parts, anyone can handle it, I promise! It always helps when you have a willing party to measure everything out for you, too. (And someone to do the dishes!)
As for beer pairing, these would be PHENOMENAL with a stout, I would highly recommend Samuel Smith's Oatmeal Stout. I don't think I could recommend a better pairing. I know it's only 7am, but if you put a pint of Samuel Smith's Oatmeal stout and a plate of these cookies in front of me right now, I simply would not be able to stop myself!! Without further ado, the recipe:
"Everything Cookies"
(NOTE: 1T = 1 Tablespoon, 1t = 1 teaspoon!)
*"Wet" ingredients*
1/2 c vegetable shortening (like Crisco) 1/2 c butter, room temperature
1 c sugar 1 c brown sugar
1 T vanilla 2 eggs
*Cream these 6 ingredients together until pale in color
*Dry ingredients*
1 t baking soda 1/2 t baking powder
1/2 t salt 2 c flour
*Mix the next 4 ingredients in a bowl separate from the mixture above. Gradually add to the "wet" mixture above until combined.
1 c coconut (optional) 2 c crispy rice cereal
2 c oatmeal 2 c chocolate chips (optional)
Mix in the cereal and oatmeal. The coconut and chocolate chips are optional.
Using a spoon sized amount of dough, place on a slightly greased cookie sheet (hello cooking spray, you are my friend). Bake in a 350 degree oven for 8-10 minutes. Happy eating!
***Mix-in Suggestions***
Raisins
Dried fruit (I like apples particularly)
A dash of cinnamon and nutmeg or apple pie spice to make a more traditional oatmeal cookie
Nuts
White chocolate
Orange or lemon zest
OR you could add a glaze (which I haven't done but I think it would be awesome):
Maple
Maple cinnamon
Vanilla... The possibilities are endless!
Sharing my inspirations and passions for good food and good finds!
Showing posts with label Beer pairing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Beer pairing. Show all posts
Friday, May 6, 2011
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Beer and Dessert Pairing
Gentle readers, my apologies for not posting sooner, I've been getting over a bug that knocked me flat on my bum. But, alas, the fever and chills have subsided, and I am once again well. This past Friday was finally the night of the beer and dessert pairing!
My friend had 6 beers ready for tasting, which meant I really had my work cut out for me!! The majority of his beers (descriptions are in the previous beer post) were expected to have nutty, bready, or caramel undertones. So to match these I made candied almonds and caramel pecan shortbread. I knew the candied almonds would work with any of those beers. They were not too sweet and I had toasted the almonds to give them the depth of roasting that I thought would cut through the taste of the beer. The caramel pecan shortbread I thought would work well with the beers that had bready flavor. I had hoped the caramel and roasted pecans would bring out some of the character of the beers that maybe would not have been as pronounced otherwise.
My bigger fears lay within the lighter beers which were being sampled. For these I thought chocolate covered candied oranges would complement the citrus notes in the beers and the thin layer of chocolate would contrast with the beers. I started these a month ago--I sliced oranges from my parents' tree in the backyard and let them soak in super-saturated sugar syrup for about 30 days, then dried them out and coated them with chocolate. I have made these before and I like to offer them at Christmas, so it was a treat getting to eat one in the spring!
The one that made me MOST nervous was a brew with spruce and honey. My friend mentioned that it was not expected to have a sweet finish. And the spruce, wow. I initially went to honey, pine nuts, gin? I had absolutely no clue what would complement, cut or contrast a beer with spruce. Or honey, for that matter. What did I make, you ask?? Baklava. Not just ordinary baklava. I chopped almonds and added a touch of cinnamon. I layered the delicate phyllo dough generously with butter, filled it with the almonds and cinnamon, and baked it for an hour and some change. The super-saturated sugar syrup that was used to make the oranges was used in this recipe. I boiled it down til it thickened up, then cooled it and stirred in some honey. I poured it over the freshly baked baklava and let each layer soak up the orange and honey-laced syrup.
When the bf and I arrived after walking a couple of blocks in the San Diego drizzle, desserts in hand, the group had already begun tasting. What was next? The honey and spruce beer. "Which one goes with this one??" they asked. "Baklava," was my reply. I had my reservations about this pairing, but now was as good a time as any to bring out the desserts and laissez les bons temps rouler! As I tasted the beer and then took a bite of the baklava, it was not what I expected. The reaction around the room echoed my sentiments. The small studio with over a dozen people immediately fell silent as we all relished in the flavor of the beer and the after-effects of the orange and honey dancing on the tongue, complementing this beer PERFECTLY. Everyone in the room was reveling in the beer and baklava. At the risk of sounding over-the-top and perhaps a tad cheesy, it was more than just beer and dessert. It was an experience. The pairing I was afraid of most turned out to be the best pairing of the evening.
We tried the rest of the beers, which went well with the nutty and sweet combinations. We chatted about work, about beer brewing, about life. We listened to music and some people danced. It was lots of fun. We didn't stay long, it had been a long day for both me and the bf. But I was very inspired by the fact that it not only was possible to pair Beer AND Sugar, that it was amazing! You can be sure that I'm ready and willing to do it again soon!!
NOTE: A quick "Thank you!" to my co-worker Mike C. for the pics.
 |
| One of the home brews we tasted on Friday |
My friend had 6 beers ready for tasting, which meant I really had my work cut out for me!! The majority of his beers (descriptions are in the previous beer post) were expected to have nutty, bready, or caramel undertones. So to match these I made candied almonds and caramel pecan shortbread. I knew the candied almonds would work with any of those beers. They were not too sweet and I had toasted the almonds to give them the depth of roasting that I thought would cut through the taste of the beer. The caramel pecan shortbread I thought would work well with the beers that had bready flavor. I had hoped the caramel and roasted pecans would bring out some of the character of the beers that maybe would not have been as pronounced otherwise.
 |
| A couple of the home brews on tap |
My bigger fears lay within the lighter beers which were being sampled. For these I thought chocolate covered candied oranges would complement the citrus notes in the beers and the thin layer of chocolate would contrast with the beers. I started these a month ago--I sliced oranges from my parents' tree in the backyard and let them soak in super-saturated sugar syrup for about 30 days, then dried them out and coated them with chocolate. I have made these before and I like to offer them at Christmas, so it was a treat getting to eat one in the spring!
The one that made me MOST nervous was a brew with spruce and honey. My friend mentioned that it was not expected to have a sweet finish. And the spruce, wow. I initially went to honey, pine nuts, gin? I had absolutely no clue what would complement, cut or contrast a beer with spruce. Or honey, for that matter. What did I make, you ask?? Baklava. Not just ordinary baklava. I chopped almonds and added a touch of cinnamon. I layered the delicate phyllo dough generously with butter, filled it with the almonds and cinnamon, and baked it for an hour and some change. The super-saturated sugar syrup that was used to make the oranges was used in this recipe. I boiled it down til it thickened up, then cooled it and stirred in some honey. I poured it over the freshly baked baklava and let each layer soak up the orange and honey-laced syrup.
When the bf and I arrived after walking a couple of blocks in the San Diego drizzle, desserts in hand, the group had already begun tasting. What was next? The honey and spruce beer. "Which one goes with this one??" they asked. "Baklava," was my reply. I had my reservations about this pairing, but now was as good a time as any to bring out the desserts and laissez les bons temps rouler! As I tasted the beer and then took a bite of the baklava, it was not what I expected. The reaction around the room echoed my sentiments. The small studio with over a dozen people immediately fell silent as we all relished in the flavor of the beer and the after-effects of the orange and honey dancing on the tongue, complementing this beer PERFECTLY. Everyone in the room was reveling in the beer and baklava. At the risk of sounding over-the-top and perhaps a tad cheesy, it was more than just beer and dessert. It was an experience. The pairing I was afraid of most turned out to be the best pairing of the evening.
 |
| Desserts (in the background) |
We tried the rest of the beers, which went well with the nutty and sweet combinations. We chatted about work, about beer brewing, about life. We listened to music and some people danced. It was lots of fun. We didn't stay long, it had been a long day for both me and the bf. But I was very inspired by the fact that it not only was possible to pair Beer AND Sugar, that it was amazing! You can be sure that I'm ready and willing to do it again soon!!
NOTE: A quick "Thank you!" to my co-worker Mike C. for the pics.
Monday, March 7, 2011
Beer Cuisine, Part Deux
Ohhhhh kay, I just got word of what my friend has planned for the tasting party. He was definitely busy, he's got 5 (count 'em, FIVE!) brews to be sampled. He sent me a description of each one, which I shall paraphrase. Aaaaand the ideas are rollin'! These are all PRELIMINARY ideas!! No passing judgments on my brainstorm session!
1. English Mild Ale -- ~3.5% ABV, dark english ale
Light-bodied, light to medium brown in color, lower carbonation
Very low hop flavor, but should be spicy and earthy hops with slight fruitiness. Very subtle chocolately/nutty taste, slight molasses flavor from brown sugar. Expected to be a very light fruity ale with enough dark malt backbone to make it interesting.
MY THOUGHTS: When I read spicy/earthy my mind immediately ventured into the cinnamon (spice) and oatmeal (earth) realm of desserts. The fruitiness kinda throws me off right now. When I hear fruitiness I usually think citrus but it doesn't sound like that's the case here. The molasses and nutty tones still make me think something simple (yet delicious) with oatmeal (maybe with a dash of cocoa infused in the dough/batter, etc.) may complement this brew. I still need to think about this some more, as I think even the texture of the cookie should contribute to the tasting experience.
2. German 'Altbier' Ale -- ~5% ABV
Color is copper to very light brown, with some red hues, high carbonation
Clean finish, 'grainy' German malts, spicy hop bitterness, lighter body with a very dry finish. Like a refreshing light German lager, but with a bit more color and flavor. Flavor is slight bready and toasty, fine spicy/floral aroma.
MY THOUGHTS: Bready and toasty popped out at me, initial thoughts are of a sweet bread of some sort to bring those flavors out. Maybe something with toasted almonds or pecans... The spicy and floral can be added with some creativity... Maybe eclairs with a filling infused with toasted nuts... I'll need to ask what kind of floral tones we're dealing with...
3. English Extra Special Bitter (ESB) -- ~5.5% ABV
Clear orange/copper appearance with minimal head
Bready-tasting malts, and earthy hops, moderate fruitiness. Slightly caramel-sweet finish, but not overly sweet. Similar to #1, but higher alcohol content, more earthy hoppiness, lighter color and flavor. Bready, biscuity flavor on the finish.
MY THOUGHTS: Biscuity flavor draws my mind to shortbread cookies or biscotti, not a lot of sweetness to those cookies, which would complement the beer. If I were to make the cookies out of brown sugar vice white sugar it may bring out more of the caramel tones in the beer.
4. American Brown Ale -- ~5.5%
Dark Brown color, Medium body and medium to high carbonation
Nutty/chocolately, caramel malts, flavor typical of brown ales. Fair amount of citrus, tastes a bit like a dark, more-richly flavored Pale Ale.
MY THOUGHTS: Chocolate and orange. Somehow. But not a strong, uber sweet chocolate, maybe bittersweet chocolate at most.
5. Strong American Amber with Honey and Spruce -- ~8%
Very deep red color, Medium to full body, high carbonation, big creamy lasting head.
Strong hoppy red ale with piney/sprucey/honey flavor, balanced by loads of sweet caramel malts. Could be a wild card.
MY THOUGHTS: Honey and caramel, check. The pine... Hmmm. I am very intrigued and I think he's right that this could definitely turn out to be a wild card. It's a bold pairing but I like the sense of adventure. Something with pine nuts maybe? There's a bacon-y smokiness about pine nuts, which stimulates my imagination as to how it'd taste when mixed with caramel or molasses flavors. I think my dessert will be just as adventuresome as this brew.
Initial thoughts aside, I don't want to just whip up a batch of cookies for each beer. I'd like to think along the lines of cookies, bread, pastries, ice cream, maybe even a tiramisu type dish if I could get the flavor combinations right. I want to find balances of texture as well as flavor, I don't want the same cookie-cutter (pun intended) line up. So for this I will need to brainstorm more. And that quite possibly may entail experimentation. I can't wait.
1. English Mild Ale -- ~3.5% ABV, dark english ale
Light-bodied, light to medium brown in color, lower carbonation
Very low hop flavor, but should be spicy and earthy hops with slight fruitiness. Very subtle chocolately/nutty taste, slight molasses flavor from brown sugar. Expected to be a very light fruity ale with enough dark malt backbone to make it interesting.
MY THOUGHTS: When I read spicy/earthy my mind immediately ventured into the cinnamon (spice) and oatmeal (earth) realm of desserts. The fruitiness kinda throws me off right now. When I hear fruitiness I usually think citrus but it doesn't sound like that's the case here. The molasses and nutty tones still make me think something simple (yet delicious) with oatmeal (maybe with a dash of cocoa infused in the dough/batter, etc.) may complement this brew. I still need to think about this some more, as I think even the texture of the cookie should contribute to the tasting experience.
2. German 'Altbier' Ale -- ~5% ABV
Color is copper to very light brown, with some red hues, high carbonation
Clean finish, 'grainy' German malts, spicy hop bitterness, lighter body with a very dry finish. Like a refreshing light German lager, but with a bit more color and flavor. Flavor is slight bready and toasty, fine spicy/floral aroma.
MY THOUGHTS: Bready and toasty popped out at me, initial thoughts are of a sweet bread of some sort to bring those flavors out. Maybe something with toasted almonds or pecans... The spicy and floral can be added with some creativity... Maybe eclairs with a filling infused with toasted nuts... I'll need to ask what kind of floral tones we're dealing with...
3. English Extra Special Bitter (ESB) -- ~5.5% ABV
Clear orange/copper appearance with minimal head
Bready-tasting malts, and earthy hops, moderate fruitiness. Slightly caramel-sweet finish, but not overly sweet. Similar to #1, but higher alcohol content, more earthy hoppiness, lighter color and flavor. Bready, biscuity flavor on the finish.
MY THOUGHTS: Biscuity flavor draws my mind to shortbread cookies or biscotti, not a lot of sweetness to those cookies, which would complement the beer. If I were to make the cookies out of brown sugar vice white sugar it may bring out more of the caramel tones in the beer.
4. American Brown Ale -- ~5.5%
Dark Brown color, Medium body and medium to high carbonation
Nutty/chocolately, caramel malts, flavor typical of brown ales. Fair amount of citrus, tastes a bit like a dark, more-richly flavored Pale Ale.
MY THOUGHTS: Chocolate and orange. Somehow. But not a strong, uber sweet chocolate, maybe bittersweet chocolate at most.
5. Strong American Amber with Honey and Spruce -- ~8%
Very deep red color, Medium to full body, high carbonation, big creamy lasting head.
Strong hoppy red ale with piney/sprucey/honey flavor, balanced by loads of sweet caramel malts. Could be a wild card.
MY THOUGHTS: Honey and caramel, check. The pine... Hmmm. I am very intrigued and I think he's right that this could definitely turn out to be a wild card. It's a bold pairing but I like the sense of adventure. Something with pine nuts maybe? There's a bacon-y smokiness about pine nuts, which stimulates my imagination as to how it'd taste when mixed with caramel or molasses flavors. I think my dessert will be just as adventuresome as this brew.
Initial thoughts aside, I don't want to just whip up a batch of cookies for each beer. I'd like to think along the lines of cookies, bread, pastries, ice cream, maybe even a tiramisu type dish if I could get the flavor combinations right. I want to find balances of texture as well as flavor, I don't want the same cookie-cutter (pun intended) line up. So for this I will need to brainstorm more. And that quite possibly may entail experimentation. I can't wait.
Saturday, March 5, 2011
Beer Cuisine
Yesterday at a Friday afternoon happy hour with co-workers, one of my co-workers divulged that he had a couple of batches of home brews which will be ready for tasting soon. He mentioned that he would like to have a tasting party in a few weeks. He asked me if I might be able to make some desserts which would complement his brews.
So I got to thinking, what is my favorite thing in this whole entire world--combinations!!! A firm believer in the "two heads are better than one" school of thought--everything gets better when it has a partner in crime. The added complexity and completion from the marriage of two things (keep it simple!!)--anything from color combinations (hello orange and navy blue!) that please the eye to food (mmm peanut butter and chocolate) to finding awesome desserts that pair with varying flavors of beer--an intriguing challenge. I am soooo excited!
Not being able to drink wine puts me in a difficult position--I'd like to be educated about pairing food with alcoholic beverages, but because of my allergy I cannot partake in the countless weekend courses pairing wines with cheese, chocolate, and entrees. I know there are courses out there for pairing with beer, but I think my unbiased ignorance will make it fun; I get free reign to play with flavor combinations so long as I know what to expect from the beers that my friend is making. Even then, there are no set rules for pairing, it's a "to each his own" sort of realm to experiment. So that I shall do.
After a 5 minute browsing sesh I found that pairing beer is much like selecting a diamond. Only with beer, there're only three C's, not four. :)
The 3 C's to keep in mind:
- Cut
- Complement
- Contrast
Before learning that, I just thought I'd complement the beers. Because I don't know what exactly to expect from the beers (I don't quite know what we'll be tasting yet), I am at this point hesitant to offer a dessert that the beer will cut or contrast. That being said, I know like with magnets, opposites most certainly attract, so I will keep that in mind but venture on the side of caution.
When I think of lighter beers like lagers and light ales, my mind immediately goes into brainstorm mode. I think poultry, grilled veggies, barbeque, summer, thirst-quenching. Usually simpler than most beers, they can be enjoyed in larger quantity (within responsible limits, of course) and upon further thought, maybe I do want a dessert that will contrast with a lager or light ale, should my friend happen to have us sample such a brew.
When I think of wheat beers I think of bread, citrus, coriander, spice, pumpkin, banana, fruit, vanilla even. Wheat beers are my favorite. I can drink them with most of what I eat because they're light enough to be served with seafood, chicken, veggies, and have enough going on to keep drinking it with a light dessert.
Amber ales--not as hoppy as the stronger (my less favorite) bitter India pale ales, more malty and generally more complex than it's aforementioned sisters. I think of caramels, burnt sugar perhaps, sweetness, but still with a linger of hops. I'm struggling with this one. Do I want to pair it with caramel flavors? Would it just meld in with the beer's flavor and get lost? My goal is to find a balance, one way or the other, such that neither beer nor dessert be overwhelmed by the other. Requires more thought...
Bitter ales--these probably being my least favorite of all beers, I'm not usually a huge fan of hoppy brews. They seem unfinished to my palate. But, never one to snub most food or beverage without judging them for myself (well, there may be exceptions), I shall attempt my best shot at brainstorming. Because of their strong nature, I want to find something that will stand up to the hops, without being rich in the chocolaty sense. I might have to sample a bitter ale just to get a better grasp on this one...
Porters, stouts--my second favorite. I think smoky flavors, mesquite, chocolate, creamy, oatmeal, Irish cream, strong and robust flavors that you can find underlying in the beers themselves. I also think of hearty fruits that pair well with chocolate like raspberries and blackberries. This is probably going to be the easiest class of beer to pair.
I have not had too much exposure to Bocks, of which I sampled one with my dad, who's favorite is Celebrator's Doppelbock. If I recall correctly it was rick, dark and hoppy. I prefer the maltiness of the stouts and porters. Maybe something with bitter chocolate would pair well?
And last but certainly not least (the IPA's were farther up the list!) the lambics. Oh Lambics, how I love thee. These are special brews because they are double-fermented and usually sweet. Some can be sour and fruity as well. I think of salads with vinaigrettes and fruity desserts with vanilla. Sour lambics are a bit more challenging to pair, but the tartness of cherries (in particular) currently come to mind.
Sooo many beers, so many possibilities!!
So I got to thinking, what is my favorite thing in this whole entire world--combinations!!! A firm believer in the "two heads are better than one" school of thought--everything gets better when it has a partner in crime. The added complexity and completion from the marriage of two things (keep it simple!!)--anything from color combinations (hello orange and navy blue!) that please the eye to food (mmm peanut butter and chocolate) to finding awesome desserts that pair with varying flavors of beer--an intriguing challenge. I am soooo excited!
Not being able to drink wine puts me in a difficult position--I'd like to be educated about pairing food with alcoholic beverages, but because of my allergy I cannot partake in the countless weekend courses pairing wines with cheese, chocolate, and entrees. I know there are courses out there for pairing with beer, but I think my unbiased ignorance will make it fun; I get free reign to play with flavor combinations so long as I know what to expect from the beers that my friend is making. Even then, there are no set rules for pairing, it's a "to each his own" sort of realm to experiment. So that I shall do.
After a 5 minute browsing sesh I found that pairing beer is much like selecting a diamond. Only with beer, there're only three C's, not four. :)
The 3 C's to keep in mind:
- Cut
- Complement
- Contrast
Before learning that, I just thought I'd complement the beers. Because I don't know what exactly to expect from the beers (I don't quite know what we'll be tasting yet), I am at this point hesitant to offer a dessert that the beer will cut or contrast. That being said, I know like with magnets, opposites most certainly attract, so I will keep that in mind but venture on the side of caution.
When I think of lighter beers like lagers and light ales, my mind immediately goes into brainstorm mode. I think poultry, grilled veggies, barbeque, summer, thirst-quenching. Usually simpler than most beers, they can be enjoyed in larger quantity (within responsible limits, of course) and upon further thought, maybe I do want a dessert that will contrast with a lager or light ale, should my friend happen to have us sample such a brew.
When I think of wheat beers I think of bread, citrus, coriander, spice, pumpkin, banana, fruit, vanilla even. Wheat beers are my favorite. I can drink them with most of what I eat because they're light enough to be served with seafood, chicken, veggies, and have enough going on to keep drinking it with a light dessert.
Amber ales--not as hoppy as the stronger (my less favorite) bitter India pale ales, more malty and generally more complex than it's aforementioned sisters. I think of caramels, burnt sugar perhaps, sweetness, but still with a linger of hops. I'm struggling with this one. Do I want to pair it with caramel flavors? Would it just meld in with the beer's flavor and get lost? My goal is to find a balance, one way or the other, such that neither beer nor dessert be overwhelmed by the other. Requires more thought...
Bitter ales--these probably being my least favorite of all beers, I'm not usually a huge fan of hoppy brews. They seem unfinished to my palate. But, never one to snub most food or beverage without judging them for myself (well, there may be exceptions), I shall attempt my best shot at brainstorming. Because of their strong nature, I want to find something that will stand up to the hops, without being rich in the chocolaty sense. I might have to sample a bitter ale just to get a better grasp on this one...
Porters, stouts--my second favorite. I think smoky flavors, mesquite, chocolate, creamy, oatmeal, Irish cream, strong and robust flavors that you can find underlying in the beers themselves. I also think of hearty fruits that pair well with chocolate like raspberries and blackberries. This is probably going to be the easiest class of beer to pair.
 |
| My favorite stout, sweet and delish. Perfect with any dessert. |
And last but certainly not least (the IPA's were farther up the list!) the lambics. Oh Lambics, how I love thee. These are special brews because they are double-fermented and usually sweet. Some can be sour and fruity as well. I think of salads with vinaigrettes and fruity desserts with vanilla. Sour lambics are a bit more challenging to pair, but the tartness of cherries (in particular) currently come to mind.
 |
| Lindeman's Framboise, possibly the most popular lambic around |
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