Jax Molten Chocolate Cake

Sometimes it is really nice to take a break from thinking up new recipes. It is also really nice when other people send you theirs. This time around, I was asked to recreate this beautiful Molten Chocolate Cake (with a truffle center) from Chef Ricky Myers of Jax Fish House in Fort Collins and pair a few beers with it. Normally when I think of Jax Fish House, I’m craving their amazing oyster happy hour. As it turns out, they are great at cooking things other than fish, too. If you need proof, this recipe is it. Though I did manage to sneak a little beer into it, I also found that it pairs perfectly with quite a few different brews. For my dessert, I decided to go with the Imperial Java Stout by Santa Fe Brewing Company and even poured a 1/4 cup into the truffle center. This beer is named after coffee but I think it gives off more smooth chocolatey vibes rather than a bitter bite. Since the cake recipe has dark chocolate – which is on the bitter side – the beer paired with it like a match made in heaven. Other great pairings include: Dragon’s Milk by New Holland Brewing (if you want to double down on the richness), Vanilla Bean Buffalo Sweat by Tallgrass Brewing (if you want to keep things on the lighter side), and Shake Chocolate Porter  by Boulder Beer Company (if you’re addicted to chocolate).

What are you waiting for? It is almost Valentine’s Day which means you better get your butt to the grocery store so you can whip this chocolate goodness up for someone you love.

Cooking with Beer | Southern Tier Pumpkin Cheesecake Brownies

PorchDrinking.com Article:

Chelsea Mitchell uses Warlock and Pumking by Southern Tier Brewing Company to whip up some Pumpkin Cheesecake Brownies in this edition of cooking with beer.

Double the beer = double the yumz. My latest recipe is up on PorchDrinking.com

 

http://www.porchdrinking.com/cooking-with-beer-southern-tier-pumpkin-cheesecake-brownies/

Double Chocolate Stout Poptarts

 

Serving Size: Makes 6-8 Poptarts, depending on how good you are with dough. If you want to make more, just double the dough. You should have plenty of chocolate filling.

Chocolate Yeti Banana Bread Muffins

Both of my grandmothers make amazing banana bread. Fo’ realz – its amazing. And I got to eat both all the time as a child which probably explains my weird chubby phase that I went through from ages 8-15. Smothering cream cheese and extra sugar on top probably didn’t help either. So, which of my grandmothers’ recipes did I choose to make? Neither, of course! I refuse to pick favorites. Instead, I made my own and threw some beer in it. Not just any beer, though. I chose Chocolate Oak-Aged Yeti by Great Divide. The Yeti series of stouts is by far the best. Ok..I guess I do pick favorites. But really, I’m not a big stout drinker and I find that all of the variations of Yeti are incredibly smooth. They are also easy to cook with and pair food with, as seen in the coconut macaroon recipe.

Chocolate and Vanilla Stout Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Frosting

I know stout cupcakes have been done before but probably never under these circumstances or with this beer (Aphrodite by Dieu du Ciel). When Abby, Meghan, and I went to the New Belgium Snapshot Wheat release party, we showed up without tickets and they still somehow let us in. Out of sheer excitement, I threw my arms in the air with my hands clenched in fists, somewhat of a double fist pump move. On the way up, my friend Meghan got in the way of my arm maneuver and BOOM! …. punched her right in the face. So to make up for my accidental wrongdoing, I made her some cupcakes hoping the magical powers of the stout would help her feel better. These cupcakes aren’t any ordinary stout cakes. They are chocolate and vanilla stout cupcakes topped with peanut butter frosting, chocolate ganache, and pretzels. They probably didn’t heal her, but at least she got a tasty snack. Meghan, next time I suggest watching where you put your face so it wont get in the way of my fists.

Galentine’s Day – Chocolate Dipped Coconut Almond Macaroons and Espresso Oak Aged Yeti by Great Divide

“What is Galentine’s Day? Oh, its only the best day of the year!”- Leslie Knope, Park and Recreation

Clearly I have a Parks and Rec addiction.  But I love everything about it and I can’t stop. So, in honor of my favorite show and my favorite holiday, I made a treat to celebrate Galentine’s day, where its just “ladies celebratin’ ladies!” These cookies are actually amazing. I brought them to a meeting and everyone was quite pleaed (I even let boys eat them too). To go with the breakfast theme of Galentine’s, they are paired with the Espresso Oak Aged Yeti by Great Divide. The combination of the two tastes somewhat like a Samoa Girl Scout Cookie. If you’re a good friend, you’ll make this recipe for all your gal pals (even if you’re a dude).

Bacon, Walnut, Chocolate Chip Cookie with Imperial Nut Brown

 

Bacon. There is nothing better, except maybe a cookie with bacon in it. I don’t have much to say about this recipe other than try it. And try it with the beer. The Imperial Nut Brown by Tommyknocker paired with this recipe is delicious and makes the flavors in the cookie really shine. Enjoy this salty and sweet bacon, walnut, chocolate chip delight.