Birthday Macarons

Today the blog is one year old and as a (somewhat) gift to myself, I made macarons. This was a great gift because I love these amazing little French cookies but this gift was also a terror. After a year of cooking with beer, I’ve gained quite a bit of confidence in the kitchen although at times, it may be better labeled as hubris. For example, I told myself that I would be able to execute making macarons successfully on my first try. Ohhh no no no. I should’ve known these tiny devils were going to give me a hard time and totally mess up my kitchen. Nevertheless, I refused to give up and finally made perfect macarons on the third attempt (let’s not talk about what happened on the fourth). The end result was a chocolate filled dream.

Clearly there is a moral here and the moral is don’t give up. I want to say thank you to all my followers for not giving up on me during this year with Drink and Spoon. Like the first rounds of macarons, my first blog posts were messy and weird. The pictures were not good and half the time the recipes didn’t even include beer. Now, I can’t even belief some of the stuff I have been able to create. While there are still quite a few screw ups in the kitchen, Drink and Spoon has become something really great. Cheers to that.

Dark Chocolate and Raspberry Stout Cheesecake

 Dark chocolate cream cheese + raspberry filling + caramelized ginger snap crust + Feast of Fools by Magic Hat Brewing = YUM

I recently received a bottle of Feast of Fools from the ever so gracious Magic Hat Brewing. Although I was tempted to immediately drink the entire bottle of the raspberry stout, I knew I was supposed to be cooking with it. Of course, if you send beer I will cook with it but if you send a raspberry stout, it is truly hard to resist drinking too much. Luckily, I was able to suppress my urges until I came up with this cheesecake recipe. To be honest, this is literally the first cheesecake I have ever made. It might also be the last cheesecake I ever make since it is so damn good. How could something cooked with a raspberry stout not be good? It has a caramelized ginger snap crust and a raspberry filling to balance out the richness of the dark chocolate cream cheese. I’ll let you be the judge but I’m thinking this is a total WIN! Thanks Magic Hat for creating something so delicious as Feast of Fools!

 

 

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/

Agave Wheat Peach Tart

Drink and Spoon is finally back and we are bringing you tons of good stuff! The first recipe will be this delectable peach tart, with peaches caramelized in Agave Wheat by Breckenridge Brewery. In my opinion, Agave Wheat is the perfect summertime brew. It’s a slightly sweet wheat beer with some overlying citrus flavors – kind of like drinking the sunshine. Using it to caramelize one of my favorite summertime fruits turned out to be a fantastic idea. The wheat flavors really came through and mixed wonderfully with the sweet peaches. I’d pretty much serve this peach tart at any summer picnic and I suggest you do as well.

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.

Surette Roasted Berries

Ready for a summertime dream? These Surette roasted berries are simple to make and absolutely enchanting on the taste buds. And since it is a dessert made with berries, you won’t feel so bad about going back for seconds (or thirds like I did).  The beer chosen for this recipe is Surette, a Provision Saison by Crooked Stave. It is wild aged in oak barrels to create a product that is tart and fruity with a bit of citrus. The sour flavors of Surette combine with the spicy cinnamon and sweetness of the berries to make a dish that is utterly delightful. Happy cooking, eating, and drinking!

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).