CHOCOLATE BEER PRETZEL TRUFFLES: Super Bowl Sunday!

Here's a great recipe for Super Bowl Sunday. These Truffles contain all the football food groups: Chocolate, Beer, and Pretzels (or nuts). These Chocolate Beer Truffles are rolled in Crushed Pretzels, but you can use crushed Peanuts or crushed Beer Nuts. If you're a purist, you can always roll them in cocoa!

CHOCOLATE BEER PRETZEL TRUFFLES

Ingredients
3/4 cup Beer (Guinness or another Beer you favor)
1 pound dark chocolate (65-75% cacao)--I really like to use Guittard Chocolate in my truffles
3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
Crushed salted pretzels

Directions
Melt chocolate in top of double boiler or saucepan over saucepan with simmering water.
Stir in cream.
Slowly add Guinness, stirring to blend.
Cover and chill overnight.
Shape mixture into 3/4 inch balls using small scoop or melon baller or your hands - using about tablespoon of ganache for each.
Roll in crushed Salted Pretzels (or crushed peanuts or beer nuts).

Cartoon of the Day: St Patrick's Day Beer

CHOCOLATE STOUT TRUFFLES: National Beer Lovers Day

Today is National Beer Lovers Day. I like a good chocolate stout, and I'm lucky enough to live in an area with several microbreweries that produce Chocolate Stout. Chocolate Stout adds a bit of creaminess that enhances the taste of these beer truffles. 

CHOCOLATE STOUT TRUFFLES

Ingredients
1/2 cup Chocolate Stout, reduced by half
12 ounces dark chocolate (65-75% cacao), chopped
2 Tbsp unsalted butter
1 cup heavy cream
Cocoa powder (Dutch process) or ground espresso

Directions
Reduce stout (texture should be thick enough to lightly coat a spoon).
Stir in butter and heavy cream and bring to simmer. As soon as bubbles start to form, pour over chopped chocolate.
Whisk to blend and put in refrigerator (covered with plastic wrap) until ganache is set, at least 3 hours.
Remove ganache from refrigerator, and using melon baller or spoon, scoop out ganache and roll into balls. You can also finish off by hand.
Place each ganache ball on parchment paper and put back in refrigerator for about an hour to harden.
Roll ganache balls in cocoa powder or ground espresso.

GUINNESS STOUT BROWNIES: International Stout Day!

Today is International Stout Day. It's a Lovely day for a Guinness! Here's an easy and delicious recipe for Guinness Stout Brownies adapted from About.com. The texture of these brownies is great: mousse, candy, fudge, cake. You won't actually taste the stout (although it will make these brownies moist), so have a pitcher or mug on hand to drink.

GUINNESS STOUT BROWNIES

Ingredients
1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (I like Scharffen Berger)
1/4 tsp salt
6 Tbsp unsalted Irish butter, cut into cubes
8 ounces dark 60-75% chocolate, chopped
3/4 cup white chocolate (make sure it's cocoa butter white chocolate), chopped
4 large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup superfine or granulated sugar
1-1/4 cups (10 ounces) Guinness Extra Stout beer (see Note below)
1 cup 60 % chocolate, chopped into small pieces (or chocolate chips)
optional: 1/8 cup confectioners' sugar for dusting

Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Line 9 x 13 - inch baking pan with aluminum foil.
In medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, and salt until evenly combined. Set aside.
Melt butter, dark chocolate, and white chocolate in double-boiler over simmering water, stirring constantly until melted. Remove from heat.
In large mixing bowl, beat eggs and sugar on high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
Add melted chocolate mixture, beating until combined.
Beat reserved flour mixture into melted chocolate mixture.
Whisk in Guinness stout beer. Batter will seem thin.
Drop chocolate smaller bits  (or chips) evenly on top of batter (some will sink in).
Pour into prepared baking pan.
Bake 25 to 30 minutes on center rack in the oven, until toothpick inserted in center comes out almost clean.
Let brownies cool, uncovered, to room temperature.
Optional: Frost with Guinness Buttercream Frosting (I like mine plain)

Note: Guinness should be at room temperature. This recipe uses a little less than a standard 12-ounce bottle of Guinness stout beer. Do not include foam in the measurement. Spoon off foam or let rest until foam subsides. 

Guinness Buttercream Frosting 

Ingredients
1 cup unsalted butter (room temperature)
2 1/2 cups sifted powdered sugar
1/4 cup milk
1/2 whole scraped vanilla bean
1/2 Tbsp pure vanilla extract
1 cup Guinness extra stout

Directions
In saucepan, simmer Guinness on low heat for 10-15 min, until stout becomes reduced and thicker in consistency--similar to syrup. *Tip: keep your eye on the store, so stout does not over cook. Let cool.
In stand alone mixer, cream butter 1 minute.
Slowly add powdered sugar in thirds, alternating with some milk each time till mixture is creamy.
Add scraped vanilla bean and vanilla extract.
Slowly add reduced Guinness a little at a time. Taste test for desired flavor. You may not use all the Guinness reduction.
Spread on cooled brownies.

Pour yourself a big mug of Guinness and drink while making ... or drink with Brownies!

CHOCOLATE STOUT TRUFFLES: American Beer Day

October 27: National American Beer Day. I like a good chocolate stout, and I'm lucky enough to live in an area with several microbreweries that produce Chocolate Stout. Chocolate Stout adds a bit of creaminess that enhances the taste of these beer truffles. 

CHOCOLATE STOUT TRUFFLES

Ingredients
1/2 cup Chocolate Stout, reduced by half
12 oz. dark chocolate (65-75% cacao), chopped
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1 cup heavy cream
Cocoa powder (Dutch process) or ground espresso

Directions
Reduce stout (texture should be thick enough to lightly coat a spoon).
Stir in butter and heavy cream and bring to simmer. As soon as bubbles start forming, pour over chopped chocolate.
Whisk to blend and put in refrigerator (covered with plastic wrap) until ganache is set, at least 3 hours.
Remove ganache from refrigerator, and using melon baller or spoon, scoop out ganache and roll into balls. You can also finish off by hand.
Place each ganache ball on parchment paper and put back in refrigerator for about an hour to harden.
Roll ganache balls in cocoa powder or ground espresso.

Happy Hanukkah! Shmaltz Brewing Company's Hanukkah Offerings

Here's something unique and fab for your Chanukah celebrations, and you'll have 8 days to try these!...and later, too.

Shmaltz Brewing Company officially turns 24 this Hanukkah season and celebrates with the national release of a brand new Golden Jelly Doughnut Pastry Ale brewed with 600 pounds per batch of real purees of Raspberry & Cherry with a generous slathering of pure vanilla. Hanukkah Beer is all new for 2020 and is a glorious homage to the beloved Sufganiyot dessert (now available in 12 oz. can 4-Packs and limited draft). 

In mid-December 2020, Shmaltz also launches HE'BREW: #RBG IPA, a tribute to Ruth Bader Ginsburg for a delayed International Women's Collaboration Brew Day along with Moustache Brewing.

This should perk up your Hannukah! 

Check out Shmaltz Brewing's Facebook Page for more fun! 

Founder and owner Jeremy Cowan established Shmaltz Brewing in San Francisco in 1996. The first 100 cases of He'brew Beer® were hand-bottled and delivered throughout the Bay Area from the back of his Grandmother's Volvo. Shmaltz Brewing now sells across 25 states, through 40 wholesalers and in nearly 5,000 retailers. 

 

CHOCOLATE STOUT TRUFFLES: Beer Lovers Day

Today is National Beer Lovers Day. I like a good chocolate stout, and I'm lucky enough to live in an area with several microbreweries that produce Chocolate Stout. Chocolate Stout adds a bit of creaminess that enhances the taste of these beer truffles. 

CHOCOLATE STOUT TRUFFLES

Ingredients
1/2 cup Chocolate Stout, reduced by half
12 ounces dark chocolate (65-75% cacao), chopped
2 Tbsp unsalted butter
1 cup heavy cream
Cocoa powder (Dutch process) or ground espresso

Directions
Reduce stout (texture should be thick enough to lightly coat a spoon).
Stir in butter and heavy cream and bring to simmer. As soon as bubbles start forming, pour over chopped chocolate.
Whisk to blend and put in refrigerator (covered with plastic wrap) until ganache is set, at least 3 hours.
Remove ganache from refrigerator, and using melon baller or spoon, scoop out ganache and roll into balls. You can also finish off by hand.
Place each ganache ball on parchment paper and put back in refrigerator for about an hour to harden.
Roll ganache balls in cocoa powder or ground espresso.

THIN MINTS: Wine, Beer, and Spirit Pairings

In my 'real' life  (www.teambuilding-unlimited.com), I facilitate chocolate pairings--with wine or with beer..and sometimes with Scotch and other Spirits. So because it's the weekend, I thought I'd do a mini-round-up of Girl Scout Cookie/ alcohol pairings and drinks, focusing on my favorite Girl Scout Cookie - Thin Mints.

Vivino is a wine app that allows users (over 13 million members) to snap a shot of a wine label or list and receive ratings and reviews. They've also put together a guide to pairing wine with other Girl Scout cookies. How awesome is this? Since my favorite Girl Scout Cookies are Thin Mints, I immediately checked that out. Be sure and look at the entire list or get the app. Quite fun! You can do a pairing at home! Invite friends.

Babble has an infograph (on the right)

So maybe you're not a wine drinker. You're more of a stout or ale type of person? Beer & Brewing has a great pairing for you, with a 2019 update. Once again, there are several pairings, but I'm sticking with Thin Mints. Recommendation from Beer & Brewing consists of several stouts and ales.

Perennial Artisan Ales 17
Alesmith Speedway Stout
Shipyard Mint Chocolate Stout
Epic Big Bad Baptist
Hardywood Sidamo Coffee Stout

I would add Speakeasy Chocolate Stout, and be sure and put the Thin Mints in the Freezer before your pairing. I think it enhances the tasting flavors. Check out other Girl Scout Cookie/Beer pairings here.

O.K.  So maybe you're a Bourbon drinker?  The Bourbon Review suggests Thin Mints & Basil Hayden's Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey. Be sure and go to Bourbon Review if you're partial to another cookie.

Scotch? Lagavulin goes well with Thin Mints.

Thin Mint Girl Scout Cookies: Wine, Beer, Bourbon & Scotch Pairings

In my 'real' life  (www.teambuilding-unlimited.com),  I facilitate chocolate pairings--with wine or with beer..and sometimes with Scotch and other spirits. So because it's the weekend, I thought I'd do a mini-round-up of Girl Scout Cookie alcohol pairings and drinks, focusing on my favorite Girl Scout Cookie - Thin Mints.

Vivino is a wine app that allows users (over 13 million members) to snap a shot of a wine label or list and receive ratings and reviews. They've also put together a guide to pairing wine with Girl Scout cookies. How awesome is this? Since my favorite Girl Scout Cookies are Thin Mints, so I immediately checked that out. Be sure and look at the entire list or get the app. Quite fun! One of the Napa wineries is doing a Girl Scout Cookie and Wine Pairing next week to the tune of $125 per person. I'm sure it will be fun, but you can do this for much less at home! Invite friends.

So maybe you're not a wine drinker. You're more of a stout or ale type of person? Beer & Brewing has a great pairing for you, with a 2018 update. Once again, there are several pairings, but I'm sticking with Thin Mints. Recommendation from Beer & Brewing consists of several stouts and ales.
Perennial Artisan Ales 17
Alesmith Speedway Stout
Shipyard Mint Chocolate Stout
Epic Big Bad Baptist
Hardywood Sidamo Coffee Stout
I would add Speakeasy Chocolate Stout, and be sure and put the Thin Mints in the Freezer before your pairing. I think it enhances the tasting flavors. Check out all the other Girl Scout Cookie pairings here.

O.K.  So maybe you're a Bourbon drinker?  The Bourbon Review suggests Thin Mints & Basil Hayden's Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey. Be sure and go to Bourbon Review if you're partial to another cookie.

Scotch?  Lagavulin goes well with Thin Mints.

In case you just want your cookies and alcohol blended into a cocktail, here are two recipes for Thin Mint Cocktails. Yes!

Thin Mint Martini

1 tsp chocolate syrup
1 ounce peppermint schnapps
2 ounces chocolate liqueur
2 ounces half & half

Drizzle chocolate syrup around and inside edge of martini glass. Put glass in freezer
Fill cocktail shaker with ice. Pour peppermint schnapps, chocolate liqueur, and 1/2 and 1/2 into shaker. cover, shake, and strain martini into prepared glass.

Thin Mint Cocktail
(recipe from Drinking in America)
In cocktail shaker, put 2 chopped springs of fresh mint and 1.5 ounces vodka. Add 1-12 ounces Baileys, 1 Tbsp chocolate syrup, and ice. Shake. Add more chocolate if needed. Add some chocolate syrup at bottom of cocktail glass.

Super Bowl Chocolate Beer Pretzel Truffles

Here's a great recipe for Super Bowl Sunday. These Truffles contain all the Football Food Groups: Chocolate, Beer & Pretzels (or nuts). These Chocolate Beer Pretzel Truffles are rolled in Crushed Pretzels, but you can use Crushed Peanuts or Crushed Beer Nuts. If you're a purist, you can always roll them in cocoa!

CHOCOLATE BEER PRETZEL TRUFFLES

Ingredients
3/4 cup Beer (Guinness or another Beer you favor)
1 pound dark chocolate (65-75% cacao)--I really like to use Guittard Chocolate in my truffles
3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
Crushed salted pretzels

Directions
Melt chocolate in top of double boiler or saucepan over saucepan with simmering water.
Stir in cream.
Slowly add Guinness, stirring to blend.
Cover and chill overnight.
Shape mixture into 3/4 inch balls using small scoop or melon baller or your hands - using about tablespoon of ganache for each.
Roll in crushed Salted Pretzels (or crushed peanuts or beer nuts).

National Beer Lovers Day: Chocolate Stout Truffles

Today is National Beer Lovers Day. I like a good chocolate stout, and I'm lucky enough to live in an area with several microbreweries that produce Chocolate Stout. Chocolate Stout adds a bit of creaminess that enhances the taste of these beer truffles. 

CHOCOLATE STOUT TRUFFLES

Ingredients
1/2 cup Chocolate Stout, reduced by half
12 ounces dark chocolate (65-75% cacao), chopped
2 Tbsp unsalted butter
1 cup heavy cream
Cocoa powder (Dutch process) or ground espresso

Directions
Reduce stout (texture should be thick enough to lightly coat a spoon).
Stir in butter and heavy cream and bring to simmer. As soon as bubbles start forming, pour over chopped chocolate.
Whisk to blend and put in refrigerator (covered with plastic wrap) until ganache is set, at least 3 hours.
Remove ganache from refrigerator, and using melon baller or spoon, scoop out ganache and roll into balls. You can also finish off by hand.
Place each ganache ball on parchment paper and put back in refrigerator for about an hour to harden.
Roll ganache balls in cocoa powder or ground espresso.

Chocolate Stout Truffles: Beer Lovers Day

Today is National Beer Lovers Day. I like a good chocolate stout, and I'm lucky enough to live in an area with several microbreweries that produce Chocolate Stout. Chocolate Stout adds a bit of creaminess that enhances the taste of these beer truffles. 

CHOCOLATE STOUT TRUFFLES

Ingredients
1/2 cup Chocolate Stout, reduced by half
12 oz. dark chocolate (65-75% cacao), chopped
2 Tbsp sweet butter
1 cup heavy cream
Cocoa powder (Dutch process) or ground espresso

Directions
Reduce stout (texture should be thick enough to lightly coat a spoon).
Stir in butter and heavy cream and bring to simmer. As soon as bubbles start forming, pour over chopped chocolate.
Whisk to blend and put in refrigerator (covered with plastic wrap) until ganache is set, at least 3 hours.
Remove ganache from refrigerator, and using melon baller or spoon, scoop out ganache and roll into balls. You can also finish off by hand.
Place each ganache ball on parchment paper and put back in refrigerator for about an hour to harden.
Roll ganache balls in cocoa powder or ground espresso.

Speakeasy Chocolate Stout Truffles

It's San Francisco Beer Week, and I hope to get to several of the incredible events that are going to take place. I posted about two Chocolate and Beer events earlier, but what if you're not in San Francisco? How can you celebrate? Well, you can make some Chocolate Stout Truffles, of course. I decided to make these with Speakeasy's Black Hand, a Chocolate Milk Stout, and Guittard Chocolate, two local companies. Excellent flavor with lots of chocolate notes. But, of course, you can use your favorite dark beer or stout, and your favorite chocolate (62% cacao or higher).

SPEAKEASY CHOCOLATE STOUT TRUFFLES 

Ingredients
8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped (Guittard)
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 1/2 Tbsp Stout beer (Speakeasy's Black Hand)
1/2 tsp Madagascar vanilla
Dash of salt
2 tsp unsalted butter, cubed and softened
Unsweetened cocoa powder, for dusting

Directions
In saucepan over low heat, bring cream just to a boil and pour half over chocolate. Set aside 2 minutes. Using wooden spoon, gradually stir cream into chocolate (it should begin to look shiny and smooth). When completely smooth, bring remaining cream back up to a simmer, pour over chocolate, set aside another 2 minutes, then stir in as before. When chocolate and milk are completely combined, stir in stout, vanilla, and salt. Stir in butter last.
Pour ganache into 8-by-8-inch baking dish and set aside at room temperature 30 minutes.
Refrigerate ganache 30 minutes more, or until cold but still maleable.
Using melon baller or teaspoon, make rough ball-shapes of ganache and transfer to baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Refrigerate 15 minutes.
Dust hands with cocoa powder, and coat rough-hewn shapes in remaining cocoa powder, or roll into more perfect balls and coat. Transfer truffles a few at time to small sieve and shake to remove excess cocoa. Transfer to airtight container and refrigerate.
Remove truffles from refrigerator 15 minutes before serving, re-rolling in a bit more cocoa powder.
Truffles keep, refrigerated, up to 2 weeks.

San Francisco Beer Week: Chocolate & Beer Events

San Francisco Beer Week is upon us. January 22-January 31. San Francisco is home to over 100 breweries who produce some of the best beer in the U.S. I recently attended a launch for Beer Week, and I tasted a lot of Chocolate Beers and Chocolate Ales, as well as beers that have definitely chocolate notes. I liked them all. Since I often pair chocolate with beer for tastings, I thought I'd mention a few events coming up, as well as some special Chocolate Ales. They're going to be lots of other Beer Events, too, all over the Bay Area in Bars, Breweries, restaurants, movie theatres, and even the Pinball Museum. San Francisco knows how to throw a party!

The San Francisco Brewers Guild organizes SF Beer Week, and people come from all over the world. This great festival is usually held in February (so mark your calendar for next year), but because San Francisco is hosting the Super Bowl, SF Beer Week was moved up. Brewers traditionally release their new beers during Beer Week, and I certainly tasted a lot of them at the press launch. Fabulous. Here's a short-list of fun ones.

CHOCOLATE AND BEER EVENTS:

January 23:  Chocolate Making and Beer Pairing for Charity! TCHO Chocolate Company, Pete Slosberg (Pete's Wicked Ale and Cocoa Pete's, and Thirsty Bear Brewing Co. team up for a chocolate making and beer pairing evening. Learn to make your own unique chocolates. Specialty cask conditioned Panda Bear Ale (brewed with TCHO organic coca nibs and more), and other organic ThirstyBear and SF Brewers Guild collaboration brews and taste chocolates while making your own. Proceeds benefit the Institute of Myeloma & Bone Cancer Research. ThirstyBear, 661 Howard, San Francisco. 6-9 p.m. SOLD OUT.

January 26: Chocolate & Beer Pairing. Dandelion Chocolate and Speakeasy. This is a 5-part beer and chocolate pairing featuring Dandelion Chocolate's single origin bars, paired with unique brews from Speakeasy Ales & Lagers.  Note: Speakeasy uses Dandelion chocolate nibs in their Black Hand. No tickets necessary for the event, just visit the Tap Room to purchase a flight of beer & chocolate. Flights available starting at 1 p.m. until they run out. Speakeasy Tap Room, 1195 Evans Avenue, San Francisco.

January 28. Chocolate & Beer Pairing Dandelion Chocolate and Anchor Brewing.  San Francisco's oldest brfewery and Dandelion's single origin chocolate. Pairing features new and limited-release brews from Anchor Brewing and a special selection of chocolates to compare and contrast with the beer. Chocolate making demo, too. Free. 6-9 p.m. The Chapel, 777 Valencia Street.

One of my favorite Chocolate Beers is Speakeasy's Black Hand. It's made with TCHO Ghanaian Roasted Cacao Nibs. It's a chocolate milk stout that's full-bodied and creamy, with chocolate notes. I also love the brewery graphics.. but then I'm a mystery person.

The Right Beer to go with Halloween Candy

From The Kitchn: The Right Beer to go with Halloween Candy. Read More Here.