Skip to main content

Pilsner/Pale Ale

Mixed Berry Beer For Breakfast Pastries

Mixed Berry Beer-For-Breakfast Pastries

I am here to normalize beer for breakfast. Although I’m fairly certain the pandemic has already done that. The hours, days, weeks just sort of run together like a watercolor painting. The upside is beer for breakfast so let us focus on that for now. 

You’re probably thinking "why did you use a mango beer in a recipe that doesn’t have mango?" You weren’t thinking that, but you are now, amirite? 

There is a reason for that, I promise. Although a recipe with mango wouldn’t be a bad pairing for this beer, it wouldn’t be ideal. You’d lose all the mango flavors in the beer to the flavors of mango in the dish. BUT if you drink the beer with a lovely little breakfast tart that has berries, mint, and nice little cream cheese spread those flavors will bring out the mango in the beer. See? I’ve learned a thing or two over the past I-can’t-even-count-the-number of years of cooking with beer. 

I used Mango Tree Shaker from Odell because I love those guys and I need them to remain open during "these uncertain times" until I can actually visit them in person. Which may be a while, but it must happen at some point. 

Mixed Berry Beer For Breakfast Pastries

5 from 1 vote

Ingredients
  

  • 1 sheet puff pastry
  • 1 large egg
  • ¼ cup (57g) beer pale ale, pilsner, wheat beer
  • 4 oz (½ of a standard brick) cream cheese
  • 3 tablespoons (42g) granulated sugar
  • 2 tablespoons (16g) flour
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup mixed berries raspberry, blackberry, blueberry
  • minced mint or basil

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 400°F.
  • Roll out the puff pastry on a lightly floured surface a few times in each direction.
  • Cut the puff pastry into 12 equal squares. 
  • Score each square with a ½ inch broader (do not cut all the way through, just add a lightly scored line) then prick the center of each pastry with a fork a few times.
  • Transfer to a baking sheet (or two) that has been covered with parchment paper.
  • In a small bowl stir together the egg and beer with a fork until well combined.
  • In another bowl add the cream cheese, sugar, flour, vanilla, salt, and half of the beer-egg mixture (about ¼ cup or 54g) reserving the remaining beer mixture. Beat with a hand mixer until well combined.
  • Drop 1 to 2 tablespoons of the cream cheese mixture into the center of each pastry. Top with berries.
  • Brush the edges of the pastry with the remaining beer-egg mixture.
  • Bake for 12-16 minutes or until the puff pastry edges are golden brown. Remove from the oven and allow to cool before serving.
  • Sprinkle with mint (or basil) prior to serving. 

Sourdough Beer Doughnuts with Nutella Mousse Filling

 Sourdough Beer Doughnuts with Nutella Mousse Filling

Doughnuts are my thing. My last meal thing, my birthday treat thing. Cake is great, but it’s not as good as doughnuts. It’s sort of becoming a thing on my birthday, finding nearby doughnuts wherever I happen to find myself. Even when I was here, I was able to find some which was quite the birthday miracle in such a remote location. 

There is one thing I always look for when it comes to doughnut perfection. Ok, that’s not true, there are several things. But first and foremost, when a doughnut is yeasted (or raised) it needs to have that tan line in the center. That’s probably not the correct term, but that’s what I call it, the doughnut tan line. That white belt around the doughnut means the dough was light enough to sit on top of the oil, if it’s missing it means the dough was too dense and the thing sank, that’s sub-optimal. 

I also believe that raised and filled doughnuts are the apex of doughnuts. Cake doughnuts are just fried muffins with the exception of Old-Fashioned. You can fight me on this but I will win. Afterwards, we can share a beer with some proper raised and filled doughnuts and all will be well again. 

 

Sourdough Beer Doughnuts with Nutella Mousse Filling

Ingredients
  

For the Doughnuts:

  • ¼ cup (57g) beer (pale ale, pilsner)
  • ¼ cup (57g) heavy cream
  • ½ cup (113g) sourdough starter
  • 2 cups (240g) flour
  • 1 large egg
  • ¼ cup (50g) sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 3 tablespoons (43g) softened butter
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • Granulated sugar for rolling

For the filling:

  • ½ cup (114g) heavy cream
  • 2 teaspoons powdered sugar
  • 2 tablespoons Nutella room temperate

Instructions
 

To make the doughnuts:

  • Bring the beer and heavy cream to just above room temperature (not too hot or it will kill your starter), add to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook.
  • Stir in the starter until completely dissolved in the liquid.
  • Add the flour, egg, brown sugar, and vanilla, mix on high until well combined then add the softened butter and salt.
  • Beat on high until the dough gathers around the blade, about 5 full minutes. The dough will be soft and slightly sticky.
  • Add to a well-oiled bowl, cover tightly with plastic wrap and leave at room temperature until tripled in size, between 12 and 18 hours.
  • Cut off small portions a little smaller than a golf ball (between 50g and 60g). Roll into tight balls and add to a lightly floured baking sheet. Cover tightly with plastic wrap to avoid the dough balls forming a dry crust.
  • Allow to rest until doubled in size, between 4 and 8 hours.
  • Remove the plastic wrap to allow the balls to dry just a bit to make handling them a little easier. Heat oil in a deep fryer or pot with a deep-fry thermometer clipped on the side until the oil reaches 350°F (adjust heat to maintain temp).
  • One or two at a time gently drop the dough balls into the hot oil (make sure to handle carefully to avoid disrupting the air bubbles inside) until golden brown on the underside. Turn over gently (I use a chopstick) and cook until the other side is golden brown and the doughnuts are cooked through.
  • Allow to cool on a stack of paper towels. Roll in sugar once cooled.

To make the filling:

  • Add the heavy cream and powdered sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer. Beat on medium-high speed until the mixture starts to thicken. One tablespoon at a time drop the Nutella into the mixer, mixing until well combined.
  • Add filling to a large piping bag with a metal tip and a pea-sized opening.
  • One at a time makes a small hole in the side of the doughnuts with a small knife or a chopstick.
  • Press the metal tip into the hole in the side of the doughnuts, pipe the filling into each doughnut adding about 2 tablespoons of cream to the center of each doughnut.
  • Serve immediately, doughnuts are best eaten the day they are made.

Notes

If the doughnuts do not have a white line around the center once cooked, they are too dense and need to be allowed to rise a little longer. 

Thai Chili Beer Chicken in Spicy Peanut Satay Sauce

Thai Chili Beer Chicken in Spicy Peanut Satay Sauce

This is 100% because I’m clumsy. You’d think that an actual grown-up human person would be able to eat chicken off stabby things, I mean SKEWERS, without actually stabbing themselves. But you would be wrong. I have several stabby thing related injuries and I’m trying not to add to this list while in the midst of a global pandemic. 

Normal people would just avoid eating things off tiny swords, but I have instead modified dishes that involve swords like utensils to remove them from the equation. Because I need to not joust with my face right now. 

If you don’t have the issues with inept fine motor skills that I do, I hope you still like this dish. It’s all the good stuff about chicken satay without the risk of injury, however low that might be in your house. it’s low-risk chicken and I really just need that right now. 

Thai Chili Beer Chicken in Spicy Peanut Satay Sauce

5 from 3 votes
Servings 4 servings

Ingredients
  

For The Chicken Marinade:

  • 1 cup beer pale ale, IPA, pilsner
  • 1 tablespoon chili powder
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 1 teaspoon red curry paste
  • 2 lbs chicken thighs boneless, skinless
  • 1 teaspoons salt
  • 1 tablespoon sesame oil or olive oil

For the Peanut Sauce:

  • 1 (13.5oz) can coconut milk
  • ¼ cup (64g) creamy peanut butter
  • 1 tablespoon (14g) fish sauce
  • 1 tablespoon (14g) soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoon (25g) brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoon (32g) Thai red curry paste
  • 1 tablespoon (14g) rice vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon (14g) sriracha (plus additional to taste)
  • 2 large cloves garlic grated with a Microplane
  • 2 tablespoons beer pale ale, IPA, pilsner
  • 3 tablespoon lime juice
  • 1 red chili thinly sliced
  • ¼ cup cilantro chopped
  • Rice for serving

Instructions
 

  • Add beer, chili powder, soy sauce, and curry paste to a large Ziploc bag or a resealable container.
  • Sprinkle the chicken on all sides with salt, add them to the marinade. Seal and refrigerate for one hour and up to 12.
  • Remove from the marinade, pat dry.
  • Heat the oil in a large cast-iron skillet until thin and shimmery, add the chicken, searing on both sides until cooked through.
  • While the chicken cooks, make the sauce.
  • Add the coconut milk, peanut butter, fish sauce, soy sauce, brown sugar, curry paste, vinegar, sriracha, garlic, and beer to a pot over medium-high heat. Cook until slightly thickened, about 8 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in the lime juice.
  • Pour the sauce over the chicken, allow to simmer for about a minute, then remove from heat.
  • Sprinkle with chilies and cilantro.
  • Serve with rice.

Spanish Beer Chicken

Spanish Beer Chicken

What are you doing to feel normal? To forget that we use phrases like "the virus" and "pre-pandemic" and "social distancing" more often than ever thought possible? For some people, it’s routine that brings comfort, and for others, it’s the lack of it. I have never been a schedule keeper, so that was never really an option for me. Cooking makes me feel normal, it just makes everything feel ok. 

One-pot meals feel like normalcy, it makes me feel like I have better things to do than the dishes, even if I don’t. Because really, I don’t. This particular one-pot meal reminds me of traveling, of Spain and even of Brazil for some reason. It reminds me to trust that I will someday get on a plane again, and that the world is out there waiting for us to visit once it’s safe. 

For now, this is as close as I can get to leaving town. It’s as close as I can get to travel, and it will just have to do for now. For now, we just sit back and appreciate the healthy people in our lives, and a job if you have one, and know that the rest is out there to enjoy later. For now, it’s one-pot chicken, beer, and Netflix. There are far worse fates. 

Spanish Beer Chicken

Ingredients
  

  • 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1 onion powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 8 bone-in and skin-on pieces of chicken legs, thighs
  • 2 bell peppers chopped
  • ½ of one large white onion chopped
  • 1 cup (180g) uncooked white rice
  • ¾ cups (6oz) low sodium chicken broth
  • 1 cup (8oz) pale ale beer
  • 1 (14oz) can fire-roasted tomatoes
  • 1 (4oz) link Spanish chorizo* chopped
  • ¼ cup (45g) chopped Spanish olives
  • ¼ cup (6g) chopped parsley

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F.
  • In a small bowl combine the paprika, garlic, salt, cumin, chili powder, onion powder, and salt.
  • Sprinkle the chicken on all sides with the spice mixture, reserve any remaining spice mixture.
  • Add the chicken, skin side down to a large, shallow pan with a lid (off heat). Add to medium heat, add the lid at a vent or add a splatter guard. Cook until the chicken skin has browned and a significant amount of fat has rendered (cooking chicken at a lower temperature for a longer time helps to render more fat and crisp the skin much more effectively than searing in a hot pan).
  • Once the chicken skin has crisped, remove from pan (the chicken does not need to be cooked through). Pour off all but about 1 tablespoon of the fat. 
  • Add the chorizo, bell peppers and onion to the pan over medium-high heat
  • Once the vegetables have softened and started to brown, add the beer, stirring and scraping to deglaze the pan.
  • Add the broth, and tomatoes bring to a low simmer, stir in the rice.
  • Add the chicken back into the pot in an even layer.
  • Cover and add to the oven for 30-35 minutes or until the rice is softened and cooked and the chicken is cooked through.
  • Top with Spanish olives and parsley. Serve warm.

Notes

*Spanish chorizo is very different from Mexican chorizo. If you can’t find Spanish chorizo, a good substitute is linguica, or Andouille sausage.

Sourdough Fried Chicken

I read the other day that sourdough starters are a problem. As in: we are wasting too much flour by feeding and discarding on a daily basis.

read more

Crispy Sweet Potato and Mushroom Confit Tacos with Smoky Crema

Crispy Sweet Potato and Mushroom Confit Tacos with Smoky Crema

Hey, friend. How are you?

It’s getting harder and harder to stay positive these days, but I think it’s rather imperative to our emotional wellbeing to at least try to hold onto the good stuff longer than the bad. Not reading the bad news, and ordering take-out, these are helping with the sanity portion of this epidemic. 

I am either only interested in really involved cooking projects, or all I want to do is hide under a blanket and order pizza, there is no in between. I want to confit something, or slow cook a brisket, or make pasta from scratch, or I want none of it, and I’d rather just eat toast over the sink and ignore the rest of the kitchen. 

How are you doing? What’s keeping you sane?

My recipe for Beer Corn Tortillas

Crispy Sweet Potato and Mushroom Confit Tacos with Smoky Crema

Servings 4 servings

Ingredients
  

For the mushrooms:

  • 8 oz cremini mushrooms cleaned and sliced
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 3 cloves garlic
  • 1 sprig rosemary
  • 1 sprig oregano
  • 1 sprig thyme
  • Olive oil

For the sweet potatoes:

  • 2 large sweet potatoes about a 1.5 lbs
  • 1/3 (43g) cup cornstarch
  • 3 tablespoons cold beer pale ale, pilsner
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • canola or vegetable oil for frying

For the Tacos:

  • 12 corn tortillas
  • ½ cup Mexican crema or sour cream
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • Chopped green onions

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 225°F.
  • Add the mushrooms to a small baking dish or loaf pan, toss with salt. Add the sprigs of rosemary, oregano, and thyme. Drizzle with oil until about halfway covered (mushrooms will shrink as they cook).
  • Bake, uncovered, for 15 minutes. Stir and continue to cook for 45 more minutes. Remove and discard the sprigs of herbs. Remove the mushrooms from the oil. 
  • Peel the potatoes and cut into ½ inch wide strips.
  • Stir together the cornstarch and beer into a slurry mixture. Add the sweet potatoes into the mixture, toss to coat.
  • Heat about 1 inch of oil in a wide pan until a drop of water pops, lower heat to just higher than medium.
  • Add the potatoes a few at a time making sure they aren’t touching. Turn over with tongs, cooking on all sides until browned and crisp, remove and allow to drain on a stack of paper towels.
  • Stir together the crema, garlic powder, smoked paprika, and salt.
  • Fill the tortillas with sweet potatoes and mushrooms, drizzle with sauce, top with green onions.

Tandoori Beer Meatball Subs with Garlic Raita

Tandoori Beer Meatball Subs with Garlic Raita

I forgot about meatballs. For years I failed to realize that meatballs do not necessitate a bed of pasta. I love pasta, this you know, and I love meatballs, but in my brain, the two are not a match. Meatballs and pasta are like that couple you know that should absolutely break up already but they are just too comfortable to realize how miserable they are. They are both just better apart. 

This made me forget about meatballs. Until I was challenged to make the best ever meatball sandwich to add to my first cookbook and this changed everything. You can totally be a meatballs plus pasta person, just not near me, I’ll politely ask you to sperate these foods and eat one at a later date. Meatballs are just better over rice or in a sandwich, this is a true fact. 

I am apparently also trying to tandoori all the things. I’m not sure what will be next but it’s currently the most exciting thing in my life. 

Tandoori Beer Meatball Subs with Garlic Raita

Ingredients
  

For the meatballs:

  • 1 cup (226g) plain yogurt
  • 1 teaspoon ground coriander
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • ½ teaspoon cayenne
  • 1 tablespoon garam masala
  • 1 tablespoon paprika
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 2 tablespoon fresh ginger grated with a Microplane
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ¼ cup (2oz) IPA beer
  • 2 lbs pre-made meatballs any meat or vegetarian will do

For the Riata:

  • ½ cup (45g) English hothouse cucumber, finely grated
  • ½ cup (113g) plain yogurt
  • 2 tablespoons (6g) chopped fresh cilantro
  • 1 tablespoon (3g) chopped green onions
  • ¼ teaspoon ground coriander
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 garlic cloves grated with a Microplane

For the sandwich:

  • 6 sub rolls split

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 375°F.
  • In a large bowl stir together the yogurt, coriander, cumin, turmeric, garlic powder, cayenne, garam masala, paprika, lemon juice, ginger, salt, and beer.
  • Add the meatballs, toss to coat.
  • Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil, spray with cooking spray or grease well with olive oil.
  • Add the meatballs.
  • Bake until cooked through, about 10-15 minutes (cooking time will depend on the size of your meatballs, as well as how cold they are).
  • Add the cucumber to the center of a few paper towels or a clean kitchen towel. Squeeze to remove excess liquid. Add the cucumber to a bowl along with the yogurt, cilantro, green onion, coriander, cumin, salt, and garlic.
  • Add the meatballs and riata to the rolls, serve immediately.

Dulce de Leche Beer Cheesecake Bars with Brown Sugar Pretzel Crust

Dulce de Leche Beer Cheesecake Bars with Brown Sugar Pretzel Crust

I am currently in the "way too excited about small things" phase of this quarantine. Let’s talk examples, it’ll be fun. Finding a can of sweetened condensed milk in my pantry that I didn’t know I had is equal to the levels of excitement people must feel when they win an Oscar, obviously. 

And finding arugula sprouts in my garden is the most exciting thing to happen over the weekend, clearly. It was a monumental occasion, it probably deserves a dated plaque in the back yard. Probably. Or maybe I’ll just bake some stuff instead. You should, too. Celebrate all the small moments with baked goods and beer, it’ll make you feel better. 

Dulce de Leche Beer Cheesecake Bars with Brown Sugar Pretzel Crust

5 from 1 vote
Servings 24 squares

Ingredients
  

Dulce de Leche:

  • 1 (14oz) can sweetened condensed milk
  • 2 tablespoons whole milk or heavy cream
  • ½ teaspoon salt

Crust:

  • 2 ½ cups (160g) mini pretzel twists
  • 2 tablespoons (15g) flour
  • ¼ cup (50g) brown sugar
  • 8 tablespoons (114g) melted butter

Filling:

  • 3 (8oz) packages cream cheese (room temperature)
  • 1 tablespoon (7g) cornstarch
  • 2 tablespoons (15g) flour
  • ¾ cup (150g) granulated sugar
  • ½ cup (100g) brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 large eggs
  • ¼ cup (2oz) beer pilsner, pale ale, wheat beer
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions
 

Make the Dulce de Leche:

  • Pressure cooker method: Remove the top of the can of sweetened condensed milk. Cover with aluminum foil.
  • Add the cooking rack to the bottom of a pressure cooker or Instant Pot. Add the prepared can. Pour water in the pressure cooker until about halfway up the side of the can.
  • Cover tightly, making sure the steam vent is closed.
  • Cook on high for 60 minutes. Allow the steam to vent naturally. Once the can has cooled, remove from the pressure cooker. (for stovetop and slow cooker method, see note*)

Make the crust:

  • Preheat oven to 375°F.
  • Add the pretzels, flour, brown sugar to a food processor, process until just crumbs remain. Add the melted butter, pulse until well combined.
  • Press into a 9x13 pan that has been lined with parchment or greased.
  • Bake the crust for 8 minutes (this will just help it set and be a distinct layer from the cream cheese) remove from the oven.

Make the filling:

  • Lower the oven temperature to 325°F.
  • Add the cream cheese, flour, both sugars, cornstarch, and salt to the bowl of a stand mixer, beat until well combined.
  • Add the eggs and vanilla one at a time, beating well between additions.
  • Pour in the beer, mixing until combined.
  • Pour onto the crust, bake at 325°F for 35-40 minutes or until the edges have puffed slightly and the filling no longer sloshes when the pan is lightly shaken (a slight jiggle in the center is to be expected). Allow to cool to room temperature.
  • Add the dulce de leche, milk or cream, and salt to a small blender or food processor, blend until well combined (this will make the dulce de leche pourable).
  • Pour the dulce de leche over the cheesecake. Refrigerate until set, at least 3 hours.

Notes

*To make Dulce de Leche on the stovetop, peel the label off the can but do not open. Add the can to a large pot of water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer checking every 30-minutes that the water is still above the can, adding more when it gets low. Simmer for 3 hours. Remove can with tongs or slotted spoon, allow to cool to room temperature (contents are under pressure, do not open until cooled). Or you can add the cans to a slow cooker, cover with water and cook on low for 8 hours, allow to cool naturally before opening. 

Pineapple Pilsner Carrot Cake Cupcakes with Coconut Ginger Cream Cheese Frosting

Pineapple Pilsner Carrot Cake Cupcakes with Coconut Ginger Cream Cheese Frosting

We have officially reached the "dozen cupcakes for dinner" portion of this pandemic. It’s good news, it means we are close to the end. Isn’t that how this works? I’m certain it is, but you should probably listen to actual health professionals about this stuff, rather than me. 

On the flip side, don’t listen to them about what to put into your cupcakes, listen to me, and I say beer and pineapples. It’s like a tropical vacation that doesn’t require social distancing, but for your mouth. It also necessitates opening a beer in the middle of the day, so it’s better than most cupcakes. 

While I don’t require that you make this whilst wearing pajamas, I do highly recommend it. It might be a coincidence that the first batch I made of these I did so while wearing actual clothes, and they didn’t turn out as well as the second batch which I made wearing pajamas. It might be a coincidence, but I wouldn’t take any chances. 

Pineapple Pilsner Carrot Cake Cupcakes with Coconut Ginger Cream Cheese Frosting

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 12 cupcakes

Ingredients
  

For the cupcakes:

  • 1 ¼ cups (150g) flour
  • 1 teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
  • ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 2/3 cup (133g) golden brown sugar packed
  • ¼ cup (50g) sugar granulated
  • ¼ cup (30g) pecans chopped
  • 1 large carrot finely grated
  • ½ cup (114g) crushed pineapple, drained well*
  • 1/3 cup (80g) vegetable oil
  • ¼ cup (57g) pilsner beer (or wheat beer, pale ale)
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

For the frosting:

  • 8 oz cream cheese room temperature
  • 6 tablespoons (57g) butter, room temperature
  • 1 ½ cups (240g powdered sugar
  • ½ teaspoons fresh ginger grated with a Microplane (plus additional to taste)
  • 1 teaspoon coconut extract

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F.
  • In a large bowl stir together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, brown sugar, white sugar, pecans, and carrots.
  • Add the pineapple, vegetable oil, beer, egg, and vanilla, stir until just combined.
  • Line a muffin tin with cupcake papers, add the batter to the cupcake papers until about ¾ full.
  • Bake for 20-24 minutes or until the tops spring back when lightly touched.
  • Add the butter and cream cheese to the bowl of a stand mixer beat until well combined (if your butter is still cold, beat it on its own until creamy before beating in the cream cheese).
  • Add the remaining ingredients, beat until well combined, light and creamy.
  • Pipe the frosting onto the cupcakes once the cupcakes are completely cool. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Notes

*if the pineapple isn’t drained your cupcakes will have too much moisture

Grilled Harissa Sesame Beer Chicken with Lemon Cilantro Tahini

Grilled Harissa Sesame Beer Chicken with Lemon Cilantro Tahini

Remember when I had you buy tahini to make this Beer Chicken Shwarma with Tahini Aoili? Well, that jar of tahini is about to get another workout. I COULD sit here and tell you it’s because I think you already have some and I don’t want you to have to go to the store for ingredients, but you would see right through that. Really, it’s because I didn’t want to go to the store for new ingredients so I’m just using what I have. Like that Harissa I bought for this

If nothing else positive comes out of this pandemic, I hope the fact that we are becoming far creative with our cooking is something that sticks. Bright side, right? Yes, we’ve gotta bright side as much as we can. 

Another bright side is the grill. I can grill all the things again!! Which is hard to do in the midst of Seattle rain, but these quarantine days have been glorious, necessitating grilling all the things. My entire plan for the upcoming weekend has to do with what I can grill that I haven’t already grilled. It’s very exciting. 

Beer is a big part of the weekends these days, please try to hide your shock at this revelation. I had a Medusa DIPA from Anchorage brewing a few days ago and loved it. I am usually shy about the higher ABV beers (I’m a total lightweight, don’t tell) but it was fantastic. If I have some sun, a grill, and a good beer, the weekend will be still be something I’ll look forward too, even in the middle of a worldwide pandemic. 

Grilled Harissa Sesame Beer Chicken with Lemon Cilantro Tahini

Servings 4 servings

Ingredients
  

For the chicken:

  • ¼ cup (7g) chopped green onions
  • 4 cloves garlic grated with a microplane
  • ½ teaspoon fresh ginger grated with a microplane
  • 2 tablespoon (32g) harissa paste *
  • 3 tablespoon (48g) soy sauce low sodium
  • 2 tablespoon (25g) brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon (14g) honey
  • 2 tablespoons (28g) sesame oil
  • ½ cup (115g) pale ale
  • 8 chicken thighs skinless and boneless
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 1 tablespoon sesame seeds toasted

For the sauce:

  • 1 cup (224g) tahini (stir the jar well beforehand)
  • ¼ cup (58g) fresh lemon juiced
  • 2 tablespoons (27g) beer (or water)
  • ¼ cup (58g) water (plus additional as needed)
  • 2 tablespoons (27g) olive oil
  • 3 garlic cloves rough chopped
  • ¾ cup (18g) chopped fresh cilantro
  • ¼ cup (7g) chopped green onions
  • ½ teaspoon cumin
  • 1 teaspoon sumac** optional
  • 1 ½ teaspoons (9g) kosher salt

Instructions
 

  • In a large bowl stir together the green onions, garlic, ginger, harissa paste, soy sauce, brown sugar, honey, sesame oil, and beer.
  • Sprinkle the chicken on all sides with salt. Add the chicken to the marinade, cover, and refrigerate for at least two hours and up to 24.
  • In a blender, add the ingredients for the sauce, blend on high until well combined. Add additional beer or water to thin to desired consistency.
  • Preheat the grill to medium-high.
  • Add the chicken to the grill, brushing with marinade after turning, grilling until cooked through (do not brush with marinade after removing from grill, the heat of the grill will kill harmful bacteria from the raw chicken juices that are still in the marinade but brushing after removing from the grill won’t).
  • Sprinkle with sesame seeds after removing from the grill.
  • Drizzle with sauce prior to serving.

Notes

* Harissa is a North African hot chili pepper paste, usually found near the Moroccan food in the grocery store. You can also make it yourself, link below.
**I love sumac, but if you don’t have it on hand don’t feel the need to run out and find it. This sauce is great even without it.

DIY Stout Harissa 

 

Japanese Beer Pancakes

Japanese Beer Pancakes

I tried to make this as easy as possible for you. Because I know that although I really like to spend all day in the kitchen, you probably don’t. The first run-through I tried a blender because it’s how I make crepes. I was hoping the blade would blend the egg whites enough to be fluffy. It doesn’t, don’t try it. But the blender batter rose really well and the pancakes were beautiful, but they were tough. You don’t need that. 

Then I wondered if I really need to make you whip the egg whites. How necessary is it in this recipe? SO I just mixed all the ingredients in a bowl and hoped it would be fine. And they were. The were just…fine. Better than the blender method but not as good as they could be. You don’t need that either. 

On round three, I made them with meringue whites and they were by far the best version. I know you might be looking at this recipe thinking, "but do I really NEED to whip the egg whites? Like, how much does it matter?" a lot. A. Lot. Trust me, I’m as lazy as the next guy and I wouldn’t ask you to do it if it didn’t matter. Who needs more work and more dishes? Only a person who wants really good pancakes. 

I even tested ring-mold-alternatives because I wasn’t sure if you owned a ring mold. Most people don’t, honestly. And I have some options for you. Biscuit cutters will work, and so will all-metal cookie cutters. The only one I had was in the shape of a gingerbread man, and it was unseasonably adorable. A mason jar lid will work, but it’s not ideal, you will have short pancakes. But you will have pancakes, and as they say,  short pancakes are better than no pancakes. They say that, I swear. 

Japanese Beer Pancakes

5 from 4 votes
Servings 4 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cups (120g) all purpose flour
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • ¼ cup (50g) plus one tablespoon (15g) sugar
  • 3 large eggs separated
  • ½ teaspoon cream of tartar
  • ½ cup (122g) whole milk
  • ¼ cup (60g) pale ale
  • ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • Syrup or whipped cream for serving

Instructions
 

  • Set out two medium-sized mixing bowls.
  • In one bowl stir together the flour, baking powder, cornstarch, and ¼ cup sugar.
  • In the other bowl add the egg whites. Put the yolks into the bowl with the flour.
  • Add the milk, beer, and vanilla extract into the flour/yolk bowl. Stir until just combined.
  • Add the salt and cream of tartar to the egg whites and beat on high with a hand mixer until stiff peaks form. Add the remaining tablespoon sugar and beat until well combined (adding sugar to the egg whites makes them more stable and able to hold up to being folded into the batter).
  • Fold the egg whites into the flour mixture.
  • Spray the inside of a round ring mold* with cooking spray, add to a skillet over medium/low heat or a griddle set at 275°F.
  • Pour the batter into the mold until it’s 2/3 full. Cook until the batter on top looks mostly dry. Flip while still in the mold until the bottom is golden brown. Remove from heat, remove mold.
  • Re-spray the mold with cooking spray and repeat until all batter is used.

Notes

*If you don’t have a ring mold, try a biscuit cutter, a metal cookie cutter, or even a mason jar lid. A mason jar lid is short and the pancakes won’t be as tall but it can work if you have nothing else to use.
These need to be cooked slow and low or the bottom will burn before they are cooked through. 

Puff Pastry Churro Curls with Chocolate Stout Dipping Sauce

Puff Pastry Churro Curls with Chocolate Stout Dipping Sauce

I’ve been taking stock quite a bit lately, haven’t you? What’s in the pantry (how did I get pickled raisins and why do I still have them?), what’s in my life (so many good people), what I’m grateful for (lots and lots). 

This helps, I promise. It helps you make dinner, helps you get out of bed, helps you to stay present. These are all things we need right now. In a previous life, I was a social worker for gang kids in South Central Los Angeles, and I actually have a Masters Degree in Psychology. Which totally helps me cook with beer, obviously. 

But I will tell you this, when anxiety starts to creep up on you, the simplest way to keep it at bay is to sit in the moment. "I’m ok, right now, I’m fine".  Take a deep breath, focus on what’s in the room around you. For me, cooking and baking help. It helps me to stay focused on the task at hand, and gives me something to look forward to, even if that’s just fake churros. 

If you can pay your bills, feed your family, and if that family is healthy, you are really, really fortunate. It’s ok to be a mess right now, that’s normal. Let yourself feel it for a second, then pull yourself back and remember that you’re ok, and you’re doing pretty damn good. Then make yourself some puff pastry churros because you’ve earned it. 

Puff Pastry Churro Curls with Chocolate Stout Dipping Sauce

Servings 12 curls

Ingredients
  

For the puff pastry:

  • 2 cups 240g flour
  • 1 ¼ cup 285g very cold butter cut into cubes
  • ½ teaspoon 3g salt
  • ½ cup 4oz very cold beer (pale ale, pilsner, pale lager)

For the pinwheels:

  • 1 tablespoon cinnamon
  • 1 tablespoon brown sugar
  • ¼ cup white sugar
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoons butter melted
  • 1 tablespoons beer

For the chocolate sauce:

  • 1/3 cup 2oz chocolate chips
  • 2 tablespoons stout beer
  • 2 tablespoons heavy cream

Instructions
 

  • Add the flour, salt and approximately half of the butter to a food processor, pulse 10-15 times until just combined.
  • Add the remaining butter, pulse to combine (don’t over-process).
  • Add the flour mixture to a flat surface, make a well in the center, add the beer.
  • Mix with your hands until combined (this can also be done in a food processor, just make sure not to over mix or the dough will turn out tough).
  • Add to a lightly floured surface, roll into a rectangle about ½ inch thick. Fold into thirds, like a letter about to go into an envelope.
  • Roll again, then fold again. Repeat the process 3-4 times (this is how you get the layers).
  • Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for at least 2 hours (can be made several days in advance).
  • Preheat the oven to 425°F.
  • In a small bowl stir together the brown sugar, white sugar, cinnamon, and salt, set aside.
  • Roll the puff pastry into a rectangle on a lightly floured surface.
  • Add the melted butter and beer together (warm again if the beer makes the butter seize a bit) then brush the rectangle with the mixture.
  • Sprinkle liberally with a little less than half of the cinnamon-sugar mixture, reserve the remaining mixture.
  • Starting on the long end, roll the puff pastry into a tight log. Slice into 1-inch slices.
  • Add the slices, cut side up, to a baking sheet covered with a sheet of parchment, press down to flatten the slices.
  • Brush slices with the beer mixture.
  • and then sprinkle with a little of the sugar mixture (reserve the remaining cinnamon-sugar mixture).
  • Bake for 18-20 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool enough to handle.
  • One at a time press curl into the remaining cinnamon-sugar mixture to coat.
  • Add the ingredients for the chocolate sauce to a microwave-safe bowl. Heat for 30 seconds, stir and repeat until well combined.
  • Serve the churro curls alongside the chocolate mixture.

Drunk Ramen Carbonara

Drunk Ramen Carbonara, the ultimate pantry meal!

I don’t want to tell you how to live your quarantine life, but you should make this. It’s a huge step up from just eating a package of store-bought ramen, which, let’s be honest, we all want to do right now. It makes you feel like you’ve actually accomplished something, you made carbonara! You so fancy! 

But in reality, it only takes about 20 minutes. It’s the positive news we all need right now. Are you gravitating towards the good news these days or the bad? It seems as though we are all either bad-news-seekers or give-me-the-good-stuff-readers. I’m in the second camp. 

Knowing how bad things are, or could potentially get, is too hard of a burden to carry on a daily basis. But hearing about how people are helping, caring, and coping, lifts the weight just a little. It reminds me that we are all in this together, that although we have spent the better part of the last few years more divided than ever, this reminds us that we are all human, we are all more good than bad, we mostly all want the same things. Most people are basically good and we will get through this. Maybe just have a beer and some fancy ramen and wait it out with me. 

Drunk Ramen Carbonara

Servings 4 servings

Ingredients
  

  • ½ lbs bacon
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 large egg plus 6 egg yolks divided
  • ½ cup room temperature pale ale beer
  • ½ cup (1oz) pecorino cheese grated with a microplane
  • 1 teaspoon fresh cracked pepper
  • 9 ounces (3 (3oz) packages) ramen noodles
  • 2 tablespoons chopped chives optional

Instructions
 

  • Chop the bacon and add to a large skillet off heat. Add to a pan over medium heat, cooking until the bacon has crisped and the fat has rendered (putting the bacon in a cold pan, then cooking over medium heat takes longer but renders fat much better ).
  • While the bacon cooks, cook the noodles. Add the ramen to a pot of heavily salted, boiling water. Cook for one minute or until just before al dente (almost cooked but still a little crunchy) drain but reserve ¼ cup of pasta cooking water. Add noodles to a colander or strainer to allow to dry (sauce clings better to noodles that are not wet).
  • In a bowl whisk together the egg plus 2 yolks (if not plating each bowl with its own yolk, use all 6 yolks for this step), beer, cheese, and pepper.
  • Once the bacon has crisped, remove from heat, and scoop out or pour off about half of the bacon grease. Add the garlic to the pan, stirring until the garlic is fragrant (this should be able to be done off-heat, the bacon grease should still be hot enough to cook the garlic, if not add the pan back to heat for a few seconds).
  • Add the noodles to the bacon pan (off heat), stirring until the noodles are coated in the bacon and garlic grease.
  • Add the egg sauce, stirring to coat the noodles. Add the reserved pasta water a tablespoon at a time to thin if the mixture is too thick (you may only need a little bit).
  • Divide the noodles between four bowls, top each bowl with an egg yolk.
  • Garnish with additional cheese and chives if desired.

Matcha Beer Pound Cake with Strawberries, Mint Whipped Cream

Matcha Beer Pound Cake with Strawberries, Mint Whipped Cream

I know what you’re thinking. "Oh, so THIS is a cake but that chocolate thing you posted last week was bread? What are the rules?!" 

There are no rules! Not right now. Not in this pants-optional-all-day-drinking-keep-your-COVID-cooties-away-from-me world we currently live in. Rules do not exist! Ok, that’s not true, but when it comes to what is cake and what is bread, the line has blurred in our favor and it can all be cake, and it can all be bread because we don’t have to social distance from carbs. 

I wanted to make a "pantry" recipe but I realized that I like to keep weird things in my pantry like bean curd caramel and dried hops. I do love matcha, which has been hanging around in my kitchen since I  made matcha doughnuts last year. If you don’t have any, don’t worry, the internet can help, and since we are ordering everything in these days, what’s a bag of matcha to add to that list? A necessity. And essential. 

What are you cooking? Are you baking all the bread all the time? Me too. 

Matcha Beer Pound Cake with Strawberries, Mint Whipped Cream

Ingredients
  

For the cake:

  • ½ cup (114g) unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1 ¾ cups (350g) granulated sugar
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ¼ teaspoon almond extract
  • 1/3 cup (78g) beer (pilsner, pale ale, wheat beer)
  • 1 ½ cups (240g) all-purpose flour
  • 2 tablespoons (30g) matcha (green tea) powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt

Topping:

  • 1 ½ cups (334g) heavy cream
  • ½ cup (60g) powdered sugar
  • 1 fresh mint leaf minced (about ¼ teaspoon)
  • 1 cup chopped strawberries

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 325°F.
  • Add the butter and sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer. Beat on high until well creamed. Add the eggs, vanilla and almond extract one at a time, mixing well between additions.
  • Stop the mixer occasionally to scrape the bottom of the bowl to insure all ingredients are well mixed.
  • Stir in the beer.
  • Stop the mixer and sprinkle with flour, matcha, baking powder, and salt. Stir with a wooden spoon or spatula until just combined, don’t over mix.
  • Pour into an 8.5 x 4.5 loaf pan that has been greased and floured.
  • Bake until the top has puffed and cake is cooked through 50-65 minutes.
  • Allow to cool before slicing.
  • Add the heavy cream, mint, and powdered sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer beat until soft peaks form.
  • Top the cake slices with whipped cream and strawberries.

Beer Apple Fritters with Vanilla Maple Glaze

Beer Apple Fritters with Vanilla Maple Glaze

Is it just me or are we all hypochondriacs right now? Was that sneeze allergies or a deadly virus? Is the house too hot or do I have a deadly virus? Did I eat something weird or do I have a deadly virus? It’s nonstop. 

But on the upside, pajamas all day and making doughnuts for no reason are perfectly acceptable. As is eating them by yourself in the kitchen while taking a Buzzfeed quiz about which Tiger King character you are. It’s Saff, by the way. 

We’ve lost all of our manners and basic social skills, but at least we’ve done it together. Once we reemerge we will all be slightly chubby toddlers who have to re-learn how to interact. I’m very excited for the day when I have the ability to lick your face again. Not that I’ll do, but I’m looking forward for the day when it’s no longer seen as a terrorist act. 

Until then, I made you doughnuts from afar. 

Beer Apple Fritters with Vanilla Maple Glaze

Ingredients
  

For the Fritters:

  • 1 ¼ cups (150g) flour
  • 1 teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 1 large Fuji or Honey Crisp apple peeled, cored and diced
  • 2 large eggs room temperature
  • 3 tablespoon olive oil
  • ¼ cup (2oz) beer pilsner, pale ale, wheat beer
  • Vegetable or canola oil (for frying)

For the Glaze:

  • 1 ¼ cups (150g) powdered sugar
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla
  • 3 tablespoons maple syrup
  • 1 to 3 tablespoons cold water

Instructions
 

  • Stir together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, brown sugar, and white sugar.
  • Add the apples, eggs, oil, and beer, stir until combined.
  • Heat the oil in a pot over medium-high heat. Clip a deep-fry thermometer on the side, adjust the heat to maintain 350°F.
  • Drop a spoonful of dough into the hot oil. Cook on both sides until golden brown and cooked through. About 2 minutes per side. Remove with a metal slotted spoon. 
  • Allow to drain and dry on a stack of paper towels.
  • Stir together the glaze ingredients, thin with water until desired consistency.
  • Drizzle the glaze over the doughnuts.

Pilsner Sandwich Loaf (makes 2)

Pilsner Sandwich Loaf (makes 2)

Do you remember the days when it was easier to go to the store than to bake bread? Those were good times. We will get back there soon, I promise. For now, we will be baking bread in our pajamas and failing to social distance from carbs because the store is a war zone and sort of scary in a way we can’t really identify. 

It’s in the way that people jump back when you get too close to them. Maybe it’s the virus or maybe it’s the more casual approach to hygiene we’ve all taken in the past few weeks. Either way, it’s a reminder than social interaction is not what it used to be. And I miss it. I miss bars and restaurants and crowds and traffic and airplanes and humans. 

For now, we will see each other and wave from behind a screen to keep each other safe from our germs. Let’s bake bread and drink carbs and remember that this is not the new normal, this is a phase and it will pass. Some day we will tell the tale of the time we lived through the virus and we won’t mention how much we ate or drank because it won’t be important to our story of survival. But for now, it’s a very important part of our survival. 

Pilsner Sandwich Loaf (makes 2)

Ingredients
  

  • 6 cups (720g) all-purpose flour
  • ¼ cup (60g) brown sugar
  • 2 ¼ teaspoons (one packet) rapid rise dry yeast
  • ¾ cups (6oz) beer (pale ale, pilsner, wheat beer, lager, nothing too hoppy)
  • 6 tablespoons (84g) butter
  • 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (270g) whole milk
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • egg wash 1 egg plus 2 tablespoons milk, beaten
  • Coarse salt

Instructions
 

  • In a stand mixer stir together the flour, brown sugar, and yeast.
  • Combine the beer, butter, and milk, heat to 120°F (always defer to the liquid temperature listed on the package of yeast, regardless of what the recipe says. Your yeast package says 105°F? Heat the liquid to that temperature.)
  • Add the warmed liquid to the stand mixer, mix with a dough hook until combined, add the salt. Mix for 6 to 8 minutes or until the dough comes together and starts to gather around the blade (dough will still be soft and slightly sticky).
  • Oil a large bowl, add the dough to the bowl (this works best with wet or oiled hands). Cover the bowl and allow the dough to rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
  • Grease two (8x4) loaf pans.
  • Cut the dough in half
  • Gently form into rectangles, do not use a rolling pin, just pull and shape with your hands to preserve the air bubbles.
  • Roll the rectangle into a log. Place each log into a prepared pan, seam side down.
  • Cover the pan, and let the dough rise for 45 to 60 minutes, or until it starts to rise just over the top of the pan. Towards the end of the rising time, preheat the oven to 350°F.
  • Brush the top with egg wash, sprinkle with salt.
  • Bake for 35-40 minutes or until the top is golden brown. Allow to cool on a wire rack.

Oven Roasted Coconut Curry Chicken Thighs

There is a lot of uncertainty right now, but let’s talk about what is certain. Yoga pants and pajamas are socially acceptable all day.  Cake can now be eaten at all meals without guilt. And the government has officially declared brewery staff to be considered essential during the shelter in place lockdown. But we already knew that, you didn’t have to tell us that they’re essential. 

So you’re cooking all day, wearing pajamas until noon, and drinking probably more beer than you should. You’re officially living my life right now. Not as glamourous as you thought? I know, I know. But there are worse things. And I made you some chicken. 

I realize that for me, this list of ingredients is all "pantry staples" and that might not be the case for everyone. But also, the grocery store is one of the only places you CAN go right now so maybe put on a dress and some heels and make an event out of it. I didn’t think so, pajamas with boots and messy bun? That sounds more like it. 

We’ll get through this, you know that right?

And when we do we will appreciate traffic, coworkers, crowded bars and long waits to be seated at restaurants so much more. Maybe we all just needed to take a step back and remember that the small stuff is really big stuff if you don’t have it, and once we get it back we won’t forget that. For now, we still have beer and pajamas and those are pretty good right now. 

Oven Roasted Coconut Curry Chicken Thighs

5 from 1 vote
Servings 4 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 1 shallot or white onion, chopped (about ¼ cup)
  • ½ cup (4oz) pale ale
  • 1 (13.5 oz) can coconut milk (full fat)
  • 1 tablespoon red curry paste
  • 2 teaspoons sriracha
  • 1 teaspoons fish sauce
  • 1 cups Swiss chard spinach, or kale, rough chopped
  • 2 lbs chicken thighs bone-in, skin-on
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon of sea salt
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon dried basil
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • Rice and chopped chives for serving

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 450°F.
  • In a mixing bowl stir together the shallots, beer, coconut milk, curry paste, sriracha, and fish sauce.
  • In a 9x13 baking dish add the chard (or kale or spinach) in an even layer. Add the chicken thighs on top, skin side up. Drizzle with olive oil, then sprinkle evenly with salt, pepper, basil and garlic powder.
  • Pour the coconut milk around the chicken, avoiding the top of the chicken thighs.
  • Bake, uncovered for 30 minutes. Rotate the pan and continue to cook until skin has browned and the chicken is cooked through, about another 15 minutes.
  • Serve over rice, sprinkle with chopped chives.

Key Lime Pilsner Loaf Cake with Mezcal Icing

Key Lime Pilsner Loaf Cake with Mezcal Icing

We all need cake right now, we do. It helps. Apparently so does social distancing and hand washing. And don’t forget that alcohol kills all germs. Where does that leave us? Washing our hands and drinking alone. There are worse things, I suppose, especially when you have a cake. A cake made specifically for social distancing due to its relatively small size. 

It’s dessert on day one, with a few beers. Then it’s breakfast the following day, which you can get to around late morning because, let’s be honest, you’ve got nowhere to go. 

And you’ll still have enough left to eat for dinner, I mean dessert, on day two. This is my plan for the next few weeks: baking, beer, and weird internet searches. Because apparently knowing the best dive bar in every state, and if "Hi-Way Heaven Fried Chicken" in The Outsider is a real place is important to my emotional well being.

We all have our things. 

Key Lime Pilsner Loaf Cake with Mezcal Icing

Ingredients
  

For the cake:

  • 1 tablespoon lime zest
  • 1 ¼ cup (250g) sugar
  • 2 tablespoon butter softened
  • 3 eggs room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/3 cup key lime juice
  • ¼ cup beer pilsner, pale ale, wheat beer
  • 3 tablespoon (42g) olive oil
  • 1 ¾ cups (210g) flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt

For the Mezcal icing:

  • 2 cups ½ lbs powdered sugar
  • pinch salt
  • 1 ½ tablespoon Mezcal
  • 1 ½ tablespoon lime juice

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 325°F.
  • In the bowl of a stand mixer add the lime zest and sugar. Beat for about 2 minutes on high to release the lime oils into the sugar.
  • Add the butter, beat until well combined.
  • Add the eggs and vanilla, one at a time, beating well between additions.
  • Add the lime juice, beer, and olive oil, beating until well combined, scraping the bottom of the mixer to ensure all ingredients are well incorporated.
  • Stop the mixer and sprinkle with flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, stir until just combined.
  • Pour into an 8-inch loaf pan that has been greased.
  • Bake for 55 to 60 minutes or until cake is golden brown and toothpick inserted in the center comes back with just a few crumbs attached. Allow to cool completely.
  • Stir together the powdered sugar, mezcal, lime juice, and salt to make a thick paste. Spread over the top of the cake, chill until set about 3 hours. Cake is best made a day ahead of time.