Firewater Friday - Strawberry Hefeweizen Shandy

This is a bright refreshing beer cocktail that mixes the tartness of lemonade, the sweetness of strawberries with the wheatiness of a good summer wheat beer.  

The perfect refresher for a hot summer day.

Strawberry Hefeweizen Shandy


2 Ounces Homemade Fizzy Lemonade (recipe below)
2 Ounces Strawberry Infused Vodka Liquor (recipe below)
12 Ounces Hefeweizen 

Pour lemonade and strawberry vodka into a 16 ounce glass.

Slowly, add the beer to the glass. I used Two Roads No Limits Hefeweizen.

Stir gently and serve.  







Homemade Fizzy Lemonade

1/2 Cup Raw Sugar 
1/2 Cup water 
1/2 Cup Lemon Juice
2 Cups Plain Seltzer (to dilute)

Make simple syrup by heating the sugar and water in a small saucepan until the sugar is dissolved completely.

While the sugar is dissolving, use a juicer to extract the juice from 4 small lemons, enough for 1/2 cup of juice.

Add the juice and the sugar water to a pitcher. Add 2 cups of cold seltzer. 



Strawberry Infused Vodka Liquor

Take 2 cups of fresh clean strawberries, hulled and cut in half and put into a clean 1 quart jar   The stawberries should fill the jar halfway. Next pour in the vodka to the top leaving about a half inch of headspace.  

Place cool, dark place. Give the jar a little shake once a day.  

After a couple days you will notice that the strawberries are being leeched of color and turning a sickly albino white.  Don't panic, this is normal.  All the color and flavor is going into the vodka.

In a week strain the solids from the liquid.  You will end up with a wonderful strawberry flavored vodka that is a beautiful red color.

Mix it with a cooled simple syrup - 1/2 cup raw sugar dissolved into a 1/2 cup boiling water. 

Mix 1 part infused vodka to a 1/2 part of the simple syrup.  

Smoky Pale Ale Cheese Sauce

This beer cheese is rich and flavorful.  There a little texture and spiciness that comes from the Guinness Mustard, you can tone that down by adding a little less or using a milder mustard.  The pale ale adds a hint of bitterness that is just lovely.

I used this as a topper for a burger but it would be perfect as a fondue to dip crusty bread or vegetables in.


Yum!





Smoky Pale Ale Cheese Sauce

3 Cloves Garlic
1 Cup Pale Ale
2 Cups Smoked Gouda, Shredded
2 Teaspoons Cornstarch
2 Teaspoons Guinness Mustard


Smash the garlic with the bottom of a glass or a flat knife and rub the bottom of a heavy saucepan with the cloves. Leave the cloves in the bottom of the pan and pour the beer over them.  Bring the beer a boil over high heat.

In a small bowl, toss the shredded cheese with the cornstarch to coat.  

Once the beer has come to a boil, stir in the cheese.  Bring back to a boil then reduce the heat.

The sauce should be thickening up, at this point.  

Stir in the mustard.  Add salt and pepper, if desired.  

Continue stirring as the cheese sauce simmers and reaches desired consistency, about 5 minutes.

Beer Brined Grilled Pork Chops

Beer tenderizes the pork chops and adds subtle flavor.  The brine creates a salty sweet taste that perfectly compliments the flavor of the meat.

Yum!

Beer Brined Grilled Pork Chops

2 Cups Water 

1 12-Ounce Bottle Red Ale

1/4 Cup Kosher Salt 

3 Tablespoons Packed Light Brown Sugar 

2 Tablespoons Dark Molasses 

2 Tablespoons Honey

1 Cup Ice Cubes 

6 Thick Center-Cut Bone-In Pork Chops 

Seasoned Salt ( I use Tony Chachere's Creole Seasoning)

Combine water, beer, salt, sugar, molasses and honey in large bowl. Stir until salt and sugar dissolve. Stir in ice. Place pork chops in large resealable plastic bag. Pour beer brine over pork chops; seal bag. Refrigerate 4 hours, turning bag occasionally. 

Preheat grill to a medium high heat.  

Remove pork chops from beer brine.   Sprinkle with seasoned salt.  

Grill pork chops for approximately about 10 minutes per side or until no longer pink inside.

Transfer to a plate, cover with foil and allow to rest for about five minutes before serving.

Beer-Candied Bacon Wrapped Chicken

Beer is definitely proof that God wants us to be happy.  But beer and bacon are proof that there's a heaven - right here on earth!

Beer Candied Bacon Wrapped Chicken is a tasty combination of flavors - sweet, salty, smoky. 

I used a winter beer for the syrup because of the combination of sweetness and spices.  Use what you like for a completely different taste experience.  But use something with enough flavor for it to stand up against the bacon.

Beer-Candied Bacon Wrapped Chicken

1 Lb Thick-Cut Bacon, Smoked Bacon 

1/2 Cup Brown Sugar
1/4 Cup Beer
2 Large Chicken Breasts

In a small bowl, mix the beer and the brown sugar together until the sugar is dissolved.  Set aside.


Cook bacon on a griddle or in a pan until just starting to crisp.  Place in a bowl and pour the beer syrup over them.  Toss to coat.

Continue to cook the coated  the bacon on the griddle or in a pan.  Turn and baste with syrup as the bacon cooks.  Cook until the crispy and browned.

While the bacon is cooking.  Cut each chicken breast length-wise into four pieces.  And cook on the griddle until done.

Wrap two slices of  bacon around each piece of chicken.  

Any left over back - yeah right! - can be wrapped into coils and left to dry on a rack for about an hour.  It'll get nice and crunchy!

Stout Mudslide

Although technically this recipe isn't really cooking, but it is food related.  Ice cream is food, right?  Sure it is!

This recipe is so easy it's ridiculous and it's super tasty.

The bitter beer mixes with the sweet chocolate and ice cream and blends together to make a rich mudslide like creamy shake.  

Make it.  You know you want to!





Stout Mudslide


2 Dark Chocolate Klondike bars
2 oz. Stout 

Cut Klondike bars in half and place in a blender with the stout.

Pulse to break the bars into smaller pieces and then blend on high until smooth.

Stuffed Breakfast Stout French Toast with Framboise Lambic Syrup

A rich and incredibly delicious french toast featuring Founders Breakfast Stout and topped with a syrup made with Framboise Lambic.   The flavors are complex and complimentary.  Very different from standard French toast.  Simply amazing.

Stuffed Breakfast Stout French Toast with Framboise Lambic Syrup



Breakfast Stout Stuffing:
12 Oz. Cream Cheese
6 Oz. Founders Breakfast Stout
1 Tbsp Powdered Sugar
1 Tbsp Chocolate Syrup


With a mixer whip cream cheese until light and fluffy.  Stir in the powdered sugar and chocolate syrup.  Add the beer and mix well. Place in refrigerator until you’re ready to top your toast.





Framboise Lambic Sauce:

1 Bottle Framboise Lambic
1/4 Cup Maple Syrup


Pour the lambic into a small sauce pan and bring to a boil.  Boil for about 20 or 30 minutes until it reduces to the consistancy of the thick syrup.  Remove from heat and stir in the maple syrup.   










Breakfast Stout Toast:

1 Loaf Challah Bread
5 Eggs
1/2 Cup Milk
1 Cup Founders Breakfast Stout
1 Tbsp Vanilla Extract
Cinnamon To Taste

Add eggs, milk, stout, vanilla extract and cinnamon to a bowl and whisk well. 

Cut the the challah bread into 1 inch thick slices and soak in the egg mixture making sure both sides are coated well. 



Add the bread to a heated skillet and let it sit for about 3 minutes on each side or until golden brown.

Spread a slice of french toast with the cream cheese stuffing and stack and spread the top piece of French toast with a layer of cream cheese stuffing.  

Drizzle the lambic syrup on top.  The syrup is very rich and you really don't need a lot.