Evening Libation
Q: "Why is American beer served cold?" Steven and I are not drinkers. We do have a glass of wine with or after supper in the winter when that little touch of the vine gives you a little added warmth as you sit by the fire. I do enjoy margaritas in the summer by the pool but my pool isn't built yet! I am not an expert on beer or wine. Until a little over a year ago I did not even drink wine save for a very rare glass of a sweet white dessert wine or an even rarer glass of champange. Then one day I had a glass of a red marriage wine from Australia and found my tongue for red wine. Several years before I discovered wine I had an opportunity to visit Europe. While there I learned we Americans are swilling beer that is disgusting in comparison to the beer available in Europe. In the Netherlands I finally found a beer I could drink that did not leave me feeling thirsty or as if something had taken a dump in my mouth later. Every popular brand of American beer leaves me feeling as if I need to run a gardenhose down my throat and turn it on for a half hour to quench my thirst. Why is that? That beer was Leffe Blonde. A true abby beer from Belgium. Delicious!
****************** The electricians were in my house all day long. They got here at 6:50 am and left at 5pm. I have great lights! I have 3 prong recepticals to plug things into! I did not have internet or electricity or our network for many hours yesterday. Photos to come later. I have to catch up on everything I missed yesterday. (Recipe for the stout cake is under the cut.)
Chocolate Stout Cake
Cake
2 cups stout
4 sticks unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups unsweetened cocoa powder (preferably Dutch)
4 cups all purpose flour
4 cups sugar
1 tablespoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
4 large eggs
1 1/3 cups sour cream
Icing
2 cups whipping cream
1 pound bittersweet (not unsweetened) or semisweet chocolate, chopped
For cake:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter three 8-inch round cake pans with 2-inch-high sides. Line with parchment paper. Butter paper. Bring 2 cups stout and 2 cups butter to simmer in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add cocoa powder and whisk until mixture is smooth. Cool slightly.
Whisk flour, sugar, baking soda, and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt in large bowl to blend. Using electric mixer, beat eggs and sour cream in another large bowl to blend. Add stout-chocolate mixture to egg mixture and beat just to combine. Add flour mixture and beat briefly on slow speed. Using rubber spatula, fold batter until completely combined. Divide batter equally among prepared pans. Bake cakes until tester inserted into center of cakes comes out clean, about 35 minutes. Transfer cakes to rack; cool 10 minutes. Turn cakes out onto rack and cool completely.
For icing:
Bring cream to simmer in heavy medium saucepan. Remove from heat. Add chopped chocolate and whisk until melted and smooth. Refrigerate until icing is spreadable, stirring frequently, about 2 hours.
Place 1 cake layer on plate. Spread 2/3 cup icing over. Top with second cake layer. Spread 2/3 cup icing over. Top with third cake layer. Spread remaining icing over top and sides of cake.
I can't remember where I first got this recipe. Credit belongs to someone but I don't know who. I do know there are other versions spread around the world.
The other option is just making your own. Most popular types of beer have clone recipes out there, and with a little practice it's pretty easy to make a VERY good knockoff!
Luckily, here in Chicago we're near a few different big stores that import beer from all over. But even so we're still planning a trip to Germany to drink the altbiers we can't find in the US!
That cake recipe looks amazing. I'm really looking forward to trying it...
Ooo, I will have to look for that chocolate stout. I prefer dark beers as well.
Angie, you are amazing. Who would have figured you for a beer snob?!
I like my light beer icy cold; sometimes I even pour it over ice. If that makes me a "know nothing" about beer, so be it. I have never been able to acquire a taste for dark beer as most of the ones I have tried are bitter to me. But if I run across any of the ones you have recommended, I will definitely try them.
My husband loves a great European beer. He also drinks american beer which I never really drink. I always do Christmas baskets as well. Last year was Family Game Night. I bought each family a game, made them homemade chili, cornbread, & pumpkin rolls for dessert. Still trying to decide what to do for this year. What are you going to put in the Christmas Baskets?
Interesting name, "Double Chocolate." But, surely there is no chocolate in it, is there? How does one account for this name?
P.S. I mentioned you in my piece today. You are now the Queen of the Internet recipe.
First off, Wow! I'm not much of a beer drinker either but this post was so full of information!
I like Molson's Canadian beer, but that's about it. You described these beers well enough so that I think I would know what to look for when I try some of them out. Thanks for posting this! I found the cake recipe very interesting. I've never heard of stout cake and it sounds pretty good.
I don't think tasting would hurt the baby, unless you taste every minute for an hour or two. :)))
Actually, before I went into labor with my first pregnancy, I wasn't sure if I was having Braxton Hicks or the real labor pain. the contractions were not very painful at first. We called the Doctor at 11 p.m and told me to try drinking a small glass of wine. If that didnt settle the contractions, then it was most likely real labor. that particular night, half a glass of wine did settle down a bit. the following night, however.. was the real thing.
By the way, you might like Riesling wine, if you like a light, sweet wine. It is a German wine, very good when served well chilled.
i myslef am not a beer drinker either...but that choclate one has me intregred:)
Beer and chocolate - sounds perfect!
I liked the top beer that had a cork in the bottle. That's cool.
Ummmm, how do I get my name added to your Christmas list? That sounds like a basket I need to have!
Thanks for sharing. I am going to bake today. Truly.
~K!
Okay, I know it's dorky to comment twice on the same post, but I found the Young's Double Chocolate Stout at my neighborhood grocery store today! So of course I brought one home with me. I'll let you know how I like it, Angie!
Love to hear about what else goes in your basket, Yes I am looking for ideas, b/c I too have already started thinking about Christmas gifts.
This recipe sounds wonderful, minus the stout. What can I say? Those dark and heavy brews are a taste I haven't refined; I'm hung up on the golden beers of the islands like Kalik.
So-am I right in thinking you have a sizeable spread between babies? Just wondering...
I love coming over here- the writing is fine, the site is beautifully designed and today, your sweeties groundhog was quite divine as well. Thanks for making such a lovely place in the neighborhood.
there are wine conasures i am a beer one.
In Australia beer is always consumed cold are i for one like it the colder the better there nothing more refreshing than a cold beer on a hot day.
Yes European Beers rule and American beer is so so and even Australian Beers are good some excellent some ok. If you get a chance try Tooheys extra dry, Boags Premuim and even for the sake of it Victorian Bitter the most popular beer in Australia.
And just to squash a rumour Australian dont Drink Fosters, its purley consumed by the Foreign market and has very little following in Australia.
My Favourite European beers Heineken, Caffery's Irish Beer, Amsterdam marinner, Becks and most bavarian Beers.
Mark
Angie: can you email me your email address. I wanted to ask you a few questions. kpower205@comcast.net
Thanks
I'm really not a beer person however I am a cake person :)
But margaritas by the pool are my favorite!! That sounds like a date for next summer...
I think you are the fourth person today including myself. I've (heard)read saying you're getting ready for Christmas. I don't drink (well I do like at a wedding, or something like that) but this beer sounds interesting. It would be the perfect gift for my FIL. Thanks for all the info :)
Angie, I should have known you would know about the horn worms. I never saw any moths hanging around the plants - so I don't know when they made their deposits!
I usually coax them off the stem with scissors, into an old butter tub and then I cut them in half. Once I put my hand on one and got the shock/pain of my life! Sure don't want to have contact with one again.
I don't like to use Sevin because it kills bees, so I guess I will continue searching the plants every day. Thank God I have only two plants!
Judy
P.S. Hope you are feeling well these days.
The thing I always want to ask is whether or not my Boone's farm Strawberry hill is considered wine or not? Heh.
I'll take your word for it ;0) I'm so not a beer person, BUT I have had margaritas by the pool this summer seeing as how our pool is finally fixed!!! C'mon over! You're minutes away you know and I'll make 'em virgin just for you!
Not a beer drinker, either, but having worked in a pub in England during the 70s, I did pick up a couple of beer-pouring tricks. Foam is over-rated to the English - it's the beer itself that's important. Tilt glass and pour down the inside of the glass where your thumb is resting on the outside. (Does this make sense - hard to figure out how to explain it.) The warmth of your thumb on the glass keeps the foam down. Anyway, after trying all the beers I ended up learning to like gin instead!
Hi Angie! It's very late and I should be sleeping but popping over to say hi. Now I can dream about cake and beer. Yum.