Oktoberfest: Stout Ice Cream Floats

Ingredients

Cake:

Good quality vanilla ice cream

Assorted Stout beers

Directions

Let ice cream soften for 10ish minutes prior to making floats.

Scoop vanilla ice cream in a glass. Pour (slowly) stout over ice cream to fill glass.

Serve with a straw and spoon.

Notes:

We had a few stouts to choose from – Guinness, a Coffee stout, a Crème Brulee stout. All were delicious.

The Verdict

Monique: Really good – a definite keeper.

Oktoberfest: Chocolate Stout Cake

From epicurious

Ingredients

Cake:

3 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped

2 1/4 cups all purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

14 tablespoons (1 3/4 sticks) salted butter, room temperature

1 1/4 cups plus 3 tablespoons sugar

3 large eggs, separated

3/4 cup chocolate stout, regular stout, or porter

2/3 cup freshly brewed strong coffee

Frosting:

1 pound bittersweet chocolate (54% to 60% cacao), chopped

2 cups heavy whipping cream

1 teaspoon instant espresso powder

Directions

For cake:
Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350°F. Butter and flour two 9-inch-diameter cake pans with 1 1/2-inch-high sides. Line bottom of each cake pan with parchment paper round; butter and flour parchment.

Place chopped chocolate in medium metal bowl. Set bowl over saucepan of barely simmering water and stir until chocolate is melted and smooth. Remove bowl from over water and set aside.

Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in medium bowl to blend. Using electric mixer, beat butter and 11/4 cups sugar in large bowl until fluffy and pale yellow, about 2 minutes. Add egg yolks 1 at a time, beating until well blended after each addition. Beat in lukewarm melted chocolate, then stout and coffee. Beat flour mixture into chocolate mixture in 2 additions just until incorporated.

Using clean dry beaters, beat egg whites and remaining 3 tablespoons sugar in another medium bowl until stiff but not dry. Fold 1/3 of egg whites into cake batter to lighten, then fold in remaining egg whites in 2 additions. Divide batter between prepared cake pans (about 3 cups for each); smooth tops.

Bake cakes until tester inserted into centers comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Transfer cakes to racks and cool in pans 20 minutes. Invert cakes onto racks; remove parchment paper and cool completely. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and store at room temperature.

For frosting:
Place chopped chocolate in medium heatproof bowl. Combine whipping cream and espresso powder in medium saucepan. Bring cream mixture to simmer over medium-high heat, whisking occasionally. Pour cream mixture over chopped chocolate; let stand 1 minute, then whisk until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth. Chill chocolate frosting until slightly thickened and spreadable, stirring occasionally, about 2 hours (or for quick chilling, place frosting in freezer until thickened and spreadable, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes).

Using serrated knife, trim rounded tops from both cake layers so that tops are flat. Place 1 cake layer, trimmed side up, on 9-inch-diameter tart pan bottom or cardboard round, then place on rack set over baking sheet. Drop 1 1/4 cups frosting by large spoonfuls over top of cake layer; spread frosting evenly to edges with offset spatula or butter knife. Top with second cake layer, trimmed side down. Spread remaining frosting evenly over top and sides of cake. DO AHEAD: Can be made up to 1 day ahead. Cover with cake dome and refrigerate. Let cake stand at room temperature at least 1 hour and up to 3 hours before serving.

Notes:

We used a coffee stout in the recipe, which was delicious.

The Verdict

Monique: Personally, I LOVED this cake. I think I finished the leftovers in 2 days. 

Oktoberfest: Gruyere and Ham Pretzel Bites

Adapted from epicurious

Ingredients

1 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast

2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon packed light brown sugar, divided

1/4 cup warm water (110-115°F)

1 cup warm milk (110-115°F)

2 1/2 to 3 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup finely chopped country ham (3 oz; preferably Newsom’s or Benton’s), divided

1/3 cup finely chopped gruyere, divided

6 cups water

4 teaspoons baking soda

1/2 cup Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon mild honey

1/2 stick unsalted butter, melted

1 to 2 tablespoons pretzel salt or coarse salt

Directions

Stir together yeast, 1 teaspoon brown sugar, and warm water in a large bowl and let stand until foamy, 5 to 8 minutes. (If mixture doesn’t foam, start over with new yeast.) In a separate bowl, stir remaining 2 tablespoons brown sugar into warm milk until dissolved.

Add 2 1/2 cups flour and milk mixture to yeast mixture and stir with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula until a soft dough forms, adding up to 1/2 cup additional flour, a little at a time, if necessary. Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface and gently knead a few times to form a smooth ball. Transfer to a clean bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a draft-free place at warm room temperature until doubled and bubbles appear on surface, about 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 400°F with rack in upper and lower thirds. Line two 4-sided sheet pans with parchment paper.

Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface and cut into 4 equal pieces. Lightly dust your hands with flour, then gently roll and stretch 1 piece of dough to form a 12-inch-long rope. Flatten dough and arrange so a long side is nearest you, then roll out to a roughly 12- by 4-inch rectangle with a lightly floured rolling pin. Gently press one fourth of ham and cheese into lower third of rectangle, leaving a 1/2-inch border along bottom edge. Stretch bottom edge of dough up over filling and press tightly to seal, then roll up as tightly as possible to form a rope. Cut rope into 12 pieces and transfer to a sheet pan. Make 3 more ropes with remaining dough, ham, and cheese and cut into pieces, transferring to sheet pans. Let rest at room temperature, uncovered, 30 minutes (dough will rise slightly).

Bring water (6 cups) to a boil in a 4-to 5-quart saucepan. Reduce heat and stir in baking soda. Cook pretzel bites in batches in gently simmering water, turning once, until slightly puffed, about 20 seconds. Transfer with a slotted spoon to sheet pans.

Bake until puffed and golden-brown, about 15 minutes (cheese may ooze slightly).

Meanwhile, stir together mustard and honey.

Brush warm pretzel bites with butter and sprinkle with pretzel salt. Serve warm or at room temperature with honey mustard for dipping.

Oktoberfest

Hosts: John and Monique

Appetizers

Bratwurst Bites

Soft Ham and Gruyere Pretzel Bites with Assorted Dipping Sauces

–   Assignment: Dale and Jean

–   Assignment: Mark and Dorte

Salad

Romaine Salad with Pickled Cucumbers and Red Cabbage

–   Assignment: Doug and Peggy

Main Dish

Hasenpfeffer (Peppery Rabbit Stew)

Onion and Bacon Tarts

German Style Fried Potatoes

Sugared Carrots

–   Assignment: Doug and Peggy

–   Assignment: Mark and Dorte

Dessert

Chocolate Stout Cake with Chocolate Frosting

Stout Ice Cream Floats

–   Assignment: Dale and Jean