Beer can add flavor and color, and can also be used as a raising agent. Try these five desserts that use this carbonated beverage as an integral ingredient.
Beer, made from water, hops, malt, and yeast, can be an excellent addition to both savory and sweet dishes. Depending on the type of beer used, it can add a new dimension of taste and complexity to your desserts. Because beer is carbonated, the fizz can enhance the suppleness and give more moisture to your cakes and bakes. The cooking process often leads to the caramelization of the sugars present in the drink, which will give your desserts a lovely deep golden or brown color. The drink is so versatile that you can even incorporate it into ice creams, sorbets, frostings, and glazes.
Lemon Shandy Cupcakes
Ingredients:
Cupcakes:
- 1 box of vanilla flavor cake mix
- 1 cup of your favorite wheat beer
- ½ cup of vegetable oil
- 3 eggs
- 2 tsp of lemon zest
Frosting:
- ½ cup softened cream cheese
- ½ cup softened butter
- A pinch of salt
- 2 tbsp of wheat beer
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 5 cups powdered sugar
Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and line your muffin tray with 24 liners or divide the batter into 12 liners each.
- Follow the box mix instructions; incorporate oil, eggs, wheat beer, and lemon zest.
- Fill the muffin liners halfway and bake for 20 minutes.
- For the frosting, beat together cream cheese, butter, salt, beer, zest, juice, and sugar. Use a piping bag or spatula to frost the cupcakes.
Beer Ice Cream Float
Ingredients:
- 2-3 scoops of coffee-flavored ice cream (vanilla also works)
- 1 pint of your favorite stout
Instructions:
- Take a tall beer glass and scoop the ice cream into it.
- Slowly pour the stout into the glass.
- Add a straw or enjoy your dessert drink slowly.
Beeramisu
Ingredients:
- 1 cup mascarpone
- 1 ½ cups of your favorite stout
- ½ cup of cream
- 4 tbsp icing sugar
- 16 ladyfinger biscuits
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Cocoa powder and grated chocolate for garnish
Instructions:
- Mix the mascarpone with vanilla and ⅓ cup of beer. Fold in the icing sugar.
- Pour the remaining beer into a cup and soak all your biscuits in it.
- Arrange the soaked biscuits in a glass dish.
- Spoon the mascarpone and beer mix on top of them.
- Refrigerate overnight. Then, decorate with cocoa powder and grated chocolate.
Chocolate Glazed Beer Doughnut Balls
Ingredients:
Doughnut Balls:
- 1 egg
- ¼ cup of milk (dairy or non-dairy)
- ½ cup dark stout
- ¼ cup of melted butter
- 2 ¼ cups of refined flour
- 1 tbsp of baking powder
- ⅓ cup of sugar
- Vegetable oil for frying
Chocolate glaze:
- 1 cup of melted chocolate
- 6 tbsp butter
Instructions:
Doughnut Balls
- Combine the dry ingredients with the wet ones in a large mixing bowl. Try not to overmix otherwise you will get tough doughnuts.
- Leave the dough to rest for a few minutes as you heat the oil in a kadai or a deep dish.
- Once the oil has heated, take a big enough spoonful of the dough and gently drop into oil.
- Cook for about 2-3 minutes or until your doughnuts are golden brown.
- Remove the doughnuts and place them on a paper towel lined plate to soak the excess oil.
Glaze:
- Mix the melted chocolate with the butter.
- Wait for the doughnuts to cool a little and then dip them in the glaze.
- If you don’t want to go through the effort of making a glaze, roll the doughnuts in a mixture of cinnamon and sugar.
Beer-battered Apple Fritters
Ingredients:
- 3 large peeled and cored apples sliced into rings
- 1 egg white
- 1 cup of slightly flat beer of choice (light beer works well here)
- 1 cup of refined flour
- A pinch of salt
- ¼ cup of powdered sugar
- 1-2 tsp of cinnamon powder
Instructions:
- Place a deep, heavy bottomed vessel on the stove and pour about two cupfuls of vegetable oil in it.
- As the oil heats, make a batter with frothed egg white, beer, refined flour, salt and cinnamon.
- Take the apple rings and dip them in just enough batter.
- Fry the beer-battered rings in batches and place them on a paper towel to soak any excess oil.
- Take the icing sugar and put a teaspoon or more of cinnamon powder in it. Dust the warm apple fritters with this mix.
- You can also have them with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.