Tag Archives: desserts

Biere de Miel Pancakes with Apples

Published in Cooking with Beer, Featured Belgian beer on April 19, 2012

In Dutch, these pancakes go by the name “boerpannekoeken met bier en appelkes,” while in French, they are called “crepes campagnards a la biere et aux pommes.” In either language, these pancakes are delicious. Pancakes are a peasant favorite in Belgium and taste great when prepared with Bière de Miel. The addition of sweet, caramelized apples makes them truly irresistible.

For a genuine “Belgian” touch, spread these lovely pancakes with Poiret, a thick syrup made with pears and apples.

This recipe was developed by Ruth Van Waerebeek, our friend and author of “Everybody Eats Well in Belgium.”

Ingredients (yield: 16-20 pancakes)
For the pancakes:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional)
3 large egg yolks
2 1/2 to 3 cups Bière de Miel
2 tablespoons butter, melted
3 large egg whites, beaten to soft peaks
4 tablespoons of butter, softened at room temperature, for baking

For the apples:
4 firm apples, peeled, cored, and thinly sliced.
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons sugar

In a large mixing bowl, sift the flour with the salt, sugar and cinnamon (if used). Make a well in the center. Add the yolks and half of the beer in a steady stream and whisk, gradually drawing in the flour. Add the butter and enough beer to obtain a smooth batter with the consistency of heavy cream. Carefully fold in the egg whites. Cover the bowl and let stand for 30 minutes.

In the meantime, prepare the caramelized apples. Heat the butter in a large skillet and fry the apple slices, in batches, over high heat until lightly browned. Turn the apple slices, sprinkle with sugar and caramelize. Reserve.

Place an 8- or 9- inch skillet over medium heat and brush with butter. If the batter is too thick, thin with a little more beer. Pour a small ladle of batter into the pan, tilt the pan as to cover its entire surface. Quickly arrange 4 to 5 slices of apple on top (before the batter sets), and bake until lightly browned on the bottom. Turn the pancake with a spatula and brown the other side.

Stack the cooked pancakes on a warm plate and serve as soon as possible (or keep warm in a preheated oven). Sprinkle the pancakes with powdered sugar, or serve with Poiret, a typical apple and pear syrup.

Note: these delicious pancakes are just as appreciated when served plain, without the apples. Try them with breakfast sausages or crisp bacon.

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Smoutebollen with Scaldis – from Ruth Van Waerebeek

Published in Cooking with Beer on April 28, 2011

Recipe Credit: This recipe was developed by Ruth Van Waerebeek, our friend and author of Everybody Eats Well in Belgium. Ruth and I have collaborated on a manuscript on cooking with Belgian beer. One of these days we will get around to publishing it! Here is Ruth’s intro to the delectable doughnuts.

If we have to believe our bards, troubadours and poets, Belgium is “the land of milk and honey”. Easy to accept if you happen to visit one of our popular, traditional street fairs, we call “de kermis”. For most of us, the main attraction always seems to be the ornate and colorful wagon where an imposing pastry chef creates magic in order to satisfy my countrymen’s irrepressible penchant for sweets. Crusty, tarts, pancakes, caramel coated apples but above all the enticing smoutebollen or apple beignets are the all-time favorites.

These crispy, mouth-watering, beer-scented fritters, generously sprinkled with confectioners sugar, are easy to reproduce at home. The secret lies in the use of a flavorful beer. The potent, brandy-like Scaldis brewed by Brasserie Dubuisson Freres would be my first choice. I love to serve Smoutebollen for dessert, especially the fruit filled ones, but they also are great for breakfast, perfect for an afternoon-tea and irresistible as a late night snack.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup milk
1 package active dry yeast
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar
1 large egg
3/4 cup Scaldis
2 tablespoons butter, melted
2 egg whites, beaten to soft peaks
Vegetable oil for deep frying
Confectioner’s sugar for dusting

Yield: 4 to 6 servings

In a small saucepan warm the milk to lukewarm. Sprinkle the dry yeast over the milk and set aside until dissolved.

Sift the flour and salt into a large bowl. Make a well in the center and add the sugar to it, the whole egg, the milk-and yeast mixture and 1/2 of the Scaldis. Using a wooden spoon, stir, gradually drawing in the flour, until you have a smooth paste. Stir in the remaining beer and the melted butter. Gently fold the beaten egg whites into the batter. Cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel and let the batter rise in a warm spot for about one hour.

Heat the oil to 375 degrees F in a pot suitable for deep-frying. Drop large spoonfuls, the size of a walnut, of batter into the hot oil. Cook the fritters for a few minutes until they are golden brown. Keep them warm in a bowl or baking sheet lined with paper towels in a preheated oven while frying the rest. Sprinkle the fritters generously with confectioner’s sugar and serve at once.

For an equally delicious variation:
Peel, core, and slice firm, tart apples or pineapples, cut firm pears or peaches in wedges and/or slice bananas diagonally in 1-inch pieces. Dip the fruit into the batter until evenly coated and fry as directed above. A fabulous dessert!

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Scaldis Cheddar Cheese Cake

Published in Cooking with Beer on April 28, 2011

Recipe Credit: From the 1819 House in Hartwick, NY

Ingredients:

Crust:
1 cup sifted flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 egg yolk
1/4 teaspoon vanilla

Filling:
2 lbs cream cheese
1 c cheddar cheese, finely grated
1 3/4 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon lemon rind
1/2 teaspoon orange rind
4 eggs
2 egg yolks
1/4 cup Scaldis
1/4 cup heavy cream

Optional: fresh fruit slices, for serving

Crust:
Preheat oven to 500 degrees F.

To prepare the crust, mix the flour, sugar and lemon rind, then cream with the butter. Add the egg yolk and vanilla to the mixture. Stir until a soft dough is formed.

Press one third of the dough onto the bottom of an 8″ springform pan. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned. Watch carefully, as it burns quickly. Let cool. Press the remaining dough around the sides of the pan, coming within 1″ of the top.

Filling:
Beat the cream cheese until light and fluffy. Beat in the cheddar cheese until well blended. Add the sugar, vanilla and lemon and orange rinds. Beat until smooth. Add the eggs and yolks, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in beer and heavy cream.

Pour into prepared crust. Return to 500 degrees F oven and bake for 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned. Reduce the oven temperature to 250 degrees F. Bake for 1 to 1 1/2 hours or until a tester inserted in the center comes out fairly clean. Cool to room temperature.

Serve warm or chilled. This unusual cheesecake goes well with fresh fruit slices.

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