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http://beeradvocate.com/
What could be better than chocolate and beer? How
about chocolate and beer mixed together in the ultimate of comfort foods?
Some time ago I became acquainted with Young's
Double Chocolate Stout (also available in Draught) at the fine establishment of
Central Market and have been introducing other folks (mostly women) to it's
amenable charms. Recently, I found a local pub that mixes a drink they call a
Chocolate Truffle by adding Lindeman's Framboise for a sweetness kick, though
they added too much Framboise for my taste. Experimentation in the future is
forthcoming.
I understand there is a Cappucino Stout made by
Lagunitas Brewing Company out of California, but I have yet to find it. (it is
supposed to be seasonal in the Dallas, Texas area)
http://community.livejournal.com/food_porn/940683.html#cutid1
Credit to clockworktomato
Young's Double Chocolate Stout Cake
I adapted this from the Guinness Chocolate Cake that was posted recently. I
thought the Guinness cake sounded wonderful, but since it was a chocolate cake,
I thought...why not use a chocolate stout, instead? The trifle was born when, as
is my nature, I just couldn't let that one adaptation be enough, and I decided
that I had to throw in some sort of raspberry sauce made with Lindeman's
Framboise, my favorite Lambic ale as of late. Since I wasn't sure how easily the
cake could be sliced into two layers, I decided to go for the trifle, though for
anyone who might wish to make this into a layer cake, it is so dense and compact
that it slices very easily with a bread knife, so it could be quite easily
turned into a lovely layer cake.
Ingredients
1 c. Young's Double Chocolate Stout
1 stick + 2 T. unsalted butter
3/4 c. unsweetened cocoa
2 c. sugar
3/4 c. sour cream
2 eggs
1 T. vanilla
2 c. all-purpose flour, sifted
2 + 1/2 t. baking soda
Method
Heat butter with beer until melted in large saucepan. Remove from heat and whisk
in cocoa and sugar. In a separate bowl, beat together sour cream, eggs, and
vanilla. Temper egg mixture with some of the warm cocoa mixture, then combine
the egg mixture and the cocoa mixture in a large mixing bowl. Gradually add in
flour and baking soda mixture and mix well.
Pour batter into a 9" springform pan that has been greased and dusted with cocoa
powder. Bake for 60 minutes at 350 degrees. Let cool for at least 20 minutes
before removing from springform.
Lindeman's Framboise Coulis
Ingredients
1 c. fresh raspberries
2 c. Lindeman's Framboise Lambic Ale
1/4 c. sugar
1 T cornstarch
2 T cold water
Method
Soak raspberries in 1 c Lindeman's for 1 hour. They should plump up and absorb
about half the liquid. Over medium heat, heat remaining Lindeman's with
raspberries and any unabsorbed Lindeman's until gently boiling. Add sugar while
stirring constantly, then simmer mixture until about half the liquid has cooked
off. In a small bowl, mix cornstarch in cold water until blended, then add this
to the raspberry mixture. Bring the mixture to a boil and let it cook for one
minute, stirring as it thickens. Remove the mixture from the heat and let it
cool and thicken. Strain raspberries with cheesecloth or a food mill (I used a
fine sieve) to remove all seeds.
Kahlua Cream Filling
Ingredients
1 8 oz package Neufchatel cheese (you can use cream cheese or marscapone cheese
for this, as well).
3 T. sugar
2 T. Kahlua coffee-flavored liqueur
Method
With hand mixer or in stand mixer, cream together all ingredients until smooth.
Kahlua Whipped Topping
Ingredients
2 c. heavy whipping cream
2 T. sugar
2 T. Kahlua coffee-flavored liqueur
Method
Combine all ingredients in a chilled stainless steel bowl or in the chilled bowl
of a stand mixer. Whip to stiff peaks with chilled beaters. Be careful not to
overwhip, or you'll end up with Kahlua butter.
Port-Soaked Cherries and Chocolate Topping
Ingredients
1 cup fresh cherries, stemmed and pitted (I used Bing cherries)
2 T. Port (I used Graham's Six Grapes)
2 blocks dark chocolate confectioner's coating
Method
Soak cherries in port overnight. Drain cherries, reserving liquid.
Melt confectioner's coating in double boiler and coat each cherry thoroughly and
let cool on wax paper.
When finished, there should be about 1 T. chocolate remaining in the double
boiler (if not, just use another block, if you wish). Stirring constantly, pour
in enough of the remaining port liquid to make a thin sauce (it took about 2 T.
for the chocolate I had left). Let the sauce cool slightly.
Trifle Assembly
Cut the cake into four quarters and slice each into generous chunks.
Line the bottom of a deep trifle dish with 1/4 of the cake chunks.
Drizzle 1/4 the raspberry coulis over the chunks. You don't want to completely
cover the chunks, just distribute some of the sauce evenly over each chunk.
Add another 1/4 of the cake chunks.
Drizzle 1/4 the raspberry coulis over the chunks.
Add the cream cheese mixture (I added all of the topping at once as I only
made enough for one good, thick layer. You may wish to double the amount of
cream cheese topping and use it for two layers, but I felt that having this one
layer worked out fine (and, well, I didn't want my bowl to overflow). Another
possibility would be to gently fold the cream cheese mixture with the whipped
cream mixture and just have one Kahlua cream mixture; however, I wanted a
distinct "heavy, creamy" layer and, since everything else is so rich and heavy,
a forgiving "light, fluffy" layer, so that's why I didn't combine the two.
Add 1/2 the whipped topping
Add 1/4 the cake chunks
Drizzle with 1/4 the raspberry coulis
Add remaining cake chunks
Drizzle with remaining coulis.
Top with remaining whipped cream.
Scatter cake crumbs over top of whipped cream.
Drizzle chocolate port sauce over top of cake (I used a ziploc bag with the
corner snipped off).
Arrange cherries over top
Chill for at least 12 hours before serving.
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