National Dessert Month (October) is upon us, and today is National Dessert Day! Let’s Grab a Beer has enlisted renowned pastry chef Melanie Diamond-Manlusoc of Michelin-starred Italian restaurant, Spiaggia in Chicago, to create some delicious fall dessert recipes you won’t find anywhere else.
Each recipe was carefully crafted with beer pairings in mind and then suggested pairings were made by our beer expert Marc Stroobandt once complete. See below for links to the full recipes, professional photos and beer pairing notes!
1) Cinnamon Pretzel Twists
a. Suggested Pairing: Doppelbock like Spaten Optimator
b. Tasting Notes: A traditional, dark, German-style Doppelbock beer brings together the sweetness of the sugar and cinnamon as well as the chocolate, icing sugar and fruit dipping sauce flavors of the pretzels while the full-flavored, dark roasted, nutty and chocolate malt notes match the pretzels themselves.
RECIPE
| Pretzel Dough 1 pkg active dry yeast 1 c warm water 2 T sugar |
Mix first 3 ingredients together and set aside until foamy |
| 2 T light brown sugar 1 T canola oil |
Place yeast mixture, light brown sugar, oil, and dry ingredients in a stand mixer |
| 1 tsp salt 1½ c bread flour 1 c all purpose flour 1 T ground flax seed (optional) |
Using dough hook, mix until dough is smooth and elastic Spray a large, clean bowl with pan spray Place dough in bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and put in refrigerator overnight The next day, put dough a floured counter Divide dough into golf ball sized pieces Roll each piece into a 2ft long rope (first roll dough on the table into a 6” rope, let rest, hold each end of the rope andshake dough up and down until it stretches to 2ft long) Fold each rope in half and twist Place pretzels onto a parchment lined sheet pan |
| Soaking Water 3 c hot water ¼ c baking soda |
Whisk hot water and baking soda together in a bowl Dip each pretzel in water mixture for a couple of seconds Shake off excess water and place on a parchment lined sheet pan Bake in a 350 degree oven for 8 min or until golden brown Brush hot pretzels completely with melted butter Let pretzels sit for 2 minutes |
| Cinnamon Sugar 1 c sugar 2 T ground cinnamon ¼ tsp salt |
Roll pretzels in cinnamon sugar |
| Citrus Cream Cheese Sauce 4 oz cream cheese, room temp 2 T butter, room temp 1 c powdered sugar ½ tsp vanilla extract ¼ tsp salt 2 T heavy cream zest from 1 lemon |
Whisk all ingredients together until smooth |
| Smoky Chocolate Sauce ¼ c light corn syrup 4 oz water ¼ c sugar ½ c cocoa powder ¼ tsp salt ½ tsp ancho chili powder ⅛ c dark chocolate |
Put first 6 ingredients into a pot and bring to a boil Remove from heat Whisk chocolate into pot until chocolate is melted Strain chocolate sauce and cool completely |
| Spiced Cranberry Sauce 6 oz cranberries zest of ½ an orange zest of ½ a lemon ¾ c sugar 1 ½ c water 1 ½ cinnamon sticks pinch of salt |
Put all ingredients into a pot Cook at medium heat until cranberries have popped Remove cinnamon sticks Immersion blend Let cool completely |
2) “Pump-Can Cake”– a Pecan pie baked inside of a pumpkin cake
a. Suggested Pairing: Belgian-style Pumpkin-flavored white beer like Shocktop Pumpkin Wheat
b. Tasting Notes: A Belgian-style, pumpkin-flavored white beer not only brings similar flavors to this unique pumpkin dessert, but also will cut through the richness and add zesty, citrus flavors to lighten this dish allowing all the flavors and its unique seasoning to shine.
RECIPE
| Pie Crust 1¼c all purpose flour 2 tsp sugar ⅛ tsp salt ½ c butter, cubed and frozen1 large egg |
Pulse first 4 ingredients together in food processor until it resembles cornmeal with pea-sized chunks of butter Add egg and process until dough forms into a ball Wrap dough in plastic wrap and press into ½” thick disc Put dough in the refrigerator for 1 hour Roll dough out into a 12” circle approximately ⅛” thick Put into an 8” cake pan, trimming dough, leave 1” overhang Tuck overhanging dough underneath itself to form a thick crust Freeze pie crust for 30 minute Cover pie crust with foil and fill with beans or pie weights Bake in a 400 degree F oven for 20 minutes or until crust is set (start cooking pecan pie filling while the crust is baking) Remove foil and beans/pie weights Cook until crust is light brown and remove from the oven Turn oven down to 350 degrees |
| Pecan Pie Filling ¾ c light corn syrup 5 T unsalted butter 1 c light brown sugar, lightly packed ½ tsp salt2 c whole toasted pecans 3 T bourbon 2.5 tsp vanilla paste3 large eggs, beaten |
Bring first 4 ingredients to a boil for 1 minuteRemove pot from heat and add next 3 ingredients Let cool for 5 minutesWhisk eggs into pie mixture Put pie shell on a sheet pan and pour pie filling into shell Bake for 45 minutes or until edges are set and center is still slightly loose Cool pie completely |
| Spiced Pumpkin Cake 6 large eggs 16 oz canned pumpkin puree ¾ c canola oil 1 tsp vanilla paste 1 c sugar 1 c light brown sugar, lightly packed2 c all purpose flour 2 tsp baking powder 1 tsp baking soda 1 tsp salt 2 tsp ground cinnamon 1 tsp ground ginger 1 tsp ground nutmeg |
Whisk first 6 ingredients together Sift remaining ingredients together and whisk into wet ingredients Spray a 10” spring form pan with pan spray Place a round of parchment in bottom of the pan Pour batter into pan 1” thick Put pecan pie in pan, making sure that it is centered Pour remaining batter in pan over and round pie Place pan on a sheet tray and place in 350 degree oven Bake for 60-75 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean (don’t stab through the pie) Let cool for 5 minutes in the pan Remove cake from pan and place on cooling rack Let cake cool completely before frosting |
| Cream Cheese Frosting 9oz cream cheese, room temp 4 ½ T butter, room temp ¾ tsp vanilla paste 3 c powdered sugar, sifted ¼ tsp salt |
Whisk all ingredients together until smooth Only frost cake when it is completely cool |
3) Dark Chocolate Cremoso
a. Suggested Pairing: Belgian Dark Ale like Leffe Brune
b. Tasting Notes: A Belgian-style Dark Brown Ale is perfect to bring out the best of this intense and luscious chocolate dessert taking away the sharper edges and bringing out the creamy cocoa; creating a real, multifaceted sensory experience.
RECIPE
| Cremoso 500g milk 50g heavy cream 3g agar agar 3.5g sheet gelatin (silver) 400g Felchlin Maracaibo 65% dark chocolate 150g heavy cream, medium peak |
Fluid gel with milk through gelatin Pour milk mixture over chocolate like making ganache, whisk until incorporated Whisk in medium peak cream Cool completely on ice bath until cremoso is set |
| Puffed Rice | Cook rice in pot or rice cooker Rinse rice in a sieve under cold water to remove extra starch Spread rice in a thin layer on a silpat or teflon sheet Dehydrate in dehydrator (or leave out, uncovered for 2 days) until dry to the touch Put dried rice in a metal bowl or cambro and break apart clumps with the end of a rolling pin Put a small amount in a metal sieve and fry in small batches at 400 degrees (rice should sink and then violently puff to the surface) Let excess oil drain on paper towels Season warm puffed rice with salt Let cool |
| White truffle infused acacia honey | |
| Maldon salt | |
| Edible Flowers | |
| Shaved white truffles |
