Beer is Delicious: Stout and Pretzel Truffles

I believe we discussed the similarities between stout and dark chocolate not too long ago? 

I was in St. Louis at the Schlafly Tap Room two weeks ago and I happened to meet the beer soulmate of dark chocolate: Raspberry Coffee Stout. It has the richness of stout, the bitterness of good coffee and the sweet fruity aroma of raspberries to finish. Needless to say, I love it. 

So this past weekend my new favorite stout got together with some 75% dark Olive & Sinclair chocolate and made truffle babies. It was a beautiful, beautiful thing, as you can see.  

Beer and Pretzel Truffles:

(based on this recipe from Honest Cooking)

3 bars (just under 9oz) Olive & Sinclair dark chocolate

1/2 cup heavy cream

2t coffee flavoring or raspberry flavoring (available at Whole Foods)

3T stout 

3/4 cup salted pretzels, crushed (or cocoa powder) 

Warm cream in pot over medium low. Add chopped chocolate and coffee flavoring and whisk to combine. Remove from heat and add stout. Whisk until the mixture looks like very thick ganache. Place in the fridge in a shallow dish for about three hours or until firm. Scoop into 1/2t balls and roll in crushed pretzels or cocoa powder. 

*Serve IMMEDIATELY if rolling truffles in pretzels. The pretzels WILL go stale in the fridge no matter how well you cover them. 

*Can't find this very special Schlafly beer? Try a milk stout. 

Beer is Delicious: Chocolate Stout Sorbet

Stout and chocolate have so very much in common. For starters, I love them both dearly. They are thick, smooth, creamy, nutty and, if you're dealing with the good stuff, bittersweet. When combined they make an intensely deep and rich flavor.

For the last few weeks I haven't been able to get enough frozen treats. The weather has been hovering around 100 degrees every day and I'm certain I get sunburned just by looking out the window. Yesterday I made chocolate stout sorbet and we ate it just as the sun was going down. I put the first bite in my mouth and breathed a sigh of relief; for the first time in ages, I was cold!

The best part about chocolate stout sorbet is it's simplicity. It has only three ingredients: chocolate syrup, espresso, and stout. I used Rogue Chocolate Stout for extra chocolaty goodness.

The sorbet comes out looking like frozen brownie batter. It is not overly sweet, so I topped it with a light drizzle of sweetened condensed milk. 

Chocolate Stout Sorbet:

-serves four

1 1/4 cups chocolate stout 

1 1/2 cups of your favorite chocolate syrup 

1 shot espresso 

Make sure all ingredients are VERY cold. Whisk to combine. Follow manufacturer instructions for your ice cream machine. Let sorbet set in freezer for at least eight hours before serving.