Double-blueberry lemon beer bread

 

I mostly failed in writing about or recording my recipes, projects, and experiments for 2021, but that doesn't mean I can't start again fresh in 2022, right?  

So this is what I made on Saturday to bring to my parents' house as a treat...

I've been working on what is essentially a double-blueberry beer bread--a quick-style beer bread made with both blueberry beer and fresh blueberries--for a while now.  I've entered two versions in the State Fair (no ribbons for it so far!), but this newest version is the best yet, I think.  The dough is a beautiful light lavender color, though that color largely bakes out.  Ane the addition of the extra lemon ingredients make the finishing taste a nice citrus one.       

Ingredients:

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 4 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• +/- 1/4 tsp dried grated lemon peel 
• 1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar (this time I used dark brown sugar)
• 12 oz. blueberry beer (I used Grain Belt Blu blueberry lager)
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4  teaspoon lemon extract
• 2 Tablespoons lemon juice
• 3 Tablespoons melted butter
• 1 cup whole, fresh blueberries with 1 Tablespoon flour stirred into them
• Finely granulated white sugar to sprinkle on top of the loaf 

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375°F 
2. Lightly spray 9 x 5 inch loaf pan with non-stick spray
3. Whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, brown sugar, and lemon peel
   
   
   
   
   
4. Lightly whisk together vanilla, lemon juice, lemon extract, melted butter, and beer in a measuring cup
   
   
   
   
   
5. Pour liquids into dry ingredients and stir until well mixed
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
6. Fold in blueberries
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
7. Put mixture in pan, smooth top, and sprinkle top with granulated sugar
   
   
   
   
   
8. Bake 45 to 50 minutes, until lightly browned and middle is set

Crescent Roll "Pretzels"

The first food experiment of 2021 was a moderate success!  These have been on my to-try list for a while, so with the leftovers from New Years Eve, now was the perfect time.  They weren't actually pretzels, but they were distinctly pretzel-y crescent rolls, with a salty crust and a soft interior.  

Ingredients:

• 5 cups water
• 2 Tbsp. baking soda
• 1 egg 
• 1 Tbsp. water
• 1 can Pillsbury™ refrigerated crescent rolls
• sesame seeds
• kosher/pretzel salt 

Directions:

1. Prep
• Heat oven to 400°F. Spray foil on cookie sheet with cooking spray.
• Heat 5 cups water and baking soda over high heat, until boiling.  
• In a small bowl, beat egg and 1 tablespoon water with fork.
2. Roll Dough
• Unroll dough onto work surface and separate into the triangles. 
• Starting at shortest side of each triangle and stretching dough slightly, roll up to the opposite point.
• Bring ends of dough together into a ring shape.  
  
3. Boil Dough
• Place 2 rolls at a time into the boiling water mixture.  
• Cook 30 seconds. 
  
• Remove with a slotted spoon and place on a paper towel (they will be gooey!)
• Repeat with remaining rolls. 
  
4. Put on the Cookie Sheet
• Move dough to cookie sheet, spread out. 
• Reshape them if they need it.
•  Brush tops with egg mixture and then sprinkle each with sesame seeds and salt.
  
5. Bake
• Bake 11 to 13 minutes or until deep golden brown. 
• Immediately remove from foil/cookie sheet.