Skip to main content

Secret Recipe Club (SRC) Reveal: Meet the Swans

Secret Recipe ClubThis being my first month of participating in the Secret Recipe Club, I hope I'm doing everything correctly. What's the Secret Recipe Club, you ask? It's a group organized by Amanda of Amanda's Cookin'. Each month, every participant is assigned to someone else's blog from which they pick a recipe - or two - to make and post, but it's all a secret until the big day. Today's the day. I always love a kitchen challenge and some culinary adventure, but I'm a little bit nervous here.

I was assigned the Meet the Swans blog and immediately got to work perusing the "Kitchen with Krista" section.

So many treats, so little time. From her Easy and Elegant - Double Chocolate Ice Cream Waffle CupCakes to her Pumpkin Pie Snickerdoodle Bars, everything looked delectable.

But being the savory gal that I am, I decided to try my hand at her Beer Bread. I loved the simplicity: three ingredients, or four if you don't have self-rising flour.

Beer Breads
I had initially thought to do a six-pack's worth of breads, but life got busy as it always does. Still I managed to bake two versions of this bread and it was a hit both times.

The first time I tried Krista's beer bread, the only bottle in my fridge was a Wipeout IPA. So I decided on a Wipeout IPA Whole Wheat Bread. It was deliciously simple.

12 oz beer
3 C white whole wheat flour
3 T baking powder
1/3 C organic granulated sugar

In a large bowl mix the dry ingredients. Slowly pour in the beer. Stir to mix. Batter will be very sticky. Pour batter into a buttered loaf pan. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for one hour.
The verdict: success!

We were all amazed at how much flavor from the beer was retained in the bread. The dense bread was crisp on the outside, soft on the inside, and had the distinctive bitter but intensely floral hop aroma of an IPA.


A few days later I wanted a hearty bread to go with my quince ratatouille. I whipped up another version of Krista's beer bread, this time it was a Double Chocolate Stout Rye Bread.

12 oz chocolate stout
3 C dark rye flour
3 T baking powder
1/3 C organic granulated sugar

In a large bowl mix the dry ingredients. Slowly pour in the beer. Stir to mix. Batter will be very sticky. Pour batter into a buttered loaf pan. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for one hour.

Another success. This loaf had the bite of the rye but the sweetness of chocolate and it paired nicely with my slightly tart ratatouille with quince.

Quince Butter
Another of Krista's recipes that caught my eye was her Homemade Apple Butter. As I don't have a crockpot, I looked at a few more apple butter recipes that helped me change proportions for a stovetop version of a fruit butter. I incorporated numerous adjustments based on how I was cooking this and on what I had in my cupboards: first, I didn't have any apples, but I did have some quince from a friend's garden; second, I added liquids; third, I substituted spices to match what I had on-hand.

I suppose it would be more fair to say that Krista's apple butter recipe inspired me to try my hand at making a fruit butter which I have never done. Her recipe was a great launching point and I will certainly be making this again. Maybe next time I'll use apples!

8 large quince, peeled, cored, and diced
1/2 C white balsamic vinegar
1/2 C balsamic vinegar
4 C water
3 C organic granulated sugar
1 T ground cinnamon
1 t ground cloves
1 t ground nutmeg
1 t ground cardamom

Put quince pieces into wide thick-bottomed pot, add all ingredients, cover, bring to a boil, reduce heat to simmer, cook until pieces are soft, about 20 minutes. Remove cover and cook uncovered, stirring constantly to prevent burning and encourage evaporation. Scrape the bottom of the pot while you stir to make sure a crust is not forming at the bottom. Cook until thick and smooth, about one hour.

Spoon the butter into sterilized jars, leaving about a 1/2" gap to the top. Gently tap the bottom of each jar on the counter to release any air bubbles. Using a damp clean towel, wipe the rims of the jars and secure the lids and rings. Process in a water bath for 10-15 minutes. Remove the containers with tongs and let cool on the counter. You’ll hear the sound of can tops popping shortly—a sign that a secure seal has been made. Pop, pop, pop. Or, you can refrigerate the jar without processing and use it within three weeks. Enjoy!

Thanks so much, Krista, for the culinary inspirations. I am so glad to have met the Swans. I'll be stopping back by to make some of your pumpkin-y treats later this month.

xoxox,

Comments

  1. We love beer bread too! Thanks for trying it out and the "apple" butter! It's always fun to see what ideas others have for recipes. I especially love your idea for Chocolate Stout Rye Bread - I want to try this version!!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Yummy beer bread! I have several to try but this sounds the most delicious!

    ReplyDelete
  3. beer bread is awesome - and it's amazing how each loaf is different depending on the beer used! Great choices for the SRC =)

    ReplyDelete
  4. 4 ingredient beer bread? That sounds too easy to be true...can't wait to try it!

    ReplyDelete
  5. I've never tried beer bread. That's a new one for my list! I'm still thinking about the quince butter. You're very creative with all of the changes that you made. Bet it was great!

    ReplyDelete
  6. YUM, what a delicious recipe - especially love the one with chocolate stout! :)

    ReplyDelete
  7. Oh my gosh, do I love a good beer bread! Great SRC choice.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Both breads sound wonderful as does the quince butter and Welcome to the SRC.


    If you haven't already, I'd love for you to check out my SRC recipe this month: Welsh Cakes.

    Lisa~~
    Cook Lisa Cook

    ReplyDelete
  9. I love a good beer bread - I haven't made one in years! Thanks for the inspiration to do it again!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Wow! I love beer bread but have never thought to make it myself. Probably because I had no idea it would be so easy! Now I'm intrigued and determined to make this happen for myself. Thanks for sharing, and it's nice to meet you via SRC. :)

    ReplyDelete
  11. That beer bread looks phenomenal, and making quince jam to spread on it takes it over the top. Amazing choice and beautifully done!

    ReplyDelete
  12. The bread looks really inviting, and there's no waiting involved. I think thats my favorite part of the recipe!

    ReplyDelete
  13. Great recipe picks! That Chocolate Stout Rye Bread looks fabulous, not to mention super-easy to make. I bet it would be perfect with a big pot of spicy chili!

    ReplyDelete
  14. Wow you were so industrious this week! I love that you tried the beer bread with two very different types of beer and it worked out both times. And the quince butter looks just delicious!

    ReplyDelete
  15. Oh my word. You have the cutest blog. I'm drooling over all your recipes.

    Thanx again for dropping a line at my blog and do check out the Taste and Create site for a similiar food challenge.

    ReplyDelete
  16. I haven't made beer bread in a long, long time. I really like your rye version! Looks like Krista kept you busy!

    ReplyDelete
  17. That beer bread sounds really amazing. I had tried making it one but wasn't very impressed with the results. U inspire me to give it a second try.

    ReplyDelete
  18. Hi this is Nicole from Colie’s Kitchen I just discovered your blog and wanted to drop by and say hi. I am now a new follower. I would love to have you stop by Colie’s Kitchen if you get a chance. www.colieskitchen.com

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Meyer Lemon Custard-Filled Matcha Turtles #BreadBakers

#BreadBakers is a group of bread loving bakers who get together once a month to bake bread with a common ingredient or theme. You can see all our of lovely bread by following our  Pinterest board  right here. Links are also updated after each event on the  Bread Bakers home page .  We take turns hosting each month and choosing the theme/ingredient. This month Stacy of Food Lust People Love  is hosting and she wrote: "Your bread can be large, as in one big animal, or small - animal-shaped rolls. Use your imagination! Points for flavor and shape!" If you are a food blogger and would like to join us, just send an email with your blog URL to Stacy at foodlustpeoplelove@gmail.com. Here's the animal-shaped bread basket from the #BreadBakers... Beef and Sweet Onion Dim Sum Pandas from Karen's Kitchen Stories Bird Bread Rolls from Ambrosia Easter Bunny Buns from Cook with Renu Ham and Cheese Elephant Rolls from Food Lust People Love Hedgehog Bread from Making Mir

Connecticut Lobster Rolls, Canned Lobster Bisque, and a 2019 Henry Fessy 'Maître Bonhome' Viré-Clessé #Winophiles

This month the French Winophiles group is looking at affordable wines from Burgundy.  Host Cindy of Grape Experiences wrote: "Burgundy, or Bourgogne, is known for its wines of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir... as well as Aligote, Gamay, Sauvignon, César, Pinot Beurot, Sacy, Melon in lesser quantities. Many of the well-known wines are quite expensive, but there are plenty of values to be found." Read her invitation here. And there won't be a Twitter chat for this event, so you will have to dive into the articles themselves to read about our pairings and findings. Here's the line-up... Wendy Klik from A Day in the Life on the Farm enjoys Domaine Chevillon Chezeaux Bourgogne Hautes Cotes de Nuits, 2018 Paired with a Maple Pecan Chicken . Camilla Mann from Culinary Adventures with Camilla shares her love of Connecticut Lobster Rolls, Canned Lobster Bisque, and a 2019 Henry Fessy 'Maître Bonhome' Viré-Clessé. Jeff Burrows of FoodWineClick! explains why we should Look t

Quick Pickled Red Onions and Radishes

If you've been reading my blog for even a short amount of time, you probably know how much I love to pickle things. I was just telling a friend you can pickle - with vinegar - or you can ferment - with salt - for similar delicious effect. The latter has digestive benefits and I love to do that, but when I need that pop of sour flavor quickly, I whip up quick pickles that are ready in as little as a day or two. I've Pickled Blueberries , Pickled Asparagus , Pickled Cranberries , Pickled Pumpkin , and even Pickled Chard Stems ! This I did last night for an upcoming recipe challenge that requires I include radishes. Ummmm...of course I'm pickling them! Ingredients  makes 1 quart jar radishes, trimmed and sliced organic red onions, peeled and thinly sliced (I used a mandolin slicer) 3/4 C vinegar (I used white distilled vinegar) 3/4 C water 3 T organic granulated sugar 1 T salt (I used some grey sea salt) 6 to 8 grinds of black pepper Proce