I’ve been working to prefect the very simple recipe for Beer Bread. It’s taken a few tries, but this seems to be the favorite. Keep in mind the key ingredient in Beer Bread is the beer. Look for something full bodied. I’ve tried a few wheat beers that seem to compliment this recipe very nicely. The addition of melted butter gives the crust a very crusty buttery texture.

Ingredients:

3 Cups of unbleached flour
3 Teaspoons of baking powder
3/4 Teaspoon of salt (I prefer fine ground sea salt)
1/4 Cup sugar
12 Ounces beer
4 Tablesspoons melted butter

Pre-heat your oven to 375 degrees F. Prepare the bread loaf pan by pouring about 1 tablespoon of the melted butter into it. Mix the dry ingredients in a bowl by hand, then slowly pour the beer into the mixture. Carefully mix by hand, but don’t overdo it. Put the batter into the pan and bake in the oven for 40 minutes. After 40 minutes, pour the remaining melted butter over the bread and continue baking for an additional 20 minutes. Total baking time is around 60 minutes.

Enjoy!

Going to Starbucks everyday is out of the question for a couple reasons, one we don’t have one that is convenient to where we live, two the calories and three the cost. Hence the name “Poor Man’s Mocha” – the name came from my husband. My favorite flavor – peppermint – doesn’t come in a lower calorie version at Starbucks, so I started working on my own version.

Begin by brewing 16 ounces of your favorite coffee. It can be a flavored coffee if you like. Next you will need:

• 1 packet of diet hot cocoa mix
• 1 tablespoon Torani Sugar Free Chocolate Syrup
• 3 tablespoons Torani Sugar Free of your favorite syrup flavor

I first put the cocoa mix in my travel mug. Next I heat up the syrup mixture in a microwave proof container for about 25 seconds. I discovered if you heat the syrup mixture before adding it to the mug, it keeps from cooling the coffee down too much. Now add the warmed syrup to your mug, followed by your freshly brewed hot coffee. Stir until well mixed and enjoy.

I search the world over and found that Barista Pro Shop has not only the best prices for the flavoring syrups but it has great shipping rates too.

I have a weakness for hot gooey cinnamon and sugar. I prefer to use dark brown sugar for just that reason. This is one of those recipes that you can tweak and adjust to your own personal tastes.

½ cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon cinnamon
3 (7.5-oz.) cans Pillsbury Refrigerated Buttermilk Biscuits
1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
¾ cup margarine, melted

Heat oven to 350ºF. Lightly grease 12-cup fluted tube pan. Mix sugar and cinnamon in large bowl with lid.

Separate dough into 30 biscuits; tear into quarters and roll into balls. Drop the balls into the bowl – cover and shake each time after you add 5 or 6. After all are coated with sugar mixture; arrange in pan.

Mix brown sugar and butter; pour over biscuit balls.

Bake 28 to 32 minutes or until golden brown and no longer doughy in center. Cool in pan 10 minutes. Turn upside down onto serving plate; pull apart to serve.
Serve warm.

12 servings