User blog:LexiLexi/Beer: The Secret Ingredient for the Best Baked Goods



Most of us probably associate beer with our favorite pubs, bar snacks, and perhaps dancing or bar games. We probably don't associate beer with baked goods. But recently, bakers have started using beer to create intensely flavorful baked cookies and cupcakes.

Cougar Mountain Baking Co., in Seattle, Washington, has started using craft beer from local brewery Pike Brewing Co., to create what they call "Double Chocolate XXXXX Stout Cookies", a seasonal flavored cookie available only in October, and originally inspired by a request for an Oktoberfest cookie.

Tee & Cakes Bakery, in Boulder, Colorado, has also caught onto the beer and baked goods trend. Kim Boos, pastry chef and owner, has started using beer in two varieties of her cupcakes.

Beer is difficult to bake with, however. Chefs who use beer for baked goods recommend reducing the beer first and using it as a substitution for other liquids in the recipe, which avoids the issue of a runny batter from too much beer.

So, if you're looking to impress your friends (or even just impress yourself) with a delicious batch of beer cookies or cupcakes, take the advice from the trailblazers in the beer baking industry. Experiment with a wide variety of flavors of beers, and don't drink all the beer before you start cooking!

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