I Suck at Blogging, but Look! Beer Cheese Dip!

Okay, so the blogging thing hasn't been as consistent as I would like.  I could sit here and say I will attempt to be better, but there just seems to be a time and place for everything.   Will I blog again?  Sure.  Will it end up being weird recipes?  Maybe.  I'll just be here when I have something to say.

Today, I do have something to say: Beer Cheese Dip!

This story starts on Pinterest.  We were scheduled to have a pitch-in at work in for St. Patrick's Day, and in addition to the dessert I was making (Green Velvet Cheesecake Cake...it was good, but needs modification), I wanted to make Beer Bread and a Beer Cheese Dip, which preferably was able to live in a crock pot.  I found an awesome Beer Cheese Bread recipe, which worked out great.  I actually doubled it and made three smaller loaves.  The only caveat is that I had to cook it a lot longer than advertised - like almost twice as long.  I was afraid the cheese would be rock hard, but it turned out well, though I did lay foil on top of it about half way through.

Anyway, Pinterest and Google were not helping me with a dip recipe.  I would either find one that was way too convoluted or beer cheese soup.  So, I kind of took the little of this, little of that approach, and what I came up with was damn well amazing.  The office raved about it, and I decided to write it down, post it here, and then pin it to Pinterest for posterity.

I will say this recipe uses a small block of Velveeta, and I know that might make some turn their noses up.  Frankly, I don't care.  I know it is a processed "cheese" product, so about as far away from "all natural" or "organic" as you're going to get, but when it comes to making creamy sauces, it and it's bastard brother, Cheez Wiz, actually brings a lot to the table.  I've made Mac & Cheese that contained a couple dollops of Cheez Wiz, which have brought foodies to their knees.  In the end, this isn't haute cuisine.  It's a dip with beer in it. 

Beer Cheese Dip

¼ cup butter
1 White Onion chopped (I purchased 6 oz pre-chopped to saved time and tears)
4 tablespoons flour
12oz Beer (I used Killian’s Irish Red)
2 tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
2 cloves garlic
½ Heavy Cream
16oz block of Velveeta; cut into cubes
8oz package of cream cheese; cut into cubes
16oz package of Cheddar Blend shredded cheese

For Taste:
Cayenne Pepper
White Pepper
Salt

Melt butter in a saucepan and add in chopped onions.  Saute until the onion is translucent, approximately 4-5 minutes.  Add in the flour and stir to coat the onions.  Cook for a few minutes to create the roux, and then slowly add in the beer.  Bring to a boil while stirring, and then whisk until the mixture has thickened.   Add in the garlic and heaving cream; stir to blend.  Begin adding in the Velveeta and cream cheese; stirring until the cheese completely melts.  Add in the “For Taste” ingredients to your desired flavor, keeping in mind the Cayenne can create quite the kick, which can get hotter over time.

At this point, all the dip to cool, and then place into a container to refrigerate overnight.  This allows the flavors to come together.   The next day, layer the dip into a small crock pot starting with a layer of dip and following with a layer of shredded cheese.  Do this until you reach the top.  Heat in the crock pot until you are ready to serve, making sure to stir it before you do so that all of the melted cheese gets mixed throughout the dip.  Moderate the heat so that it does not burn.

This made a bit over 1 quart of dip.

Black Forest Torte

I love to bake.  People who are friends with me on Facebook gain weight from the pictures I post.   One of the reasons I got back into blogging is that I have become a bit of a recipe whore on Pinterest, and since I modify a lot of recipes I need the ability to link them back to my master boards.   So, bear with me on some of these.  ;-)

Anyway, one of my favorite recipes is the Double Chocolate Torte from Epicurious.  It was one of the first truly extravagant desserts I have ever made, and it is pretty complicated, which is part of the reason why I like it.  I'm not easily intimidated in the kitchen, sometimes preferring the needlessly complex over the Sandra Lee shortcuts.  I'm also a bit of a daredevil when it comes to baking, which you hear time and again is about precise measurements.  While I do tend to keep on track when it comes to the building block ingredients, when it comes to flavors and additions like vanilla or chocolate, I just slosh it in without abandon. I LOVE vanilla, and if a recipe calls for a cup of chocolate, why not 12 oz, since that is the amount in a bag?  I rarely have major problems, and people love the stuff I make.

Anyway, as I am prone to do, I like to change my recipes.  While I have kept the Double Chocolate Torte pretty standard, I decided this time around to go a different route.   The first reason is that the recipe calls for raspberries, which are exceedingly expensive this time of year.  Another reason to change is more of a problem I've always had with the recipe, that there isn't really a clear delineation between the cake and mouse layer.  So, I went about thinking how I could address this, and the Black Forest Torte was born!  The essence of of the recipe is still the same, but I've added in a white chocolate ganache between the layers, as well as some cherries.  Then I topped the whole thing with cherry pie filling.   If I were feeling adventurous, I would make my own cherry pie filling, but it was too easy to pass up.  Plus, it tasted SO good.

(Obviously, I'm not a food photographer)

*For this recipe, I used Ghiradelli chocolate chips.  I try not to skimp on chocolate for the friends and family, and I do understand that chips are not as good as bars for baking.  However, as complicated as I like recipes, I do like to simplify when possible, and chips just make so much more sense for a number of reasons.

Black Forest Torte

Cake Layer:
•    1 bag 60% Cocoa chocolate chips
•    1 cup unsalted butter
•    1 cup sugar
•    5 large eggs
•    1 tablespoon vanilla extract
•    1/4 teaspoon salt
•    1/4 cup all purpose flour
White Chocolate Ganache Layer:
•    1 Bag White Chocolate Chips
•    1 cup whipping cream
•    1 can of cherries – drained and patted dry

Mousse Layer:
•    ½  cup unsalted butter, cut into pieces
•    4 large eggs, separated
•    ¼  cup whipping cream
•    1 tablespoon vanilla extract
•    1 bag semisweet chocolate chips
•    1/2 cup
Topping:
•    ¾ cup of whipping cream
•    1 can of cherry pie filling

For cake:
Preheat oven to 325°F. Butter 9-inch-diameter spring-form pan; dust with sugar. Melt chocolate and butter in heavy large saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly. Cool to lukewarm. Whisk in sugar. Whisk in eggs 1 at a time, blending well after each addition. Mix in vanilla and salt, then flour. Pour batter into pan. Bake until cake just rises in center (tester inserted into center will not come out clean), about 35 minutes. Cool completely in pan on rack. Cover; chill while making mousse. 

For white chocolate ganache:

Bring the whipping cream slowly to a boil, and then pour over the whipped cream.  Allow it to cool and thicken, or if you are in a hurry, put it in the fridge or freezer.  Then whip it in the mixer until light and fluffy.  Spread over the top of the cake layer, and then place the drained and dried cherries on top of it.  Cover; chill while making mousse.

For mousse:
Melt butter in medium metal bowl set over saucepan of simmering water (do not allow bottom of bowl to touch water) – a double boiler will work, just make sure it is big enough. Whisk yolks, 1/4 cup cream and vanilla in small bowl to blend. Gradually whisk yolk mixture into bowl with melted butter. Whisk constantly over simmering water until thermometer registers 150°F, (mixture may appear broken). Remove from over water; add chocolate and stir to melt. Set aside.

Beat egg whites and 1/2 cup sugar in large bowl to medium-stiff peaks. Whisk 1/4 of beaten egg white mixture into warm chocolate mixture to lighten. Fold in remaining egg white mixture. Pour mousse over cake in pan; smooth top. Chill torte until mousse is set, at least 6. Run sharp knife around edge of pan to loosen torte. Release pan sides. Transfer torte to platter.

For whipped cream:
Using electric mixer, beat 3/4 cup cream in medium bowl until peaks form. Spread whipped cream over torte. Top whipped cream with cherry pie filling