Absolute showstopper. Fun to make. Super flavor.
For me, there was no better way to celebrate our 2013 Barleywine release today than with a beer-infused, AK Beer Week treat. This was a new recipe for me. I saw it in Cooking Light magazine and KNEW I had to try it. Any flavorful, rich beer would be great in this recipe – try HooDoo Stout, the Vanilla Porter, or English Mild.
TIP: After poaching the pears, don’t toss out the poaching liquid. It’s infused with a lovely Barleywine and pear essence. I mean, it is ridiculous! It would be great in cocktails, drizzled on cake or your morning oatmeal, or stirred into yogurt…so be sure to save it.
Barleywine for the pear hot tub + Porter for the bread = Beer for the cook.
HooDoo Vanilla Porter Quick Bread w/ Barleywine Poached Pears
Hands-on: 25 min. Total: 1 hr. 45 min.
Ingredients
2 cups water
2 cups HooDoo 2014 Barleywine
2 cups granulated sugar
3 small whole Bosc or Bartlett pears
1 1/2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
7.88 ounces all-purpose flour (about 1 3/4 cups)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons butter, softened
3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
2 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup HooDoo Vanilla Porter (Stout or English Mild)
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup maple syrup
Baking spray
Preparation
1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. Bring 2 cups water, 2 cups Barleywine and granulated sugar to a slow boil over medium-high heat in a medium saucepan. Add whole pears – do not skin or core; reduce heat to medium, and cook at a medium-low boil for 5 minutes or just until pears start to soften. You want the pears firm in the center, so when poked with a knife, it should stick about 1/4″ down. Remove pears from pan; cool slightly. Trim bottom off each pear so that it is about the height of a 9 x 5–inch loaf pan. Lightly brush 1 1/2 teaspoons flour over bottom 2/3 of each pear. Set aside.
3. Pour yourself some of that Barleywine to sip on while you pull together the batter.
4. Weigh or lightly spoon 7.88 ounces (about 1 3/4 cups) flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Place butter and brown sugar in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at high speed until well blended. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Combine Porter, sour cream, and syrup in another medium bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Beating at low speed, add flour mixture and beer mixture alternately to the butter mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture; beat just until combined.
5. Scrape batter into a 9 x 5-inch metal loaf pan coated with baking spray. Arrange pears in pan, pressing into batter. Bake at 350° for 50 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out with moist crumbs clinging. Cool 10 minutes in pan on a wire rack. Remove from pan; cool completely on wire rack.
6. Slice and EAT with a bit of Porter to wash it all down…oh, and of course, share with a few good friends.
* Adapted from Cooking Light