66 replies to this topic

[Kouign Aman]

Should be able to buy dried hops at a herbalist or brew supply store (hops are a soporific).

I keep thinking of something inelegant like a malty barley pudding (similar to rice pud but with more texture), decorated with a thin ribbon of hop syrup - a sweet & bitter note.

Its the hop syrup that really keeps coming to mind.
This will be a fun challenge to follow.

I have actually been considering a barley pudding - when the kids were very young we used to make porridge out of barley flakes - it doesn't taste like much, and I really abhorr the texture, so I've left this track.

Flakes = babyfood. I'm with you on the yuck. I was thinking more of pearl barley or a more substantial cousin. Varmint's idea of a barley cake has some appeal.
However this one goes, its a fun process so far.

hmmmm - can one pop barley the way one pops corn? That could give a foamy appearance to the final dessert.

[Mette]

Mette, join the no-sleep club.  I had trouble falling asleep and staying asleep last week because ideas were racing through my head.  Embrace the lack of sleep 

My two cents...I've been thinking about Raspberry Chimay and Lemon in Heffeweizen...I love fruit in my beer.

Actually, I've been sniffing hops to find a type suitably aromatic - I was (again) overwhelmed by the citrusness of the cascade hops - so I'm thinking about going this way in a possible hop based element - the acidity is otherwise hard to come by in beer; there's is sweetness and bitterness, which does get countered in the fruity beers by the acidity/sharpness.

[Mette]

In what forms can one purchase malted barley and hops in retail?

Buying these items would necessitate a trip to a beer brewing supply store, I guess.

We seem to have them kicking around the cellar, but when beer was first brewed in this house, we bought online. On homebrewing sites, you can often buy smaller quantities. Malt syrup can often be bought in health food stores, but of course this will have a generic flavour profile.

Tonight, i've managed to make my own dark malt syrup, with a sweet and butter intense flavour - I still need an application for it though...

[Mette]

Should be able to buy dried hops at a herbalist or brew supply store (hops are a soporific).

I keep thinking of something inelegant like a malty barley pudding (similar to rice pud but with more texture), decorated with a thin ribbon of hop syrup - a sweet & bitter note.

Its the hop syrup that really keeps coming to mind.
This will be a fun challenge to follow.

I have actually been considering a barley pudding - when the kids were very young we used to make porridge out of barley flakes - it doesn't taste like much, and I really abhorr the texture, so I've left this track.

Flakes = babyfood. I'm with you on the yuck. I was thinking more of pearl barley or a more substantial cousin. Varmint's idea of a barley cake has some appeal.
However this one goes, its a fun process so far.

hmmmm - can one pop barley the way one pops corn? That could give a foamy appearance to the final dessert.

Maybe pearl barley will puff if deep fried - I feel an experiment coming on (where does one get pearl barley at 9:30 at night in the suburbs) - this would add a nice crispy someting

[Mette]

Here's todays mini-blog:

I've been trying (again - this time without ending up with burnt gunk) to male malt syrup: Münchener malt, crystal malt and chcolate malt - cracked, mashed, sparged and then the liquid boiled to death to mak a nice, thick syrup with definate maltiness and bitterness - now I need a good way of using it. it would be good with something creamy - I've been toying with rice pudding, bruleé and bread-and-butter pudding. The latter being the first time the yeast enters the equasion.

I've also taken advantage of my nice neighbour and his flour mill and made some malt flour, which I am going to try and use in shortbread to da a malty shortbread and maby as a flavouring agent in something else.

The hops.....steep, grind, or .......Looking for something fun to do with hops without getting the bitterness or just a bit of bitterness....

We had a conversation in this house about whisky in this context - the ingredients in whisky are the same as in beer (except the hops, obviously) - is whisky cheating?

Just noticed the marshmallow thread has been revitalised - maybe a hop and malt syrup marshmallow.

This is turning into quite an adventure, and i do se a pattern emerging where focus is on the components of beer. This is a lot of fun - hopefully no more nightmares!

Must make shortbred!

Edited by Mette, 10 October 2006 - 01:04 PM.

[gfron1]

The original challenge came from my own ignorance of beer (I like to drink it, but don't know much about it). So it sounds like you've answered your own question. If hops is crucial to a beverage being called beer...then guess what? You need to include hops. So hop to it!

[Irishgirl]

I like the idea of the hop and malt marshmallow!

What about pairing it with a malt and graham cracker or something with graham/barley that is a bit yeasty, and THEN warm Chocolate ganache for a deconstructed beer S'more! This would incorporate the barley cake (kind of like an oat cake/wafer).

Or a hop and malt marshmallow with a warm barley/malt drink or barley/malt/chocolate drink?

Or....you could make the marshmallow, and then the malt syrup, a barley flavoured ice cream,
and make a float, with soda, the malt syrup, the icecream and the marshmallow as garnish?
Toasted hops that are caramelized and then crushed as another garnish?

(I don't know what hops look like or the consistency of them, but this appeals to me...)

Carry on!

[chiantiglace]

Should be able to buy dried hops at a herbalist or brew supply store (hops are a soporific).

I keep thinking of something inelegant like a malty barley pudding (similar to rice pud but with more texture), decorated with a thin ribbon of hop syrup - a sweet & bitter note.

Its the hop syrup that really keeps coming to mind.
This will be a fun challenge to follow.

I have actually been considering a barley pudding - when the kids were very young we used to make porridge out of barley flakes - it doesn't taste like much, and I really abhorr the texture, so I've left this track.

Flakes = babyfood. I'm with you on the yuck. I was thinking more of pearl barley or a more substantial cousin. Varmint's idea of a barley cake has some appeal.
However this one goes, its a fun process so far.

hmmmm - can one pop barley the way one pops corn? That could give a foamy appearance to the final dessert.

Maybe pearl barley will puff if deep fried - I feel an experiment coming on (where does one get pearl barley at 9:30 at night in the suburbs) - this would add a nice crispy someting

Mette, do you have a pressure cooker? I think the barely would possibly act more on the lines of rice (as in rice crispies) than like popcorn.

[Mette]

Must get pearl barley, must get pearl barley - and a pressure cooker. I'm going to try it out!

The malt shortbread is vey nice, malty, buttery, crumbly - may work well with marshmallows as suggested - I'll try out the marshmallows.

[Pontormo]

1) Replicating the foam in an iced mug of beer might be fun.

2) After seeing the link to your exquisite chocolates, Mette, I'd encourage you to go with your strengths. Just because a pairing of chocolate and beer seems obvious (grrr arrrg ) does not mean that something original, creative and self-expressive can't be done with that combination, let alone a deconstructed-beer dessert.

[ludja]

I'm trying to get my head around what the potential raw ingredients for this challenge might entail... It's fuzzy to me since I've never been involved with home beer making.


Pearl barley
barley flour
malted barley grain (can one buy this? is it wet or dry, in a jar?)
barley flakes

malt extract (syrup or dry powder; is this the same as wort?)

dried hops (the form is dried flower heads)

yeast


If anyone can correct or add to this, I'd appreciate it!

Edited by ludja, 11 October 2006 - 08:49 AM.

[Mette]

1) Replicating the foam in an iced mug of beer might be fun.

2) After seeing the link to your exquisite chocolates, Mette, I'd encourage you to go with your strengths.  Just because a pairing of chocolate and beer seems obvious (grrr arrrg ) does not mean that something original, creative and self-expressive can't be done with that combination, let alone a deconstructed-beer dessert.

Thank you for the kind words.

I haven't completely given up on having a chocolate element in there somewhere - especially not as the dark malt syrup I made practically screams chocolate

Edited by Mette, 11 October 2006 - 12:24 PM.

[Mette]

I'm trying to get my head around what the potential raw ingredients for this challenge might entail...  It's fuzzy to me since I've never been involved with home beer making. 


Pearl barley
barley flour
malted barley grain (can one buy this?  is it wet or dry, in a jar?)
barley flakes

malt extract (syrup or dry powder; is this the same as wort?)

dried hops (the form is dried flower heads)

yeast


If anyone can correct or add to this, I'd appreciate it!

You've basically got it right!

In beer there's some form of malted grain, most often barley but sometimes wheat (for weissbier), sometimes some rice/corn is added to give a lighter flavour (mostly in american beer).

Malt extract is used for home brewing, so you don't have to go though the mashing of the grain, but not used an awful lot in commercial brewing.

Wart is the liquid you get from mashing the malt and filtering this. The malt extracts can be used as a shortcut to achieve wart without mashing the grain.

The hops are added for aroma and bitterness and the various types of yeast help develop a certain flavour profile for the beer.

Barley is bought dry - basically just grains of barley that have been malted.

I've come to the conclusion that the primary flavout elements of beer are the various malts and hops (mostly, there is very little yeast left in the beer when it is drunk), som I'm heading towards various elements flavoured with malts and hops.

[Mette]

The marshmallows came out well - like a very sweet, chewy beer - flavoured with malt syrup and hops.

I have now got some basic elements together (i think); beer marshmallows, malted shortbread, dark malt syrup, rauchmalt syrup and a selection of hops so now it is just trying to come up with some overall concept for the dessert - arrghhhhhh Maybe I'll have to do a sampler plate....

Pearl barley is harder to come by than I thought, but I'll keep looking so this road can be explored!

Edited by Mette, 11 October 2006 - 12:41 PM.

[Kouign Aman]

Those marshmallows sound really good. Do you really need to do more?

Im still obsessing over that thin ribbon of hops syrup, with its more bitter than sweet portion.

Im now going to stop publicly obsessing over it, and wait eagerly to see how it all turns out.

(will the marshmallow recipe find its way to eGullet?)

[aeschylus]

this is sort of kitschy, but beer marshmallows + malted shortbread make me think s'mores, with the addition of chocolate. would toasting the marshmallows add interesting flavour notes or just kill the subtleties?

what about serving with a hop-infused seltzer or cocktail of some sort?

[gfron1]

(will the marshmallow recipe find its way to eGullet?)

Its part of the game - all recipes should end up in the recipe gullet once Mette catches her breath.

[LittleIsland]

Stupid question of the day, but what's malt flour made from? Mette, it sounds like you milled your own malt flour but from what? That malt shortbread sounds really good but wondering if it's something we can replicate once you post the recipe...

[Kerry Beal]

Stupid question of the day, but what's malt flour made from?  Mette, it sounds like you milled your own malt flour but from what?  That malt shortbread sounds really good but wondering if it's something we can replicate once you post the recipe...

As I recall (from about a hundred scotch distillary tours) malt is barley or other grains that have been allowed to germinate, then dried.

Malting produces enzymes that convert starches to sugars, maltose being the most notable.(thank you wikipedia)

I recall in the distillaries where they made their own malt, that the smell as you approached the malt floor was wonderful. And they would ususally give you little samples of the dried malted barley to chew. I'd grab a few for my pocket, better than candy.

[Mette]

Stupid question of the day, but what's malt flour made from?  Mette, it sounds like you milled your own malt flour but from what?  That malt shortbread sounds really good but wondering if it's something we can replicate once you post the recipe...

When there are recipes to post in recipeGullet they will go in there, but they still need a bit of work

The malt fluor is made of finely ground crystal malt (which has a nice malty, caramelly flavour), milled in the next door neighbour's flour mill and sifted. I have tried googling malt flour but didn't come up with much - it seems most of the references are to powdered malt, which, as I understand it, is a sweetner (I may be wrong - any Koreans out there? some of the references are to korean malt flour...?????) I can see lots of interesting applications for it - I think it would be tasty as an additive in bread.

I've been knocked out by a cold today so not much has happened on the beer/dessert front - I have been toying with the suggestion of making a shot/glass of beer of some sort - someting that looks like a beer but isn't.

I'm going to be very busy for the next couple of days but will check in and be back for the home strech on sunday....hopefully the concept will be fully formed by then

Keep the suggestions coming - as pointed out, the concet can still use some work

Edited by Mette, 12 October 2006 - 12:33 PM.

[gfron1]

I think getting sick is part of the challenge now (I was sick on Friday of my challenge). I'm looking forward to Sunday's results. Heading into fall I'm looking for a nice hearty dessert.

[Mette]

Bad news are: I seem to live in a pearl barley desert - so the popped barley will not happen.

Good news are: the concept has come together and I am looking very much forward to the home strech tomorrow to see if it works in real life

Edited to add: the next challengee has accepted and will be unveiled tomorrow

Edited by Mette, 14 October 2006 - 02:08 PM.

[gfron1]

With the time zones I'm not sure when we'll hear from Mette, but I'm looking forward to seeing the result! Come on Mette...don't keep us waiting too long.

[Mette]

So - I just got up from eating a lovely, multi item decounstructed beer dessert!!!

Cheers!


Oh - is that a beer she is drinking ? You may ask. No it part of the deconstructed beer dessert.

When I first got the challenge, I thought 'Holy Cow' - deconstructed beer, but thanks to my lovely husband and some very talented people here at eGullet, it all came together in the end.

Here's the result:



The items are: a smoked malt creme brulee, a cascade 'not-quite-beer', which is a cold citrus soup flavoured with cascade hops topped with a grapefruit/lime/hop sorbet, and finally 'the Brewpub bar', a chocolate bar with malted shortbread, chocolate malt ganache and beer marshmallow in milk chocolate.

After many a sleepless night (throw a few extra in for drama) I decided to go for a few, key ingredients and try to bring them out as much as possble. I went sniffing malts and hops to look for dessert like references:

The not-quite-beer: When you open a bag of dried cascade hops theres is a very clear smell of citrus, primarily grapefruit and lime which is where the sorbet ides came from - someone on the thead suggested doing someting that looks like a beer, and the sorbet looks like the top half of a beer, so I thought - a fruit soup and went for more citrus, this time with grapefruit, lemon, lime, orange and mandarine orange. It is a very nice, refreshing drink/dessert, and the citrus and hops supplement each other very well.

The creme brulee: Rauchmalt is smoked malt and smells quite smoked. I thought it would be complemented nicely by the brulee burnt sugar and be a nice contrats to all the freshnedd and sharpness of the not-quite-beer. The brulee is flavoured with rauchmalt syrup, and is nice and malty but as smoked as I had hoped. If I were to male it again, I would probably add a bit of very smoky whisky to bring the flavour out more.

Chocolate bar:

In spite of the fact that beer and chocolate is a very obvious combination, I had to make some chocolate item, especially considering that chocolate malt smells of chocolate:huh: I'd already made the shortbread which is great, but a bit plain. With a chocolate malt syrup banache and a beer marshmallow on top, it makes for a nice chocolate bar, event though the balance between the components is a bit off - there ought to have been more ganache and marshmallow and less shortbread and chcolate covering - alas!

So, that was the result - thank ypu, gfron, for challenging me - it has been a really fun week, and thaks to Kerry Beal for starting this dessert madness.

I will post the recipes, probably tomorrow, and have a few more pics, especially re. ingredients, if anyone are interested.

I will now go and make public the next challenge

[Chufi]

Mette, it looks great, especially the bar.. beer marshmellow, mmm..

I would be very much interested in seeing pictures of the ingredients such as
this

The not-quite-beer: When you open a bag of dried cascade hops

and this.

Rauchmalt is smoked malt and smells quite smoked.

[Shalmanese]

Holy crap thats awesome. *cracks knuckles in anticipation*

[gfron1]

The short reply since I'm heading into a nap...BRAVO Mette!

[s_sevilla]

That is extremely neat, I would definitely go to a restaurant just to eat that, yet again the bar is set high for these challenges

[Ling]

The chocolate bar looks particularly good! Excellent job!

[Kerry Beal]

Looks fabulous, I really did think you were sitting on the couch with a beer. Smokey malt brulee sounds so tasty and that bar looks wonderful.

Bravo!


Round 4 here.

Edited by Kerry Beal, 15 October 2006 - 02:44 PM.