Lunchbox Bakes – Beer Bread

Beer bread is my new favourite thing.  I made some on the long weekend, I made a couple of loaves actually.  It is super quick and easy to make and it tastes amazing.  Living with two guys there is always beer in our fridge, which I’ve decided they now need to share with me (I don’t really drink beer) so I can make more bread.  I made one loaf using Export Gold beer and another using Monteiths Golden Larger – the Montheiths beer rose a little higher, but was much the same consistency.  The bread is topped with cheese and sunflower seeds which add a beautiful crunch and texture.  I think this bread would make the perfect accompaniment to summer barbeques.

Serves 6 – 8

3 cups self raising flour
1 tablespoon caster sugar
1 teaspoon salt
450ml lager, chilled
½ cup sunflower seeds
1 cup grated tasty cheese

Preheat the oven to 200°C.  Grease and line a 7cm deep, 10cm x 26cm loaf tin.
Combine the flour, sugar and salt in a bowl.  Pour in the beer and stir until just combined.  Pour into the prepared tin.  Sprinkle the cheese and sunflower seeds over the top.
Bake for 35 – 45 minutes or until the loaf sounds hollow when tapped.  Remove from the oven and cool before slicing.

It was a nice day outside when I baked this bread, so I used some of it to make ham and egg sandwiches and went on a picnic with Simon.  We ate more of it later with homemade pumpkin soup for dinner.
What did you get up to over Queen’s Birthday Weekend?  I hope you had a great break!

Chocolate Beer Cake

It is Father’s Day next Sunday (4 September) and after a bit a playing with a couple of different recipes I found on the net, I bring you the perfect ‘blokey’ cake to make for your Father, Husband or Partner to say “thanks for being a great Dad!”  Apart from the fact that this cake uses two of most Dad’s favourite things to consume (beer and chocolate), it is absolutely delish and will be enjoyed by the whole family.
Ingredients:1 cup of beer (I used some of Shane’s homebrewed beer – he is becoming quite the brew master, but I’d recommend using your Dad’s favourite)
120g butter
¾ cup cocoa
2 cups sugar
75g sour cream
2 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
Method:Preheat your oven to 180˚C, and grease a round bundt pan (You could use a normal pan, I’m sure it would be fine).
In a large bowl sift flour and baking soda together and set aside until needed.
Whisk the sour cream, eggs and vanilla together in a small bowl.
Pour one cup of beer into a large saucepan over medium heat.
Dice up the butter into chunks and drop them into the beer to allowing them to melt slowly while stirring occasionally.
Once butter is melted, whisk in the cocoa powder and white sugar until you have a rich, dark, chocolaty mixture.  Add your egg, sour cream, vanilla mixture to the chocolate mixture and whisk together.
Combine the liquid with the flour and baking soda until mixed.
Pour into your greased bundt pan, and bake for about 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean.
Take the pan out of the oven and cool for about 15 minutes in the tin before turning it out on to a wire rack to cool completely.

Check out how beautifully dark and chocolaty looking the cooling cake is!

Once cooled completely I recommend icing it with a cream cheese icing and decorating with some chocolate shavings.

Enjoy and ‘Happy Father’s Day’ to all the fantastic Dad’s out there, I hope you all have wonderful days with your children and grandchildren next week.  I would like to wish Shane a very happy first Father’s Day – he is an amazing Dad and Max is extremely lucky. Also Happy Father’s Day to my Daddy – I love you.

Shane and Max

My Dad with Max