Kelly the Culinarian: November 2010

Monday, November 29, 2010

Cooking with Kelly: Beer bread

I love carbs in any form -- pretzels, banana bread, cheddar braided bread, braided loaves ... my the list goes on forever. Anyhow, I thought I'd combine two of my favorite things, beer and bread.

This recipe yields two very dense loaves. This isn't a sandwich bread; it's more like a slice to be served alongside soup or as a snack. And please, unless you want a call from Johnny or Susie's principal about what is appropriate for lunch, don't send this to school with the little ones. It smells deliciously like a frothy adult beverage.


The recipe:

3 cups all-purpose flour

3 tablespoons sugar

3 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 12-ounce beer

1 tablespoon olive oil


Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Sift together the dry ingredients, then add the beer. QUICKLY mix together into a dough, then equally divide between two greased loaf pans. Immediately brush the top with the oil and place in the oven for 45 minutes or until they're golden brown on the top. It's best to work quickly because the beer and baking powder reaction is your only leavening agent.

Monday, November 22, 2010

Cooking with Kelly: Chocolate dream homemade cake

I made this cake last week for a coworker's birthday and it was the talk of the building. Don't tell anyone, but it was super easy!
Here's what you need:
  • Two 9-inch cake rounds
  • 2 cans of icing
  • 11 packages of Kit Kat bars
  • 2 packages of M&Ms
  • Ribbon for embellishment (optional)
Start by making a round cake using whatever recipe you would like. Level off both layers, then ice and stack the cake. You may need more than one can of icing to ice the exterior.
Next, break all of the Kit Kats into individual sticks, then adhere to the exterior of the cake. I used 10 packages, but having an extra comes in handy in case you break one.
The Kit Kats will probably be a little bit taller than the cake. That's OK, the candy will cover a multitude of sins.
Once you've finished adding the Kit Kats, sprinkle M&Ms on top. I used a ribbon for embellishment, but it serves no purpose other than decor.
It comes out looking very impressive. Plus, it's perfect for a ton of different occasions.