Gluten Free Home Brewing Blog

Another great product from Eckert Malting & Brewing

One of the great flavors we all enjoy from beer is malt. Now there are even more ways to obtain malt flavor in everyday ways. Eckert Malting & Brewing has come out with an Amber Rice Malt Cereal. This product is a flavorful hot cereal everyone can enjoy. Top this hot cereal with nuts, fruit, honey or your favorite add in for a robust breakfast or snack. But what’s even better, is that Amber Rice Malt Cereal can be used in baking as well to add that malty flavor.

This recipe is a great example of how to use this cereal in baking. It adds a wonderful matiness making theses muffins robust and delicious.

*Make with bananas for banana muffins; make with applesauce for a more generic muffin.

Gluten Free Muffins with vegan option

Preheat your oven to 375ºF.

Combine in a large bowl:

1 cup mashed ripe bananas or applesauce
1/4 cup light olive
1/2 cup light brown sugar or granulated sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 eggs or 2 flax eggs mixed with warm water
1/4 teaspoon mild rice vinegar

Whisk together in a separate bowl:

3/4 cup sorghum or brown rice flour
1/4 cup Amber Rice Malt Cereal
1/2 cup potato or tapioca starch
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons xanthan gum
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

Add the dry ingredients into the banana or applesauce mixture and stir until smooth. If the batter looks too thick and dry, add some non-dairy milk such as almond or rice milk, a tablespoon at a time, until the batter is smooth.

Add and mix 1/2 cup dried, frozen or fresh fruit such as blackberries, apples, etc. or nuts.

Instructions: Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups and bake in the center of a preheated oven for about 20 to 25 minutes or so. Cool the muffins briefly in the pan; then turn them out of the pan to keep them from getting soggy; continue to cool on a wire rack. Makes 9 to 12 muffins depending on size.

Cooking with Beer

We all like to drink beer, but what about cooking with beer? If you haven’t tried cooking with beer you are missing out! Beer adds flavor, moisture and a special spark to almost every dish. To soups and stews, beer adds a rich earthy flavor; to desserts beer adds a sweet nutty taste; and in baking, beer adds depth and matiness.

The type of beer you use depends on what you are making. To deglaze a pan to cook meat, use a porter, stout or lager. Darker beers are also great when baking with chocolate. Try replacing water or milk with beer in your favorite chocolate cake recipe. To braise a chicken, cook veggies, or savory baked goods, use an amber or ale. Put a whole chicken with potatoes and veggies in a large baking dish, add a cup of beer and roast in the oven.

One of our favorite ways to use beer in cooking is in the crock pot. Whether it’s a pork or beef roast with potatoes and veggies or a hearty soup, beer brings out the flavor of the other ingredients, adds its own flavor and provides the acid needed to soften the meat so it falls off the bone.

For more ideas and recipes, check out Cooking and Baking with Gluten Free Beer by Danielle LeBlanc. One of our favorite recipes in this cookbook is the biscuits. They are moist, light and flavorful. We have made them with various types of beer and all have turned out beautifully. Another favorite is the chocolate cupcakes made with a dark beer. So take your favorite dish or recipe and add beer to make it even better!

Alissa Kolodzinski
Co-Owner

www.glutenfreehomebrewing.com