Weekend Preparations

Since summer weekends are so often spent outside, sometimes visiting friends or family, we thought a couple of easy recipes would be just right. So whether you need something to take with, or if you're just hanging at home, we've got you covered. And because we're like that, dessert comes first.

Liquid Bliss Peanut Butter Cheesecake Cupcakes

Certain beers just beg to be used in baking, and Terrapin's Liquid Bliss is definitely one of those beers! There are a lot of pieces to this recipe, but it's absolutely worth it.

Ingredients

Chocolate Porter Cake

¾ c. Terrapin Liquid Bliss
1 T instant coffee dissolved in ¼ c. warm water
2 sticks unsalted butter
¾ c. unsweetened cocoa powder
2 c. all purpose flour
2 c. sugar
1 ½ t. baking soda
¾ t. salt
2 eggs
2 T. vanilla extract
½ c. plus 2T sour cream

Peanut Butter Cheesecake

1 lb cream cheese, softened
¾ c. firmly packed light brown sugar
½ c. peanut butter (creamy)
1 ½ T vanilla
2 room temperature eggs

Chocolate Ganache Buttercream

1 c. heavy whipping cream
1 ½ c. dark chocolate (bittersweet) chips
1 t. vanilla
2-3 sticks butter (depends on how much you want. I used two) cut into pieces, softened
1-2 c. powdered sugar
crushed pretzels
chopped peanuts

Instructions

1. preheat oven to 350 degrees and line 35 muffin tins with paper liners

Chocolate Porter Cake

a. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, bring porter, coffee mixture and butter to a simmer. Add cocoa powder and whisk until mixture is smooth. Cool.
b. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking soda and salt. Beat eggs, vanilla and sour cream just until blended.
c. Add stout-chocolate mixture to the egg mixture and beat until just combined. Make sure the mixture is cool so that it doesn’t cook the eggs. Gradually add flour mixture and beat on low.

For the Peanut Butter Cheesecake

a. Beat the cream cheese in an electric mixer until smooth. Add the brown sugar, peanut butter, heavy whipping cream and vanilla and beat until combined. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating just until combined.
b. Put 2 T. peanut butter cheesecake in the bottom of cupcake liners. Top with 2 T. of the chocolate stout cake. Bake for 20 minute or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

For the Whipped Chocolate Ganache Buttercream

a. Place the chocolate chips in the mixer bowl. Bring the heavy whipping cream to a boil over medium heat. Pour over the chocolate chips and let set for one minute and stir until chocolate is melted. Add vanilla and stir. Beat the chocolate mixture on low until the bowl feels cool to the touch. Add butter and increase speed to medium-high until mixture is well combined, thickened and slightly whipped, about 2 minutes. Add 1-2 cups of powdered sugar to taste. Take note that the frosting will not be sugary sweet. It will taste more like a bittersweet chocolate pudding. It will also not be a stiff like a traditional frosting, but it will creamier.
b. Frost each cupcake and top with crushed pretzels and chopped peanuts. Refrigerate overnight and let set out at least 5 minutes before eating.

Filet Mignon with Blackberry Wine Reduction

A main course a little closer to home, courtesy of Tomasello Winery.

Perfect with Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Serves 2

Ingredients
10 ozs. - Tomasello Blackberry Wine
2 - 8 oz. center-cut filet mignons, trimmed and skinned
1 white onion, medium-sized, julienned
2 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil
salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

Rinse filets in cool water and pat dry with a clean paper towel. Season filets on both sides with salt and pepper and set aside on plate.

Julienne the onions and set aside. Set oven to low heat – approximately 170 degrees Fahrenheit. Heat skillet to medium high temperature using 1 tbs. of olive oil. Sear filets on both sides to your liking.

Set in oven-proof plate and place in oven to keep warm.

Using the same pan, sauté the julienned onion adding remaining olive oil, caramelizing them to a golden brown. De-glaze onions in pan with 10 ozs. Tomasello Blackberry Wine.

Cuvée M Fruit Bowl

Like the dessert recipe above, this has a lot of parts, but it's perfect for entertaining. This features Mumm Cuvée M sparkling wine, which is slightly off-dry.

1/3 C. white sugar
1/3 C. brown sugar
1/3 C. water
1 10-lb. ripe watermelon
3 apples, cored and sliced into wedges
2 peaches, pit removed and sliced into wedges
2 kiwi fruit peeled, halved and thinly sliced
2 C. green grapes, stemmed
¼ C. freshly squeezed lemon juice
¼ C. freshly squeezed lime juice
1 C. (1/2 pint) blueberries
3 C. strawberries, hulled and halved
1 C. raspberries or blackberries
½ bottle Mumm Napa Cuvee M

Mix sugars and water in a small saucepan and bring to a boil; lower to simmer and cook for 5 minutes.  Remove from heat to cool, and set aside.

To prepare watermelon bowl, measure one third down on sides and cut top third off, using a large knife.  Retain.  Scoop out the flesh of the melon with a melon baller, and set aside in a large glass bowl.  Serrate the cut edge of the melon, cover with plastic wrap and place in refrigerator.

In a large bowl combine the apples, peaches and kiwi with the lemon and lime juices, mixing gently to avoid bruising.  Add the watermelon balls, the rest of the fruit and the sugar syrup.  Toss gently and refrigerate, covered.

When ready to serve, place all fruit in the watermelon bowl and pour half a bottle of Cuvee M over the fruit.  Note: To prevent the bowl from tipping, and to maintain the cool temperature, place in a larger receptacle with ice.

Grilled Jamaican Jerk Chicken

Courtesy of Rombauer Chardonnay, this is a perfect grilling treat.

Combine in a food processor or blender and puree:
-1⁄3 cup fresh lime juice
-Up to 10 habanero or Scotch bonnet peppers (three is fine for most everyone, six is not, eight is probably too many)
-2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
-(2 tablespoons fresh orange juice)
-3 scallions, coarsely chopped
-2 tablespoons dried basil
-2 tablespoons dried thyme
-2 tablespoons yellow mustard seeds (highly recommended) or 1 tablespoon dry mustard
-2 teaspoons ground allspice
-1 teaspoon ground cloves
-1 teaspoon salt
-1 teaspoon black pepper
The mixture should have the consistency of thick tomato sauce. If necessary, thin with additional:
-(Lime juice, vinegar, or orange juice)

Brush the jerk mixture over:
-8 whole chicken legs or 8 bone-in chicken breast halves
You can slap it on the grill right then and there, or refrigerate and let marinate in a bowl or plastic bag for 1 hour or more (preferably three, ideally twelve). The flavor payoff is worth planning ahead.

To grill, lightly oil the grill rack and prepare a medium-hot charcoal fire. Spread the hot coals on one side of the grill. Arrange the chicken pieces skin side down on the side of the grill away from the coals. Cover the grill and cook for 20 minutes. Turn the chicken and cook 15 to 20 minutes more.