♥HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY ♥

This past weekend I went on a little ski getaway with friends to Vermont- one of my favorite kinds of getaways, I really do love a good ski weekend. It was also my first time in the great state of VT. And let me tell you, it was exactly as I expected. Cue the jam bands and craft beer and boys with beards. And of course, beautiful wintery mountain scenery.

 We left Thursday night and drove in our beloved Subaru five hours north to Stratton Mountain, in the southeast corner of Vermont, a couple hours north east of Albany, NY. A very cute and quaint ski town with excellent slopes and 6-chairs a plenty. A little less resort-y than a place like Killington. Unlike the drought-ridden west coast, the Northeast has had quite the heavy hand of snow this year. I spent a lot of time with my snowboard in the trees with the boys, enjoying the powder.

We rented a great early 80s decorated tricked out ski chalet close to the mountain. Pro-tip: If you ever decide to own your own ski chalet, I highly recommend you install a sauna. Seriously clutch. The house we rented had one, and I spent hours in there with the girls, sweating out my toxins and drinking wine. All good for the soul. Also, our ski house has hilarious bubble windows. Kind of amazing. Sharing with you here some fun photos.

 

Because a ski house in Vermont seemed like a perfect setting for some craft beer tasting, I brought along a special treat of a case of DuClaw’s Naked Fish chocolate raspberry stout. If you’ve never had chocolate stout before and you are a chocolate lover- you should really try it as a treat. This one is particularly milkshakey with sophisticated layering of flavors. DuClaw incorporates gourmet chocolate raspberry coffee into the grain bill. It was inspired by DuClaw Brewmaster Jim Wagner’s hot cups of raspberry coffee while hanging out at a favorite fishing hole. I’ve heard before that chocolate stout can be incorporated into baking and desert making for creative flavor and this beer inspired me a little. I am sharing with you here a beer tiramisu that I think would be a great easy and fast Valentine’s day weekend boozy treat- especially for sharing with a beer-loving partner. A classic tiramisu (Giada’s recipe here) is made with rum and espresso, and chocolate of course. You can substitute the rum for a stout beer or just add the beer to it (I chose a recipe using the latter).

::Chocolate ‘Beeramisu’::

6 large egg yolks, room temp

½ cup + ¼ cup sugar

16 oz mascarpone cheese

4 large egg whites

2 oz dark rum

2 packages ladyfingers

12 oz chocolate stout such as DuClaw Naked Fish chocolate and raspberry stout

½ cup espresso

Bittersweet chocolate for shaving

9″ x 9″ baking pan OR individual mason jars as pictured above

• In a baking pan arrange ladyfingers in a single layer to completely cover the bottom. You may need to cut them so they fit tightly. Repeat for a second layer of ladyfingers. Remove from pan and set aside (this step is to prep the ladyfingers for later layering). Follow same step for small individual mason jars.
• In a mixing bowl, whisk egg yolks and ½ cup sugar until light and fluffy. Fold in mascarpone a third at a time, whisking to combine. Add rum and whisk it in.
• Using an electric or stand mixer beat egg whites and ¼ cup of sugar to soft peaks. Fold gently into the mascarpone mixture a third at a time.
• In the baking pan spread a quarter of the mixture to completely cover the bottom of the pan.
• Combine beer and coffee in a bowl. Working quickly, dunk each ladyfinger into the beer & coffee mixture and arrange in a tight layer over the mascarpone mixture in the pan. When layer is complete, spread half of the remaining mascarpone mixture over the ladyfingers. Repeat with the second layer of ladyfingers (dunking and layering tightly) and top with remaining mascarpone mixture.
• Cover with aluminum and let set refrigerated for 24 hours. Top with grated or shaved bittersweet chocolate. Enjoy! ♥

*recipe source

*beeramisu picture source (+slightly different simplified recipe)

DuClaw Brewing Company is a leading craft brewery founded in 1996 based in Baltimore, Maryland. Naked Fish is currently available in 12 and 22 oz. bottles in stores across Maryland, DC, Delaware, Virginia, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and North Carolina. It’s also available on tap at DuClaw brewpubs and in other select bars and eateries.

*this post was sponsored by DuClaw Brewing Company– however all opinions are my own. Especially my feelings about beeramisu. Thank you for supporting and reading ‘the wondergirl’