Learning How To Bake with Beer : Muskoka, Ace Breads and Loblaws.

Bread and beer are definitely on my top 5 favourite things list. I do love my carbs. If you can relate, Muskoka Brewery, Ace Breads and Loblaws teaming up for a baking with beer class might make your mouth water.
The classes are taking place in Loblaws all over the GTA, with more dates being added in 2018.

RECIPE AT THE END!

Danielle from the Muskoka social media department and Kelsey from Loblaw’s kitchen made a great team. Danielle guided us through a flight of 4 Muskoka brews and let us know what food’s paired best with them. (Great info to have to wow guests at upcoming holiday parties). Kelsey showed us how to bake a Shinnicked  Stout soda bread with a dill dip and gave us great tips like how to make your own buttermilk (2 tsp’s of either lemon juice or white vinegar per 2 cups of milk and let sit for 15 minutes) or how to deal with cold butter without waiting for it to thaw (use a cheese grater! So smart).
We watched Kelsey mix the ingredients while we snacked from a complimentary charcuterie board. There was a loaf of the soda bread already baking when we first arrived and it smelled heavenly. I’ve never used beer while baking before and thought it was really interesting when she poured ¾ a cup of Muskoka’s Shinnicked stout into the mixture.  As Kelsey began to add molasses into the mix, Danielle told us Muskoka borrowed the word ‘Shinnicked’ from the Newfoundlanders, and it meant shivering or being almost paralyzed by the cold.
Next was the dill dip. Made with cream cheese, sour cream, herbs, mayo and dill. It was the perfect partner to the soda bread. The bread was very heavy and filling and we loved dipping it into the dill dip (along with the goodies on the charcuterie board when we ran out of bread). The great thing about these recipes is that they are something you would be able to make at home. They weren’t too complicated and the outcome was delicious.  Seeing Kelsey whip them up right in front of us with all her tips and tricks made me feel pretty confident that I could recreate it in my very own home… and maybe even impress my fiancé.
Great tips we learned from Muskoka was the three C’s, cut, compliment and contrast.  The four beers’ we were pairing with our food that night were:
Muskoka Craft Lager: Pairs best with lighter foods like salads or chicken.

Muskoka Cream Ale: Great with smoked meats, ribs, roasted chicken or grilled salmon.

Muskoka Detour: Try with Shrimp cocktails, garden salads or Thai mango chicken.

​And last but not least Shinnicked Stout which went great with sweet desserts like coffee cake or chocolate truffles, or the more savoury camembert cheese and smoked ham.

I feel like I learned a lot in this class and with the price tag of only $10 , it felt like quite a steal. Not only did we get to sample the best Muskoka had to offer and snack on freshly baked breads with dips, we also walked away with a goodie bag! It was filled with cans of Muskoka’s Lager and Detour, a bottle opener, recipe cards and a $10 Presidents Choice gift card! We were so surprised!
If you’re looking to join the class in the New Year, keep an eye on www.muskokabrewery.com. It really was a fun way to spend an evening (class went a little over an hour) and a great way to learn something new!