While your hubby may be focusing on the NCAA Brackets – we’re gonna take part in the Betty Brackets! We’ll be featuring a new fave recipe from Betty Crocker’s 16 Recipe Betty Bracket Program daily…and you don’t even have to be a basketball fan to thoroughly enjoy this bracket !
They say that beer is becoming the new wine. With the growing trend of beer as a cooking ingredient, combined with the rise of the craft beer industry, the variety of foods and beers available to consumers has never been more diverse and flavorful.
Combining these trends, along with the impending March Madness (NCAA basketball tournament), is the second annual “Betty Bracket” program presented by Betty Crocker and sports-loving actor and popular TV personality Mario Lopez.
The Betty Brackets program creates the ultimate recipe tip-off between eight savory “Beer Meets Bar Food” recipes and eight sweet “Beer Meets Bakery” recipes. Each of the recipes features beer as an ingredient to provide a unique flavor and to help deliver the perfect assist to any viewing party. During three rounds of voting, you cancast your vote online to determine the nation’s top party food.
The sweet and savory brackets are made up of four smaller brackets – “Cheesetastic”, “Meaty Eats”, “Chocolate!”, and “Sweet Treats” – and include ideas like Beer Queso Nachos and Black and Tan Beer Pops, which plays upon the current craze for frozen pops. Also featuring four new chocolate stout recipes that capitalize on the festive flavor of Guinness and other stout beers.
Some interesting tips about cooking with beer:
Beer has a tenderizing effect and is a perfect matchup for meat-based recipes
Beer helps keep baked good moist and fresh, while adding a little extra puff
The beer flavors will be enhanced in those recipes with a longer cooking time
Craft beers are ideal as a cooking ingredient due to the quality and variety of flavors available
And of course, we’ve selected the Beer Meets Bakery Bracket to get started, featuring Betty’s Chocolate Bracket and the Sweet Treats Bracket to share with you…hmmm…wonder why ?
I love these recipes because they have minimal ingredient requirements and are time and budget friendly !
TOFFEE BROWN ALE CHEESECAKE BARS – Malty brown ale pairs perfectly with the rich flavors of toffee and caramel in these layered cheesecake bars.
PREP TIME:
25 min
SERVINGS:
32
INGREDIENTS:
1 pouch (1 lb 1.5 oz) Betty Crocker® oatmeal cookie mix
1/2 cup cold butter
2 packages (8 oz each) cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons Gold Medal® all-purpose flour
1/3 cup brown ale beer
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup toffee bits
1/4 cup caramel topping
1 tablespoon brown ale beer
STEP 1:
Heat oven to 350°F. Spray bottom and sides of 13×9-inch pan with cooking spray. Place cookie mix in bowl; cut in butter using pastry blender or fork until mixture is crumbly. Reserve 1 1/2 cups mixture for topping. Press remaining mixture in bottom of pan. Bake 10 minutes.
STEP 2:
Meanwhile, in large bowl, beat cream cheese, sugars, flour, 1/3 cup beer, the vanilla and egg with electric mixer on medium speed until smooth.
STEP 3:
Spread cream cheese mixture evenly over partially baked cookie base. Sprinkle with reserved crumb topping, pecans and toffee bits.
STEP 4:
Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool 30 minutes. Refrigerate about 2 hours or until chilled. For bars, cut into 8 rows by 4 rows. To serve, stir together caramel topping and 1 tablespoon beer; drizzle over top of each bar. Store covered in refrigerator.
As usual with the recipes in the Betty Brackets, all I can say is ….Yum !! And don’t forget to get Coupons for your ingredients in our COUPON DATABASE
Will you be testing this one out ?
Make sure to check out the entire Betty Brackets program at Betty Crocker online!
See more Free Recipes along with more of our Betty Brackets recipe series HERE
©Betty Crocker 2012 – Betty Crocker provided all recipes and images for the purpose of publishing to readers at frugalfabulousfinds.com.
Leave a Reply