Belgian Raspberry Brownies with Truffle Ganache

I get the urge to put beer in almost everything I make, and it's becoming a problem.
The roots of this problem are difficult to trace.

Perhaps the urge began when I turned twenty one, and buying beer and wine was liberating. Maybe I purchased too much one time, decided to use it in cooking, and became accustomed to the flavor.
Maybe it's my German heritage that's speaking to me; my Bavarian blood is craving malted barley and hops. (Along with Spätzle and Schnitzel)
Or it could be other factors. Living in the same state as Anheuser-Busch? Influenced by dad and uncle that have made their own brew? A certain event in my life that lead me to believe that beer was lucky?


All I know is that I have a slight obsession in cooking with beer. Mix this obsession with my brownie obsession, and you have quite a problem. Or maybe not...
Maybe brownies made with beer will become the latest trend on the culinary scene.
This isn't the first time I've put beer in brownies. Remember these?
So what do you think? Do beer and brownies mix?

If you have some hesitations about making these, let me try to convince you otherwise.
These brownies are delicious! They're flavored with bittersweet chocolate, cocoa, raspberry beer, and raspberry preserves. Incredibly moist with a deep, fruity, complex flavor.
Still not convinced?
The bars are topped with a dark chocolate truffle ganache.

I rest my case.

If you liked this post, check out my

Macadamia Nut Ale Brownies with White Chocolate-Toffee Ganache

Oktoberfest Brownies

Belgian Raspberry Brownies with Truffle Ganache (Recipe By Emiline)

Ingredients:
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1/2 cup raspberry beer
1/4 cup seedless raspberry preserves
5 ounces coarsely chopped bittersweet chocolate
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup dark cocoa powder (such as Hershey's Special Dark)
1/4 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Ganache:
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
5 ounces coarsely chopped dark chocolate truffles (Lindt)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line an 11x8-inch baking dish with foil; coat with cooking spray.

Melt 1/2 cup butter in a small saucepan over medium heat; stir in beer and raspberry preserves. When mixture is hot, and starts to bubble, turn heat off, and stir in bittersweet chocolate, until melted, and well combined; set aside.

In a medium sized mixing bowl, sift together flour, cocoa powder, and salt.
In a large mixing bowl, using an electric mixer on high speed, beat together granulated sugar, brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla, for 3 minutes. Reduce mixer speed to low, and beat in melted chocolate mixture, until well combined. Stir in flour mixture, until just combined.
Scrape batter into prepared dish; bake at 375 degrees F, for 20-25 minutes, or until set. Plunge dish into a larger baking dish, filled with ice water, until brownies are cool.

To make the ganache, melt 1 tablespoon butter, in a small saucepan set over medium heat; stir in cream. When mixture starts to bubble, reduce heat to low, and stir in chopped truffles, until melted, and smooth. Pour ganache over brownies, and smooth the surface, using a rubber spatula.
Freeze the brownies until ganache is set, about 15 minutes. Lift the foil-lined brownies out of dish, and slice into bars, using a sharp knife.

Yield: 14 brownies