128 votesA bitter-sweet symphony, Toasted brioche dipped in a sweet beer batter fried in butter until crispy and golden brown served with caramelized pears and beer ice cream is the supreme gourmet dessert for beer lovers. An inventive and adventurous dessert recipe by Chef Antoine Westermann, Beer Brioche is a splendid idea to end dinner on an interesting and lively note.
Brioche is a very rich French pastry that contains a lot of butter, egg, and cream, giving it its tender and heavy crumb, and dark, golden flaky crust. It also has a yeasty flavor which makes it perfect for pairing with beer. To make this recipe you need good quality brioche from a French pastry shop. The brioche is toasted and dipped in a batter of beer, sugar and eggs, and then browned in a hot pan with melted butter. The result is creamy and crispy bitter sweet bread that melts in your mouth.
The best kind of beer to use in this recipe is a stout or dark beer which has a malty flavor that complements bread and pastry well. There are also sweeter varieties of stout beer that go well with dessert dishes. Rich and complex full-flavored beers are great for making beer ice cream because the bitterness will dissolve in the sweetness of the sugar and the velvety cream, creatimg an entirely new flavor that you simply must experience if you call yourself a beer lover.
You can also try this recipe with fruity sweet lambics for a hint of fruitiness to flavor the ice cream. Belgian-style Tripel, which has a smooth and creamy mouth-feel is also a logical choice for desserts. For a super intense beer flavor, choose something like an Imperial Witbier, which is a concentrated Belgian beer with warm spices, and syrupy and candy-like flavors.
Prepare the beer ice cream in advance. In a mixing bowl, place the yolks, add sugar and whip them together until unctuous and creamy. In a saucepan, put 50% beer and 50% cream and heat on the stove. Pour the beer and cream mixture in with the yolk and sugar mixture beating constantly and mixing it all well together.
Pour mixture in the saucepan and heat on the stove at low temperatures, stirring gently with a spatula. Make sure that it does not boil to prevent the egg yolks and cream from curdling. To check if the cream is ready, lift the spatula and blow on the surface and if the cream scatters like a rose blooming then it is good to go. Cool and place in the ice cream maker. Freeze.
Peel and slice pears in two and soak them in ice water mixed with lemon slices, orange slices, cinnamon sticks, and vanilla pods. Soak for at least 20 minutes. Cut the soaked pears into thin fan-shape slices. Melt butter in pan and place the pears back side up. Sprinkle with brown sugar to caramelize.
Slice brioche and toast. In a bowl, beat eggs and add sugar. Add beer and mix it up well with a fork. In a saucepan, melt some butter. Dip the toasted brioche in the egg and beer mixture until fully coated. Place the soaked brioche in the saucepan and sprinkle some sugar on top of the bread. Pour on a little bit more of the egg and beer mixture. Heat until nicely browned and turn to the other side to get the same nice color.
Arrange the brioche on the plate. Place the glazed pears beside it. Put a bit of the brown sugar in the bottom of the plate and place a scoop of beer ice cream on top.
