On Saturday, June 26th 2010, Sip...a wine store held an in-store tasting of Wine-based Desserts and Wine.  Below are some of the recipes we used to make some amazing desserts.

Black and Tan Brownies  from Cooking Light Mag.

Ingredients

Tan Brownies:

• 6  tablespoons  butter, softened
• 1 1/2  cups  packed brown sugar
• 2  large eggs
• 1  teaspoon  vanilla extract
• 4.5  ounces  all-purpose flour
• 1  teaspoon  baking powder
• 1/4  teaspoon  salt
• 1/2  cup  chopped pecans
• Cooking spray

Black Brownies:

• 3  ounces  unsweetened chocolate, finely chopped
• 4  tablespoons  butter
• 1  cup  granulated sugar
• 2  large eggs
• 1  teaspoon  vanilla extract
• 1  cup The Duck & Rabbit Milk Stout
• 4.5  ounces  all-purpose flour
• 1/4  teaspoon  salt

Preparation

1. Place one rack in lower third of oven; place another rack in center of oven. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. To prepare Tan Brownies, place 6 tablespoons butter and brown sugar in a medium bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until light and fluffy. Beat in 2 eggs and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Weigh or lightly spoon 4.5 ounces (about 1 cup) flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine 4.5 ounces flour, baking powder, and 1/4 teaspoon salt, stirring well. Add flour mixture and pecans to sugar mixture, beating just until combined. Spoon into a 13 x 9–inch baking pan coated with cooking spray, spreading evenly with a knife or rubber spatula. Bake at 350° in lower third of oven for 15 minutes.
3. To prepare Black Brownies, melt chocolate and 4 tablespoons butter in a large microwave-safe bowl on HIGH for 1 minute or until melted, stirring after every 20 seconds until smooth. Add granulated sugar, stirring until well combined. Add 2 eggs, 1 teaspoon vanilla, and Guinness, stirring with a whisk until well combined. Weigh or lightly spoon 4.5 ounces (about 1 cup) flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine 4.5 ounces flour and 1/4 teaspoon salt, stirring well. Add flour mixture to chocolate mixture, stirring to combine. Pour mixture evenly over Tan Brownies.
4. Bake on the center rack at 350° for 25 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted into center comes out almost clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack; cut into squares.

Serve these with Coffee, Dark Beer or Fonsecca "Terra Bella" Organically Grown Port

Chocolate–Red Wine Cake from Food and Wine Mag.

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (not Dutch process)
• 1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
• 1 3/4 cups sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 cups of 41st Street Merlot

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°. Butter and flour a 12-cup bundt pan. In a bowl, whisk the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt.
2. In a large bowl, using a handheld electric mixer, beat the butter with the sugar at medium-high speed until fluffy, 4 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, and beat until incorporated. Add the vanilla and beat for 2 minutes longer. Working in two batches, alternately fold in the dry ingredients and the wine, until just incorporated.
3. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan, and bake for 45 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn it out onto a rack; let cool completely.

We loved this with the addition of Merlot Soaked Cherries.  It is best with Coffee, Lambic beer or a lovely California Merlot.

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Macaroon Sandwiches with Poached Pears and Devon Cream

from Food & Wine Mag.

Ingredients

PEARS

• 2 cups Navarro Pinot Noir grape juice or unsweetened grape juice
• 1 cup dry Zinfandel wine
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 3 large, ripe but firm Bartlett pears, peeled

MACAROONS

• 3/4 cup walnut halves (3 ounces)
• 1 cup plus 2 1/2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar, plus more for dusting
• 2 large egg whites
• Fleur de sel (French sea salt)

CREAM

• 3/4 cup Devon clotted cream (one 6-ounce bottle) or crème fraîche
• 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
• 3/4 cup heavy cream

Directions

1. POACH THE PEARS: In a medium saucepan, combine the grape juice with the red wine, sugar and lemon juice and bring to a boil. Turn off the heat and let cool slightly. Add the pears and simmer over moderate heat until they are tender, about 20 minutes; let cool slightly. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the pears to a plate. Simmer the poaching liquid over moderate heat until thickened slightly, about 15 minutes.
2. MAKE THE MACAROONS: Preheat the oven to 350° and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Spread the walnut halves on another baking sheet and toast them for about 9 minutes, until golden and fragrant. Let the walnuts cool completely. Coarsely chop the walnuts in a food processor. Add the 1 cup plus 2 1/2 tablespoons of confectioners' sugar and pulse until the walnuts are very finely ground, scraping down the sides of the bowl frequently. Transfer the walnut sugar to a bowl and whisk to break up any lumps. Increase the oven temperature to 425°.
3. In a medium bowl, beat the egg whites at medium speed until they are frothy. Increase the speed to high and beat until firm peaks form. Add the walnut sugar all at once and fold it in with a large rubber spatula until no streaks of white remain. (The meringue will deflate.)
4. Transfer the meringue to a large pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch plain round tip or to a sturdy plastic bag with a corner cut off. Pipe out 12 meringue mounds on the parchment-lined baking sheet, leaving at least 1 inch between them. Gently tap the baking sheet once on the work surface to smooth the tops. Sprinkle each macaroon with a tiny pinch of fleur de sel and bake for 4 minutes. Turn the oven down to 350° and prop the door open about 2 inches. Continue to bake the macaroons for about 12 minutes, or until the tops are brown and dry but the cookies are still soft. Let the macaroons cool for 5 minutes, then carefully transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
5. PREPARE THE CREAM: In a medium bowl, beat the clotted cream with the sugar until smooth and runny. Add the heavy cream and beat until soft peaks form.
6. To get 2 even slabs from each pear, first trim a thin slice from the bottom and trim off most of the top; cut the remainder in half horizontally. Using a small knife or melon baller, remove the cores. Place 6 of the macaroons, flat side up, on plates. Top each with a pear half and drizzle with some of the grape reduction. Spoon the cream on top and top with another macaroon. Dust with confectioners' sugar and serve.

We served without the cream and it was amazing with 2009 La Spinetta, Moscatto d' Asti

Make Ahead: The poached pears and grape reduction can be refrigerated separately overnight. The macaroons can be stored overnight in an airtight container.

Goat Cheese Mousse with Red-Wine Caramel

from Food & Wine Magazine

Ingredients

• 2 cups dry red wine
• 1/2 cup ruby port
• 1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
• 1 shallot, minced
• 2 thyme sprigs plus 1/2 teaspoon chopped thyme
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 4 cups strawberries, hulled (2 pints)
• 2 teaspoons finely grated orange zest
• 2 tablespoons water
• One 11-ounce log of fresh goat cheese, softened
• 2 tablespoons heavy cream
• Pinch of freshly ground pepper
• Crostini and toasted walnuts, for serving

Directions

1. In a saucepan, bring the wine, port, black peppercorns, shallot, thyme sprigs and 1 cup of the sugar to a boil, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Using a moistened pastry brush, wash down any sugar crystals on the side of the pan. Cook over moderate heat, without stirring, until syrupy and reduced to 1 cup, about 35 minutes. Strain and discard the solids. Let the caramel cool slightly.
2. Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, toss the strawberries, orange zest, water and the remaining 1/2 cup of sugar and let stand until juicy, about 30 minutes.
3. Bring the strawberries to a boil and simmer over moderate heat until slightly thickened and jammy, about 15 minutes. Transfer the compote to a bowl and let cool.
4. In a medium bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the goat cheese, cream, ground pepper and chopped thyme until creamy. Spoon the mousse into a bowl and serve with the compote, caramel, crostini and walnuts so guests can assemble their own. 
   

Served with 2008 Cantina Ceci, "La Luna" Lambruscco.

Make Ahead: The caramel, strawberries and mousse can be refrigerated separately for up to 3 days. Bring to room temperature before serving.

Champagne Sabayon

from "J" Winery

Ingredients

• 1 cup water
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 vanilla bean, split, seeds scraped
• One 750-ml bottle brut Champagne or sparkling wine
• 1 dozen large egg yolks
• 2 cups heavy cream

Directions

1. In a saucepan, bring the water, sugar and vanilla bean and seeds to a boil. Reduce the heat to moderately high and cook, without stirring, to a light golden caramel, 10 minutes. Add the Champagne and simmer until reduced to 2 cups, 20 minutes.
2. In a large, heatproof bowl, lightly beat the egg yolks. Very gradually whisk in 1/4 cup of the hot Champagne caramel until blended. Slowly whisk in the remaining caramel. Set the mixture over a saucepan filled with 1 inch of simmering water. Cook over low heat, whisking constantly, until the custard thickens enough to form a ribbon when it falls from the whisk, about 10 minutes. Remove the vanilla bean. Transfer the custard to a bowl and let cool, then refrigerate until chilled.
3. Whip the cream just until firm. Fold into the Champagne custard and transfer to a serving bowl; serve cold.

Make Ahead: The sabayon can be prepared through Step 2 up to 2 days ahead.

We cooked with and served this dessert with NV Guy Chaumont, Cremant de Bourgogne.

The Strawberry Red Wine Gelato and Spiked Sorbetto were made by Henry's Gelato.

How many times, do you not finish a bottle? I feel guilt when it just sits there for days and days. Then I end up dumping it down the drain. The wine never deserved that. I shouldn’t been more industrious and used the left over for something yummy. I ran across this article in on RealSimple.com. No more wasted wine.

Click Here.

June is starting to get hot.  I thought it would be nice to enjoy a refreshing cocktail.  But when you work in a wine store and you don't sell vodka, what do you do?  You reach for some fun wine based aperitifs and you shake up a rock-in cocktail.

A cool summer Vermouth-based recipe:

Chambraise

3 oz Dolin Blanc

2-3 strawberry slices

splash of soda

2-3 dashes Bitter Truth Lemon bitters

serve on ice, wide lemon twist

Fill a small rocks glass ore wine glass half way with ice. Add 2 strawberry slices, Rub a lemon rind along the lip of the glass. Add 3 oz’s of Dolin Vermouth Blanc. Add a dash of Bitter Truth Lemon Bitters. Finish with a splash of soda. Enjoy!

Verjus (pronounced vair-ZHOO) is the tart, fresh juice of unripe wine grapes. It is a culinary ingredient indigenous to the world's wine producing regions that is used in sauce making, for poaching fish and meat, and to dress lettuces, vegetables and fruit. Verjus or "verjuice" as it is sometimes called, literally means green juice in the sense that it's made from fruit that has yet to fully ripen — it's green. It is used to add acidity to foods, an important component in food and in cooking.

Sip…a wine store sells Navarro Chardonnay Verjus.  We love it.  We use it to marinate fish and for vinaigrettes.  It’s amazing.  I even freeze them in ice cube trays and use the cubes to deglaze pans.

If you want to try Navarro Chardonnay Verjus, check out the following link. Try something new!

Click Here