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Yummy Links: From Hubert Keller to Root Beer

partysugar — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 07:50:04 -0700

The hottest chef at last weekend's food festival in San Francisco? DJ Hubert Keller. - Eater SF
How to start your own food truck. - Grub Street
If you love Pop Tarts, you'll enjoy this Pop Tart art. - Eat Me Daily
Taste test: milk chocolate bars. - Serious Eats
Where to taste wine while traveling in Sonoma. - Chow
Are you America's best home cook? Enter this contest and you could win big. - Food & Wine
Kelly Choi just got a little more ridiculous: here she is dressed up as Catwoman. - The Feedbag
The latest trend to hit the beverage scene is old-fashioned root beer. - Bon Appétit

Yummy Link: Root Beer Float Pops

partysugar — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 11:15:22 -0700

By now you've probably noticed that this Summer we are officially obsessed with Popsicles. How delicious do these root beer float pops sound?! They're a combination of vanilla ice cream and root beer with a cherry garnish. -Erin Cooks

Taste Test: Thomas Kemper's Cane Sugar Soda

partysugar — Tue, 13 May 2008 13:15:09 -0700

In what's become a growing trend among soda manufacturers, Thomas Kemper has recently reformulated their soda recipes and updated packaging. Instead of using high-fructose corn syrup, the new beverages are naturally sweetened with pure cane sugar.

I tasted three - Black Cherry, Root Beer, and Ginger Ale - of the company's five sodas and was pleasantly surprised by the results. All of the sodas were refreshing with typical flavors that one would expect from a craft, bottled soda company. To find out how each one tasted, read more.

The root beer, with its vanilla-marshmallow smell and clear, classic taste, was my favorite. It was everything you want from a root beer - sweet and comforting. My least favorite was the black cherry. It had a strong artificial smell with a too-syrupy taste that reminded me of cough medicine. The fresh, clean, crisp ginger ale was my co-tester's favorite. They described it as a quality ginger ale that was "really good" with strong ginger flavor.

How about you? Have you tried the new Thomas Kemper formula? Did you notice a difference? Are you excited soda companies are eliminated the high-fructose corn syrup?

Happy Hour: "Root Beer Float" Cocktail

YumSugar — Mon, 06 Aug 2007 13:18:30 -0700

If a regular root beer float is a little too tame for you, then I suggest you spice things up a bit with the grown-up version. Sure you could spike your root beer with bourbon, but why not take it to the next level? Why not indulge in a properly mixed drink that tastes just like a root beer float? The strangest part is that it actually doesn't use root beer as a base, it uses Coke! To find out how to make this fantastic concoction, read more

Root Beer Float (alcholic)
From Drink Swap

1/2 oz vodka
1/2 oz Galliano
1/2 oz light cream
4 oz Coca-Cola
1 1/2 oz whipped cream

Pour vodka, galliano, and light cream into a collins glass filled with ice cubes and stir well. Fill with cola, stir lightly, top with whipped cream, and serve.

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Reader Recipe: Root Beer Float Cupcakes

YumSugar — Mon, 06 Aug 2007 10:03:31 -0700

This weekend I was checking out the recipes on TeamSugar and noticed that lately, you all have a been a bit cupcake crazy. There's been a bunch of innovative cupcake recipes like: sarahkushner's Red Wine & Chocolate Cupcakes, minko's Pear & Blue Cheese Cupcakes and Lychee Lemon Coconut Cupcakes, as well classics like laurafox's Red Velvet Cupcakes with Cream Cheese. However since today is National Root Beer Float Day, I thought I'd share TeamSugar member sarahkushner's recipe for Root Beer Float Cupcakes. These babies look fantastic, does anyone else want to lick their screen too?!? To check out the recipe, read more

Root Beer Float Cupcakes submitted by TeamSugar member sarahkushner

EDIT: It would appear that my little cupcake madness has been popping up all over the net! That being said, there are comments and emails GALORE about them, 99% positive and the rest questions and critiques.

So here is my Edit. PLEASE READ BEFORE BAKING:

1. USE LINERS! Yes I know that I don't have them in the photo... but I haven't had a chance to take a new photo. Use foil liners. And no, do not take the liners off.

2. If you can find root beer extract, more power to you, you can replace the vanilla extract with it. I prefer not to include things in recipes that you can't buy at a regular grocery store, as it bugs the heck out of me when I want to try a recipe, but have to order half the ingredients. I bought all the ingredients for these at one store, in one trip.

3. The glaze. Many critics say that its sticky. One person called it tasteless. A) Pour on the glaze while the cupcakes are still slightly warm like I say, it will soak in a bit, and some of the moisture will be taken out of the glaze and into the cupcake... once you let it set up a bit it shouldn't be sticky. B) I still don't know how it could be tasteless with both shnapps and root beer in it... I wanted to eat the stuff with a spoon... I did not add shnapps to the buttercream as thats the "vanilla float" part. If you think it has to do with proportions of wet to sugar... take it up with Paula Dean, as its an adaptation of a glaze she made for Lemon Blossoms.

4. Someone brought up a very good point. I say to fill the liners to the top with the batter, that works for my oven, they puff perfectly. But, I forgot my Alton Brown, and every oven is different... so filling to the top may not work for you... so if you are worried... don't do it, but you will end up with a few more cupcakes.

---------------
Root beer floats are one of those things that my brothers and I loved as kids. I don't know about them, but for me, its still something that I love to have on occasion. That's why I wanted to make a cupcake that tasted like a root beer float. I mean come on, nothing is more fun than a cupcake, or root beer floats… why not combine the two. Now, I did find a couple recipes online, that just added a can or two of root beer to the batter. Not good enough for me… the flavor of the root beer kind of faded away. And I was super picky about the flavor on this one. It's taken several tries at this recipe to get it right…
First round: I tried using spices and ingredients that are used in root beer as well as a can of root beer… but it ended up tasting more like a spice cake… not bad, but not what I wanted.
Second round: I tried reducing a lot of root beer in a sauce pan to make a syrup, and adding a can of root beer… but the flavor wasn't to strong (I think that boiling the root beer made the flavor evaporate), and I didn't use an "old fashioned" root beer, and the flavor didn't bake well.
Third round: Eureka! The only change that I would make is to use cupcake liners, as the cake can easily fall apart during the "tipsy" phase. And here's the recipe!

Enjoy!

Root Beer Float Cakes

Cake Ingredients

1 cup root beer schnapps
1 1/2 cups old-fashioned style root beer (like A&W or Dads)
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 cups dark brown sugar
1 cup butter
2 eggs
3 cups all purpose flour
1 Tbs. baking powder
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt

Root Beer Glaze

4 cups confectioners sugar
1/3 cup root beer
3 Tbs. root beer schnapps*
3 Tbs. vegetable oil

*for a more kid friendly version, replace schnapps with more root beer

You will also need some extra root beer schnapps (1 Tbs. per cupcake)
Or for the kiddies use root beer (again 1 Tbs. per cupcake)
You will also need some basic Vanilla buttercream ( there are many recipes online to try J)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF.
2. In a bowl, mix together root beer schnapps, root beer, and vanilla extract. Set aside.
3. In a separate bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
4. Add eggs, mix until smooth
5. Sift in flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
6. Mix with hand mixer on low, while slowly pouring in root beer mixture.
7. Mix until smooth and lump free.
8. Pour into lined cupcake pan. (Use foil cupcake liners to avoid "leakage" later.) Fill nearly to the top, you may think its over-filled, but it puffs up perfectly this way. Don't be tempted to use more than 24 cupcake cups... trust me.
9. Bake for 15- 20 minutes, until golden brown and cake springs back when touched.
10. While cupcakes are baking, prepare your butter cream and root beer glaze. For glaze, put all ingredients into a bowl and mix with a wisk until smooth and lump free.
11. To assemble, start by letting cupcakes cool, still in the pan.
12. While still slightly warm, pour 1 Tbs. of root beer schnapps over each cupcake. Pour on slowly to allow schnapps ( or regular root beer for the kiddies) to soak in.
13. Once the schnapps has soaked in and let sit for a few minutes, pour a couple tablespoons of glaze over each cupcake.
14. When the glaze sets up a bit and isn't too runny, put a "scoop" of buttercream atop each. For an added touch, you can even place a root beer barrel candy on each one.

Makes 2 dozen cupcakes

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National Root Beer Float Day: The First Black Cow

partysugar — Mon, 06 Aug 2007 01:18:31 -0700

With smooth vanilla ice cream, coppery root beer, and frothy foam, a root beer float is an all-American classic. Root beer was manufactured, bottled, and sold starting in 1880, and legend has it that thirteen years later, the root beer float, which is sometimes referred to as a black cow, was first invented. After glancing out the window late one night, Frank Wisner of Cripple Creek, Colorado, was inspired to float a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top of his glass of root beer. The illumination of the full moon allowed him to glimpse the snow on top of nearby Cow Mountain. The tasty treat was tremendously popular among the town's children, who then called it a "black cow."

Image Source

Root Beer Heaven

partysugar — Wed, 21 Mar 2007 15:58:31 -0700

When I lived in Spain for two years, one of the things I missed most was root beer. This is quite odd because I'm not a huge root beer drinker, although I have been known to have one every few months with a hot dog or in the form of a root beer float. Anyways, when my dad became friends with a young American who worked on a US army base in Spain, he offered to buy me some root beer from the base so I could enjoy a taste of home. That night I had the best root beer float ever. The simple combination of vanilla ice cream with the sweet almost syrupy fizzy soda (I call it soda) is to die for. Throw in a few bananas and a tiny bit of bourbon and you'll have one floating sundae. Dying to dive into a root beer float? Get the recipe and read more

Root Beer Float Sundae
From Emeril Lagasse

1 banana, peeled and cut in half lengthwise
2 scoops vanilla ice cream
2 to 3 tablespoons hot fudge or chocolate sauce
2 tablespoons bourbon
1 (12-ounce) can root beer
Whipped cream, for garnish
Confectioners' sugar, for garnish
Chocolate shavings, for garnish

In a large glass, arrange banana halves on each side.
Add ice cream, hot fudge, bourbon, and root beer to fill.
Garnish with whipped cream, confectioners' sugar, and chocolate shavings on top. Serve immediately.

Serves 1.

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Happy Hour: Root Beer Floats (Maybe Even Free!)

YumSugar — Wed, 06 Jun 2007 12:55:11 -0700

If you're lucky enough to have a Sonic Drive-In in your neighborhood, then be sure to stop by tomorrow, Thursday, June 7 between 8pm and midnight for a free root beer float (thanks for the tip GirlC). For those of you that can't make it to a Sonic, grab some simple ingredients and treat yourself at home! I found a great recipe for a root beer float with a kick, to check it out just read more

Root Beer Floats
From Bobby Flay

1 pint vanilla ice cream
2 bottles very cold old-fashioned root beer
Splash bourbon, optional
Freshly whipped cream

Place a few scoops of vanilla ice cream into 2 tall chilled float glasses. Pour the root beer and bourbon, if using, over the ice cream and top with a dollop of whipped cream.

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Float Into Summer With A&W Floats

YumSugar — Thu, 10 Jan 2008 13:27:11 -0800

What if I told you that you could have a hassle-free root beer float anytime you wanted? Well, thanks to the folks at A&W, you can! They recently announced a new line of drinks - A&W and Sunkist Floats ($1.79 each/$5.99 for four) - that promises to deliver a real float experience without all the fuss. Personally, I like the fuss associated with floats. Getting ice cream stuck in your straw is part of the fun! Yet, I can see where some people might like to indulge without the hassle. According to Andrew Springate, vice president of marketing at A&W, they have been trying to create this drink for quite some time. When asked about it, he said:

For years, beverage makers have tried to crack the code and develop an indulgent drink that tastes like a homemade float. The A&W and Sunkist Floats are indulgent treats like nothing consumers have experienced before; one pour and your taste buds will be amazed - no work, no hassle.

I haven't seen them at any of my local stores, but they should be hitting the market shortly. When they do, will you be picking one up?

Would You Use the Fizz Cup?

YumSugar — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 06:03:31 -0800

Yesterday I told you guys about the amazing Col-Pop device that allows you to hold soda and chicken nuggets at the same time. Most of you thought it was cool, so today I want to find out what you think of The Fizz Cup. It's the "ultimate on the go soda float device," and yet, something tells me it might be the only on the go soda float device. You put the ice cream in the top, and you screw it on to the top of a normal soda bottle. I don't know if we really need an ice cream float on the go device, but I guess it's kinda fun. What do you think?