Garlic and Cheese Beer Bread

In an effort to help some young friends raise money for their school fundraiser, Molly and I (Molly's husband and writer of this post) purchased a beer bread mix.  When we got around to making it, we found it utterly delicious!  Continuing to purchase this mix would have proved to be an expensive habit, however.  As such, we decided to make our own.  Well, I decided to make our own.  And let me say, it was extremely easy to do.  If it's easy for me, anyone can make it!  This recipe was adapted a bit from one found on food.com (the original website is linked.  See, no plagiarism from the English MA!).  

Prep time:  5 mins
Bake time:  50 mins - 1 hour
Eat time:  Depends on your will power.

Ingredients:

1. 3 cups flour
2. 3 teaspoons of baking powder
3. 1 teaspoon of salt
4. 1/4 cup of sugar
5. 1 can of beer (12 oz.) (I find dark beer to be the best, as it adds more flavor)
6. 1/4 cup butter
7. 1/2 cup of shredded cheese (this is optional, and we usually use Mexican cheese)*
8. 1 and 1/2 teaspoons of garlic powder (optional)*

                 *though these are optional, they will be included in the directions

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees (that's Fahrenheit.  The rest of the world is Celsius, but we in the US like to be "unique.")
2. Sift the flour into a big bowl (yes, big bowl is a technical cooking term).
3. Add the baking powder, salt, sugar, and garlic powder to the flour.
4. Use a small to medium sized rubber spatula to mix the dry ingredients together.
5. Put the butter into the microwave to melt.  (I would put it in a plastic or glass container of some kind.  Otherwise you'll find yourself cleaning up a now useless mess.)  30 seconds should be sufficient.  (DO NOT mix the butter into the dough!)  
6. Once the dry ingredients are mixed, pour in the entire can of beer.  (When I say pour it in, I mean into the bowl.  If you want to pour it into your mouth, you'll need a second beer.)
7. Mix the ingredients in the bowl until all the liquid has been absorbed and there is no dry powder left.  Remember to scrape the excess off the side and back into the mix.
8. Mix the cheese into the dough.  Not all of it will mix in.  In fact, most of it will sit on top and help to form the crust.
9. Grease a loaf pan.
10. Pour the dough into the loaf pan.
11. Even out the dough.
12. Pour the melted butter over the top of the dough.
13. Put in oven to bake.  Depending on the oven, it will take between 50mins-1 hour.  
14. When finished, take it out of the oven, take it out of the loaf pan, and let cool for 15 mins.
15. Enjoy!!!  (Could have left this one out, but 15 seemed like a nice round number.)

When you take it out, the crust will be fairly hard.  Don't worry, you didn't over-bake it (well, maybe you did.  If it's all black, then you should probably have your oven checked out.)  The inside will still be soft and oh so delicious.

-Posted by D. Mosier