Ever wondered how you can use up some of that spent beer grain leftover from brewing ? or maybe you’re an extract brewer and it seems a shame to throw out those used beer grains from steeping ?
Why not try using some of that spent beer grain for making crackers to enjoy with cheese, dips – and, of course, your beer !
OUR RECIPE
What you’ll need:
1 cup well-drained spent beer grain
1 cup plain flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup oil or soft butter
a little water or beer, if needed
and a cold beer while you’re baking…
Pre-heat the oven to 180C. Line 2 trays with non-stick baking paper.
Squeeze any excess liquid from the beer grain. If it seems a little chunky, or you prefer less coarse biscuits, give the grain a quick whizz in a food processor.
Use your hands to mix the flour, salt and oil with the beer grain – depending how dry the grain is, you may need to add a little water (or beer !) to achieve a workable consistency.
Give the dough a quick knead, then roll on a lightly floured surface as thinly as you can manage. Cut into you desired shapes – circles, squares, or large rectangles for your lunchbox. Expect the edges to be a little rough if you didn’t process the grain first. Carefully transfer the biscuits to your baking trays.
Bake for 15-20 minutes, until crisp but not overcooked. The time needed depends on your oven and the thickness of the crackers.
Enjoy with dips, cheese, as part of a ploughman’s lunch – served with a cold beer, of course !
A few tips:
– Spent beer grain loses its malty sweetness quickly. Refrigerate some if you plan to bake within a couple of days. If you want to serve to match your beer when it’s ready, freeze cup-portions in the freezer until you want to bake.
– Play with flavour additions to suit your beer and grain. Try caraway seeds, cracked black pepper, or sesame seeds. Rosemary and crushed walnuts go beautifully with blue cheese.
– If you don’t brew with grain but want to bake beer grain biscuits, then drop into the shop and grab a pack of steeping grains.
