Welcome to March!

It’s my birthday month and the month of Saint Patrick’s Day.

I don’t know why I get so excited about Saint Patrick’s Day — I think I just have fond memories of Saint Paddy’s Day from my childhood.

Spring is in the air — the days are getting longer, the birds are chirping, the plans for summer are starting to take shape.

My parents used to make a big deal out of Saint Patrick’s Day so it must have rubbed off on me a little bit.  Mom would always make sure I had a nice, new item of green clothing to wear to school.

So I wanted to test out something that screamed, “Irish,” while satisfying my affinity for appetizers.  (One year, “eating more appetizers” was actually one of my New Years Resolutions . . .)

Naturally, Guinness came to mind.

This Guinness reduction has exactly two ingredients:  equal amounts Guinness Stout and brown sugar.

I tested a version with granulated sugar. It was very good, but the brown sugar batch has the flavor I prefer.

We combined the sweet, syrupy Guinness reduction with delicious Italian olive oil and served it along with a selection of cheeses, olives and prosciutto from our local grocery store.

Dinner!

Enjoy! – The Recipe Wench

Guinness Reduction

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Serves	1-1/2 cups
Prep time	2 minutes
Cook time	45 minutes
Total time	47 minutes
Meal type	Appetizer

Guinness reduction sauce reminds me of balsamic vinegar without the "tang." It's a very simple recipe but takes some patience while the sauce heats and becomes deliciously syrupy. Drizzle some into olive oil and then dip baguettes and enjoy!

Ingredients

• 1 Cup Guinness
• 1 Cup brown sugar, lightly packed

Note

When you store this Guinness reduction sauce in the fridge, it thickens up.  This is a good thing.

Enjoy! - The Recipe Wench

Directions

Step 1

This is so simple you barely need a "recipe" -- Heat the Guinness and brown sugar in a sauce pan over medium heat. Stir continuously until sugar has dissolved and mixture has started to bubble. Reduce heat to low and allow mixture to simmer for about 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Be patient -- it's so worth it! I suggest you pay close attention to this mixture as it is simmering. Since there is so much sugar, there is the likelihood of it burning. Also, I found that at times the mixture would start to rise to the top of the sauce pan (maybe my saucepan should have been larger). If that happens to you, just remove the pan from the heat until the mixture backs down. Lowering the heat will help too.