Spring may not be traditional gingerbread weather, but with a fridge full of Guinness left over from St. Patrick’s day, I was looking for creative uses for stout. (Please don’t write in to tell me that “leftover beer” is an oxymoron.)

One of my virtual cyber-buddies, Andrea (and by that I mean I feel part of her life because I follow her blog, but have never spoken to or emailed her), was on the same wavelength, as she recently posted a recipe for Guinness Gingerbread. This was a simple recipe that makes a delicious 9-inch square cake. It’s surprisingly light, without being dry. It’s not one of the damp varieties of gingerbreads (which I also love), and it had assertive flavors from the spices and a small bit of unsweetened cocoa. You wouldn’t have guessed there was Guinness in it (or cocoa), although I’m sure it added to depth of flavor (and added a bit of yeastiness). I also tossed in some chopped crystallized ginger, because I’m a ginger nut. This added lovely nuggets of heat to the slices, which only got better with age.

Made me want to experiment more with cooking with beer. Anyone got any recipes to share?