More cookies should include beer as an ingredient, don’t you think? Especially when that beer is Guinness and it’s approaching St. Patrick’s Day! Our Chocolate Guinness Cookies incorporate peanut butter chips and pretzels to deliver a St. Patrick’s Day treat you will want to make year-round. So raise a Chocolate Guinness Cookie and make a toast to the Irish – Sláinte!

Love these special edition Guinness cans “celebrating the famed Guinness campaigns of the 1930s & 50s”

Keep a close eye on the Guinness and brown sugar mixture as it reduces…don’t let it go too far!

Using Kerry Gold Irish butter gives these cookies even more Irish flavor!

You can’t go wrong with additions of chocolate, peanut butter and pretzels!

Gently press a mini pretzel (we used Snyder’s Butter Snap pretzels) into the top of each dough round before baking.

Bake and enjoy…Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

Chocolate Guinness Cookies with Peanut Butter and Pretzels

Guiness Syrup:

• 2 (12-ounce) bottles of Guinness stout
• 1/2 cup (4 oz) packed light brown sugar

In a medium saucepan combine the Guinness and the brown sugar. Set pan over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally until the mixture is syrupy and reduced to about 1/3 cup. This will take about 30-45 minutes.  Set aside to cool.

Dough:

• 2 3/4 cups (12.4 oz) all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup (1.4 oz) unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 tsp espresso powder
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• ¾ tsp kosher salt
• 1 cup (8 ounces) salted butter (preferably Kerry Gold), at room temperature
• 1 cup (7 oz) granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup (4 oz) packed light brown sugar
• 2 large eggs plus 1 large egg yolk, at room temperature
• 1 TBS pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup (6 oz) semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1 ½ cups (9 oz) peanut butter chips
• 1 cup (2.5 oz) crushed salted pretzels
• 30 mini pretzels for topping (optional)

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, espresso powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugars until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.  Add the eggs and yolk, one at a time, until combined.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the vanilla and mix until combined.  With the mixer on low, gradually add the cooled Guinness syrup, mixing until combined.  Gradually add the flour mixture until no flour is visible.  Fold in the chocolate chips and peanut butter chips. Finally, fold in the pretzel pieces.

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, about 3 hours (dough can also be refrigerated overnight).

Preheat the oven to 350° F.  Line several large baking sheets with parchment paper.  Using a 2” diameter scoop (about 2 tablespoons), scoop out portions of the cookie dough onto the prepared baking sheet spaced 3 inches apart.  Lightly press a mini pretzel into the top of each scoop. Bake the cookies until the edges are set, about 15-18 minutes.  Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Store cookies in air tight container for up to 5 days.

makes about 30 cookies