Guinness Molasses Cookies
with a Guinness Glaze. Because, why not?
My St. Patrick’s beer-infused day wraps up with these unique Guinness Molasses Cookies. There’s beer in the cookie batter as well as in the glaze on top. The chewy cookies are flat and soft with the toasty Guinness flavor really coming through.
The dough is a bit different than you might be used to. It is very soft at first and should be refrigerated overnight before forming and baking the cookies. Then, you simply scoop a small amount of the dough and drop it directly in a bowl of sugar to help form them into balls. They spread out quite a bit on the sheet, so be sure to leave ample room between each ball of dough. Once the cookies are baked and cooled, they can be dipped in the Guinness glaze. This recipe is a fun way to round out a meal after serving Guinness Irish Stew and Rustic Beer Bread. Sláinte!
Guinness Molasses Cookies
Cookies:
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
2/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 egg
3/4 cup molasses
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2/3 cup Guinness Irish Stout, at room temperature
1/4 cup sour cream
2/3 cup granulated sugar
Glaze:
2/3 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon Guinness Irish Stout
In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter and brown sugar. Add the egg and beat until combined. Add the molasses and vanilla extract, and blend well.
In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, ginger, and cinnamon. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the Guinness and sour cream.
Add the dry ingredients, alternating with the Guinness mixture, to the butter mixture, beating after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl, as needed. The batter will be soft. Cover and refrigerate overnight to allow it to firm up.
When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350 F. Prepare baking sheets by covering with parchment paper. Measure 2/3 cup granulated sugar into a shallow bowl. Scoop walnut sized spoonfuls of the dough and drop directly into the bowl with the sugar. Dust the surface with the sugar and gently roll into a ball and place on the parchment lined baking sheets at least 2 inches apart (the cookies will spread). Using the base of a small glass dipped in sugar, flatten the cookies slightly. Bake for 15-17 minutes or until the cookies are set. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and allow the cookies to sit on the sheet for 5 minutes before removing them to a wire rack. Cool completely before adding the glaze.
To make the glaze, combine the powdered sugar and Guinness in a medium bowl until smooth. If the glaze is too thin, add additional powdered sugar. If it is too thick, add a few drops of beer. Dip the top of each cookie in the glaze, allowing the excess to drip off. Place back on the wire rack to allow the glaze to set. Cookies can be kept in an airtight container for up to 1 week. Yield: 3 dozen cookies
The perfect ending to a St. Patrick’s Day meal!
Enjoy with Guinness Irish Stew and Rustic Beer Bread.