Ingredients

for the beer molasses:

• 1 1/2 cup dark or light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup amber/brown beer
• 1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice

for the cookies:

• 1 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup butter
• 1/4 cup beer molasses
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon ground ginger
• 2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 egg
• 2 1/4 cup all-purpose flour

Preparation

For the beer molasses:

In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, combine sugar, beer, cream of tartar and lemon juice. Stir gently until the mixture reaches a boil, and once it boils, do not stir again.

Let the mixture boil and thicken for 1 minute, and then remove from heat. Let mixture cool completely before using it in the recipe. You will have more molasses than you’ll use in this recipe; store the rest in the fridge for another use or more cookies.

To make the cookies:

Heat oven to 350F/175C.

Bring all of the remaining ingredients to room temperature before starting to mix the cookies.

In a medium-size bowl, sift flour and set aside. In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy using a spatula or the paddle attachment if using a stand mixer.

Add beer molasses, salt, cinnamon, ginger and baking soda with butter mixture and mix until combined. Add eggs and beat until mixture until combined, making sure you scrap the bottom of the bowl between adding additional ingredients.

Add sifted flour and mix gently until combined. Place cookie dough in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let dough rest in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour, up to 24 hours.

Once the dough has rested, use a cookie scoop to evenly portion out cookies. Right before baking, roll cookies in granulated sugar and place evenly spaced on the baking sheet. Bake for 6 minutes. Rotate the baking sheet and bake cookies for another 6 minutes.

AAS

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ¾ cup (1½ sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
• ¾ cup sugar
• 3 tablespoons honey
• ¾ cup tahini
• ¼ cup toasted sesame seeds

Preparation

Place racks in upper and lower thirds of oven and preheat to 350°. Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat butter, sugar, and honey in a large bowl until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in tahini, then add dry ingredients in 2 batches, beating after each addition until fully combined. Dough will be slightly sticky.

Place sesame seeds in a small bowl. Scoop out heaping tablespoons of dough (about 1 oz.) and roll into balls. Dip tops of balls in sesame seeds, pressing to adhere, and place, sesame side up, on 2 parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing about 2" apart. Bake cookies, rotating baking sheets halfway through, until golden brown, 13–15 minutes. Let cool on baking sheets (cookies will firm as they cool).

To make with already-sweetened tahini (e.g., flavored), just omit the honey.

BA, edited

• Thin Mints + Black IPA
• Lemonades + American IPA
• Peanut Butter Sandwich + Imperial Hefeweiszen
• Shortbread + Amber
• Thanks-A-Lot + Blonde
• S’Mores + Barrel-Aged Imperial Porter
• Caramel Delites + Hefeweiszen
• Peanut Butter Patties + Imperial Porter

After Circle Brewing, via Austin American-Statesman

Ingredients

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. kosher salt
• 2½ tsp. ground cardamom, divided
• 2 tsp. ground cinnamon, divided
• 1 cup (packed) light brown sugar
• ½ cup granulated sugar, divided
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract or paste
• 2 1.4-oz. chocolate toffee bars (preferably Skor), finely chopped
• 3 cups cornflakes, lightly crushed
• Gold or rainbow disco or luster dust (for serving; optional)

Preparation

Place racks in upper and lower thirds of oven; preheat to 350°. Cook butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring often, until it foams, then browns, 5–8 minutes. Scrape into the bowl of a stand mixer. Let brown butter cool slightly. Meanwhile, whisk flour, baking soda, salt, 1½ tsp. cardamom, and 1 tsp. cinnamon in a medium bowl. Add brown sugar and ¼ cup granulated sugar to brown butter. Fit bowl onto stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment and beat on medium speed until thick, about 1 minute. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Continue to mix just until smooth, about 1 minute longer. Beat in vanilla. Reduce speed to low and add dry ingredients; beat until nearly combined. Add Skor bars and beat just long enough to bring dough together (it will be a little loose). Cover and let rest 5–10 minutes to let flour hydrate (dough will thicken). Place cornflakes in a small bowl. Mix remaining ¼ cup granulated sugar, 1 tsp. cardamom, and 1 tsp. cinnamon in another small bowl. Working one at a time, scoop out 2-tablespoonfuls of dough (they don’t need to be perfect balls) and toss in cornflakes to coat well; squeeze lightly to adhere. Move to bowl with spiced sugar and toss to coat. Divide between 2 parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing 3" apart. Bake cookies, rotating baking sheets top to bottom and front to back halfway through, until edges are set, 13–16 minutes. Let cool on baking sheets. Brush with gold dust if desired.

Bon Appétit, December 2018

Ingredients

• 2 cups butter, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 cups crushed potato chips
• 3/4 cup chopped walnuts

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350°. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in vanilla. Gradually add flour to creamed mixture and mix well. Stir in potato chips and walnuts. Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls 2 in. apart onto ungreased baking sheets. Bake 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool 2 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks. Yield: 4-1/2 dozen.

Taste of Home

Ingredients

• 8 ounces (2 sticks) unsalted butter
• 1 standard ice cube (about 2 tablespoons frozen water)
• 10 ounces (about 2 cups)
• all-purpose flour
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoons Diamond Crystal kosher salt or 1 teaspoon table salt
• 5 ounces (about 3/4 cup) granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 5 ounces (about 1/2 tightly packed cup plus 2 tablespoons) dark brown sugar
• 8 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, roughly chopped with a knife into 1/2- to 1/4-inch chunks
• Coarse sea salt for ganish

Preparation

Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook, gently swirling pan constantly, until particles begin to turn golden brown and butter smells nutty, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and continue swirling the pan until the butter is a rich brown, about 15 seconds longer. Transfer to a medium bowl, whisk in ice cube, transfer to refrigerator, and allow to cool completely, about 20 minutes, whisking occasionally. (Alternatively, whisk over an ice bath to hasten process).

Meanwhile, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. Place granulated sugar, eggs, and vanilla extract in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whisk on medium high speed until mixture is pale brownish-yellow and falls off the whisk in thick ribbons when lifted, about 5 minutes.

Fit paddle attachment onto mixer. When brown butter mixture has cooled (it should be just starting to turn opaque again and firm around the edges), Add brown sugar and cooled brown butter to egg mixture in stand mixer. Mix on medium speed to combine, about 15 seconds. Add flour mixture and mix on low speed until just barely combined but some dry flour still remains, about 15 seconds. Add chocolate and mix on low until dough comes together, about 15 seconds longer. Transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate dough at least overnight and up to three days.

When ready to bake, adjust oven racks to upper and lower middle positions and preheat oven to 325°F. Using a 1-ounce ice cream scoop or a spoon, place scoops of cookie dough onto a non-stick or parchment-lined baking sheet. Each ball should measure approximately 3 tablespoons in volume and you should be able to fit 6 to 8 balls on each sheet. Transfer to oven and bake until golden brown around edges but still soft, 13 to 16 minutes, rotating pans back to front and top and bottom half way through baking.

Remove baking sheets from oven. While cookies are still hot, sprinkle very lightly with coarse salt and gently press it down to embed. Let cool for 2 minutes, then transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.

Repeat steps 3 and 4 for remaining cookie dough. Allow cookies to cool completely before storing in an airtight container, plastic bag, or cookie jar at room temperature for up to 5 days.

J. Kenji Lopez-Alt, Serious Eats

Ingredients

For shortbread crust:

• 1 stick unsalted butter, softened
• 1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup all-purpose flour

For chocolate dulce de leche:

• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 cup dulce de leche
• 4 large egg yolks
• 5 ounces 60%-cacao bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped (preferably in a food processor)

Preparation

Make shortbread crust: Preheat oven to 375°F with rack in middle. Butter a shallow 9- to 9 1/2-inch square baking pan (1 to 1 1/2 inches deep). Line bottom and 2 sides with parchment paper, leaving an overhang. Butter parchment.

Blend together butter, brown sugar, vanilla, and salt in a bowl with a fork. Sift in flour and blend with fork until a soft dough forms.

Spread dough evenly in baking pan using an offset spatula or back of a spoon, then prick all over with fork.

Bake until golden, 15 to 20 minutes, then cool completely in pan on a rack, about 30 minutes.

Make chocolate dulce de leche: Bring cream and dulce de leche to a simmer in a small heavy saucepan, stirring with a wooden spoon until dulce de leche has dissolved.

Whisk together yolks in a bowl, then slowly whisk in hot cream mixture. Return to pan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until pan is visible in tracks of spoon and mixture registers 170°F on an instant-read thermometer. Remove from heat and whisk in chocolate until melted.

Make bars: Pour chocolate mixture over cooled shortbread and chill, uncovered, until cold and set, about 2 hours.

Run a small knife around edges to loosen, then transfer to a cutting board using parchment. Cut with a hot clean knife (dip in hot water and wipe clean between cuts) into 24 bars. Chill until ready to serve.

Gourmet, July 2008

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 1/3 cups sugar
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 3 egg yolks
• 2 tablespoons vanilla extract
• Interior scrapings of 1/2 split vanilla bean, preferably Tahitian
• 3 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

For Classic Shortbread:

• 1 cup granulated, raw, or turbinado sugar

For Five-Spice Shortbread:

• 2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons ground cardamom
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon ground star anise
• 1/4 cup turbinado or other granulated sugar

For Double Chocolate-Ginger Shortbread

• 1/4 cup turbinado or other granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup extra-brut cocoa or regular unsweetened cocoa
• 1 tablespoon peeled and grated fresh ginger
• 1/4 cup minced candied ginger
• 3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips, or bittersweet chocolate chopped into small chunks

For Caramel Macadamia Nut Shortbread

• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 pound macadamia pieces, or whole nuts, roughly chopped

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 325°F. In the bowl of a mixer, combine butter, sugar and salt and cream on medium speed until blended, about 2 minutes. One by one, add the egg yolks, mixing until incorporated. Add the vanilla extract and the scrapings of the vanilla bean. Scrape down the bowl.

Turn the mixer off and add the flour. Turn the machine to low and mix until the flour is completely incorporated. Remove the dough from the bowl. Working on parchment or wax paper, form dough into 4 logs 10 inches long and 1 1/4 inches in diameter; wrap and chill.

For the Classic, Five-Spice, or Double Chocolate-Ginger Cookies: In a small bowl, combine the ingredients listed.

Cut the chilled log into twenty 1/2-inch rounds. Dip one cut surface of each round into the mixture and arrange the rounds 2 inches apart on all sides on a parchment-lined or nonstick cookie sheet or sheets.

Bake until golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove the cookies with a spatula and cool on a wire rack.

For the Caramel Macadamia Cookies: Grease a baking sheet, preferably rimmed.

In a medium saucepan, combine sugar and 1/2 cup of water. Heat over medium heat until mixture begins to simmer, about 3 minutes. Cover the pan and continue to simmer, allowing steam from cooking mixture to wash down the sides of the pan. Remove cover and continue to simmer until the mixture turns golden, 7 to 8 minutes. Immediately remove from the stove, and, to avoid mixture bubbling over, carefully pour cream in a slow, steady stream into the pan; do not stir. Return the pot to the stove, reduce heat to low, and, using a wooden spoon, gently stir mixture until cream is completely incorporated.

Transfer the caramel to a medium heat-proof bowl, add the nuts, and stir to coat the nuts evenly. Transfer the mixture to a baking sheet, spreading it evenly, and bake until dark brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Cool the brittle to room temperature and chop mixture coarsely using a food processor, a cleaver or by hand.

Cut the log into twenty 1/2-inch rounds, press one cut side of each round into the brittle, and arrange the rounds 2 inches apart on all sides on a parchment-lined or nonstick cookie sheet or sheets.

Bake until golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove the cookies with a spatula and cool on a wire rack.

Ming Tsai, via Epicurious

Ingredients

• 2 large egg whites
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon finely grated lime zest
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 7 ounces unsweetened coconut shavings (about 4 cups)

Preparation

Place racks in upper and lower thirds of oven; preheat to 325°F. Whisk egg whites and sugar in a large bowl just until frothy. Whisk in lime zest and salt. Add coconut and fold to coat.

Drop heaping tablespoonfuls of coconut mixture onto 2 parchment paper-lined rimmed baking sheets. Bake, rotating pans halfway through from top to bottom and back to front, until golden brown, 18-22 minutes. Let cool on baking sheets.

Bon Appetit, March 2013

Ingredients

• 1 c. Nutella (which does contain milk)
• 1/2 tbsp. baking soda
• 1 c. flour
• 1/2 c. sugar
• 1/4 c. brown sugar
• 1/4 c. applesauce
• 1 tsp. vanilla

Preparation

Combine the sugars, applesauce, vanilla and Nutella in a bowl. Mix until smooth. Add the flour and baking soda and mix until combined. The dough should be sticky and easy to remove from the bowl. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for an hour and a half.

Preheat the oven to 350.

Roll into tbsp-sized balls, and place on a baking sheet. Sprinkle (or roll) each cookie in a small bit of sea salt, kosher salt, or fleur de sel. Bake for about 10 minutes until the cookies are puffed and crinkled (they will look under-done, this is normal). Remove from oven and cool for about 5 minutes on a baking sheet and about 5 minutes on a rack.

Emma, Mama Ozzy’s Table