Peanut butter and jelly. Sea salt and caramel. Cookies and beer. While the latter combination might not be the most obvious pairing on everyone’s list, the new “Cookies & Beer: Bake, Pair, Enjoy” cookbook features 40 cookie recipes from chefs, breweries, and bakeries across the country and suggested beer pairings for each. Here is a taste of “Cookies & Beer.”
Almond Apricot White Chocolate Chunk Cookies
Natasha Goellner, Natasha’s Mulberry & Mott
Kansas City, Missouri
Makes: 15 cookies
Pairing: Avery Brewing Company’s Ellie’s Brown Ale
Style: A brown ale will make you want to dunk this cookie because it lets the sweetness linger and is as comforting and smooth as milk.
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
½ cup almond paste
2 tablespoons vanilla extract
2 large eggs
3½ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 cup white chocolate chips
1 cup coarsely chopped dried apricots
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, almond paste, and vanilla on medium speed until smooth. Add the eggs one at a time, scraping down the bowl and paddle after each addition. Once the eggs are well incorporated, add the flour, salt, baking soda, white chocolate, and apricots. Mix on low speed until combined. The dough shouldn’t be too sticky.
Use a 4-ounce ice cream scoop (or ½-cup measuring cup) to scoop portions of the dough and place them about 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet. Lightly flatten the cookies with your palm. Bake for 14 minutes, or until golden brown around the sides and still pale in the center. Let cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.
The cookies will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for 2 days.
Zimsterne
(Winter Star)
John Kraus, Patisserie 46
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Makes: 25 cookies
Pairing: Dangerous Man Brewing Company’s Chocolate Milk Stout
Style: A chocolate milk stout or milk stout will provide a creamy balance to the sweet icing and spicy cinnamon.
Cookies:
Butter, for greasing (optional)
4½ cups blanched almond flour, plus more as needed
2⅓ cups granulated sugar
3⅓ tablespoons ground cinnamon
Juice of 1 large lemon
½ large egg white
Royal Icing:
3¾ cups confectioners’ sugar
6 large egg whites
3 drops fresh lemon juice
Line two baking sheets with silicone baking mats or grease with butter.
To make the cookies, in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the almond flour, granulated sugar, cinnamon, and lemon juice. With the mixer running on low speed, slowly add the egg white until the dough is uniform.
On a flat surface, spread the dough so it is between ⅓ and ½ inch thick, the width of your index finger. If the dough won’t spread, roll it in some almond flour to bind it together.
To make the royal icing, in a large bowl, use a whisk or a hand mixer to beat together the confectioners’ sugar, egg whites, and lemon juice until stiff peaks form.
Use a spatula to cover the dough completely with the royal icing. Cut cookies from the dough using a star-shaped cookie cutter. Use a butter knife to push on the interior edges of the cookie cutters if the dough sticks. Ice over any imperfections. Place the stars on the prepared baking sheets. Freeze the cookies on the baking sheets overnight.
Preheat the oven to 375°F.
Bake the chilled cookies for 5 to 7 minutes, until the corners are lightly browned.
The cookies will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for 2 days.
From Cookies & Beer by Jonathan Bender, Photography by Ron Berg/Andrews McMeel Publishing, LLC
Recipes: “Cookies & Beer” by Jonathan Bender
