Guinness Chocolate Chip Cookies

These cookies were a complete FIASCO to make but were a huge hit at the BBQ. Let me chronicle this fiasco for you. Friday I was out later than anticipated and had to drag myself out of bed to get up and bake/get ready to go with Jill to her friend's for breakfast. The first step in this recipe is to reduce a mixture of Guinness and brown sugar to a syrup, which takes about 30-45 minutes. Okay, I'll shower and get my life together during that time. At the 45 minute mark the Guinness and sugar mixture looked to be about 1/3 cup so I turned it off to cool as I mixed the dry and wet ingredients. WRONG MOVE. Start mixing the ingredients at the 35 minute mark so that you'll be prepared to mix in the Guinness syrup at 45 mins. Once this mixture cools it turns into a sticky hard tar which is impossible to remove from anything. I'm still cleaning pots.

Once it turned into a solid, I thought I would turn the stove back on to heat it up. Also a wrong move. Whatever was stuck in the pan started to burn and my kitchen filled with smoke so that I was gagging. Then I threw it in the microwave for 30 seconds and it actually loosened up, but I don't think it was the right consistency or that that plate will ever be clean again.

I'm not sure how good the cookies really were because everyone who ate them was several Bud Lights in but they got rave reviews and I have been requested to make these cookies at all events going forward.

Ingredients:
for the syrup:
2 cans (12 oz) of Guinness
1/2 cup brown sugar

for the cookies:
2 3/4 cup of unbleached all purpose flour
1/3 cup of unsweetened cocoa
1 tsp espresso powder
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1/2 cup shortening
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cup white chocolate chips
1/2 cup semi sweet chocolate chunks
1/2 cup milk chocolate chips

Directions:
Add beer and brown sugar to a medium sauce pan. Reduce liquid over medium high heat until liquid thickens to a syrup and measure approximately 1/3 cup. This will take 30-45 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside to cool slightly.
Preheat oven to 350F. Line two baking sheets with silpat/parchment. In a medium bowl combine flour, cocoa, espresso powder, baking soda and salt.
In a large bowl or mixer bowl, cream together butter, shortening and sugars until smooth and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
Add eggs, syrup and vanilla, beat to combine.
Add flour mixture to the wet mixture, cream together until flour is just combined.
Fold in all chocolate chunks.
Using a cookie scoop drop dough on to prepared baking sheets. Bake 12-14 minutes. Let cookies cool on sheet for a few minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool.