Guinness cookie
They say there are two things you cannot avoid when you visit Ireland: rain and Guinness. I can imagine that the rain probably is a very good excuse to hide in a pub and drink Guinness. I like the velvety feel and the slightly bitter taste of the beer straight from the glass, but it also works well in the kitchen. Stews end up more tender and full bodied, bread rises beautifully and Guinness and chocolate were made for each other. For this Guinness cookie – my version of the classic oatmeal biscuit from Ireland – I boiled up the beer with some currants. The currants soak up most of the Guinness and the rest turns into a bitter-sweet syrup. The syrup gives the Guinness cookie just a slight bitter touch and it is nice to bite into the crunchy cookie and find a chewy currant here and there.
Guinness cookie
for about 25 cookies
150 milliliter Guinness
50 grams currants
200 grams softened unsalted butter
140 grams sugar
1 egg
300 grams rolled oats
175 grams flour
pinch of salt
½ teaspoon baking powder
icing sugar
In a small saucepan bring the Guinness to the boil with the currants. Let them simmer softly until the beer has turned into a thick syrup.
Beat the butter with the sugar until light and creamy with an electric mixer.
Beat in the egg.
Add the rolled oats, the currants, the Guinness syrup, the flour, the salt and the baking powder.
Bring together into a ball. Add a splash of water if the dough is too crumbly. Cover with cling film and leave to rest in the fridge for about 30 mins.
Preheat the oven to 175°C/350°F.
Roll out the dough to about ¼ inch (½ cm) and cut out rectangular cookies. Shape them into a glass by hand. Place the cookies on a cookie sheet lined with baking paper. Bake them in the middle of the oven for about 15 minutes.
Take out of the oven and leave to cool on the cookie sheet. Carefully make a thin layer of ‘foam’ with the icing sugar.
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