Guinness Peanut Butter Cookies

1 1/3 c flour

½ teaspoon baking soda

8 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

¼ c (packed) dark brown sugar, lump free,

     or ½ c (packed) light brown sugar

¾ c sugar with an additional ½ c light brown sugar (packed)

½ teaspoon salt

1 large egg

1 bottle of Guinness extra stout (reduced down to ¼ c)

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 ¼ c chunky peanut butter

½ c creamy peanut butter

Mix the flour and baking soda together with a fork/whisk and set the bowl aside.

Pour the bottle of beer into a sauce pan.  Place on medium heat, watch and stir occasionally.  Reduce down to ¼ c (about 30 min and should be thick and have dark little bubbles) and pour into a measuring cup to let cool down.

Using an electric mixer, mix the butter, brown sugar, sugar, and the salt until smooth and creamy, not fluffy.  Add the egg, vanilla, peanut butter and the reduce Guinness beer and mix until blended.  Add the flour mixture slowly until incorporated.  Form dough into bars and wrap and refrigerate the dough for at least 2 hours.

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

Scoop (slightly more than 1 level tablespoon) and form into a ball.  Place the balls 2 inches apart on the cookie sheets.  Flatten each ball to a thickness of 3/8 inch with the tines of a fork making the criss cross pattern.  Bake for 14-16 minutes or until the tops are golden brown.  Rotate the cookie sheets from the top to the bottom about halfway through the baking time.  Cool cookies on a rack or eat them warm with a cold glass of milk.