Chocolate Stout Cookies with Salted Caramel Frosting & Pretzels

Who doesn’t love beer, pretzels and cookies? Top it off with caramel frosting and you’re in for a rich, decadent treat!

Adapted from Craving Chronicles 

Prep Time: 45 minutes  |  Cook Time: 25 minutes  |  Total Time: 85 minutes  (Makes 3 Dozen)

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups flour
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 tablespoon dark cocoa (such as Hershey’s Dark Cocoa)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg
6 ounces stout beer
1 1/2 cups bittersweet chocolate chips
1 batch Easy Salted Caramel Frosting (below)
1 bag of salted pretzels

Instructions
– Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with Silpats or parchment paper.
– In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powders, salt, baking soda, and baking powder.
– Beat butter with sugars with a mixer using the paddle attachment until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add vanilla and egg and beat to combine. With the mixer on low, add flour mixture in thirds, alternating with the beer. Beat just until combined. Fold in chocolate chips with a spatula.
– Chill dough in the fridge for about 15 minutes, or until firm enough to scoop.
– Using a 2-tablespoon cookie scoop, scoop dough onto prepared baking sheets about 2 inches apart. Bake at 350°F for 15-17 minutes or until tops spring back lightly when touched. Cool on pan for 2-3 minutes, then transfer to a wire wrack to cool completely.

To Assemble:
– Crush pretzels into small pieces using your hands or a food processor. Spread pretzel crumbs out in a pie plate or on a small baking sheet.
– Only frost cookies once they have cooled completely. Working with warm frosting still in the pan, spread frosting on a few cookies at a time. Dip each cookie frosting side down in the pretzel crumbs, pushing lightly to make sure they stick. Frosting will dry as it cools, so work with only a few cookies for best results.
Easy Salted Caramel Frosting (Adapted from Betty Crocker)
The trick with this frosting is to not add too much powdered sugar or it will be thick, stiff, and too sweet. Add only as much as you need to make it spreadable without being runny. Leave the frosting in the warm pan as you frost the cookies to make it easier to spread, as it will set up when it cools.

Ingredients
1/2 cup (1 stick) salted butter
pinch of salt
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup + up to 4 tablespoons powdered sugar

Instructions
– In a medium saucepan, melt butter, salt and brown sugar over medium heat, stirring to combine. Bring mixture to a boil, stirring frequently. Boil unstirred for 1-2 minutes.
– Remove from heat and immediately whisk in cream. (Careful! Hot caramel may spatter.) Whisk in vanilla. Cool 5-10 minutes, then stir in 1 cup powdered sugar. Whisk briskly to smooth out any lumps. If needed, add powdered sugar 1 tablespoon at a time (up to 4 tablespoons), whisking briskly between each addition, until frosting is firm enough that the whisk tracks don’t sink all the way back into the frosting.
– Spread frosting over cooled cookies. (See instructions above.)