Winter Ale Spiced Cookie

12 oz bottle of your favorite winter ale

2 tablespoons of honey

1 ½ sticks of butter

1 cup of sugar

1 large egg

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 ½ cups all–purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 tablespoon cinnamon

½ teaspoon all-spice

Zest of one orange

½ cup chopped walnuts

½ teaspoon cinnamon and 1/8 cup sugar for dipping.

Step one: Combine 12 oz bottle of your favorite winter ale with the honey in a small saucepan. Boil this over medium heat and reduce by approximately half. You will need to remove foam throughout this process. This process takes around 20 minutes but doesn’t require constant attention. You will have around a half a cup of sweet liquid at the end of the boil.

Note: You will boil off the alcohol during this process – so you won’t get an “added bonus” from these cookies.

Step two: Cream together the butter and the sugar. Add egg, vanilla and beer mixture. Mix together baking soda and flour and combine with the liquid ingredients. Finally, add the spices and nuts. I might add dried cranberries or golden raisins to it when I make this recipe again.

Baking: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Roll one-inch balls of dough and dip in cinnamon sugar mixture.   Flatten lightly with the palm of your hand. If the mixture is sticking to your hands – wet your digits lightly and continue.

Bake for 15 -20 minutes – until lightly golden.

Modification: Pumpkin beers, espresso stout, vanilla porter. Happy Baking!