Cubicle kitchen: Chuckledoodles

Normally I would give these a 'real' name and save the witticisms for my own inner giggles, but I just love this one too much.

It was a while ago that I reduced root beer into something like corn syrup.  After making Creamy Root Beer Float Bars, I was waiting for another good way to transform a recipe that used regular corn syrup and give it some root beer edge.  It needed to be something that took advantage of the root beer, not something where there was just a tablespoon of syrup and no one would be any the wiser.

What I love about these is that they take the innate spiciness of root beer and translate it into a cookie that's traditionally a different kind of spicy: the snickerdoodle.  Where those are usually cinnamon sugar coated, I thought that the addition of clove would bring out some of the sassafras-ness of the root beer. Because these don't have any egg, they are more chewy and dense than the snickerdoodles I usually have.  But I think that would make them perfect for topping with some frothy frosting, or sandwiching around some ice cream.

Because I am never not thinking about a root beer float.

Chuckledoodles
Adapted from Karo Syrup: Alphabet Cookies
Makes about 3 dozen

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 cup reduced root beer*
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• a pinch of salt
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon ground clove
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

* To reduce root beer: pour several cans of root beer into a heavy-bottomed pan and simmer until it has reduced to the consistency of corn syrup, stirring occasionally and making sure it doesn't burn.

Directions

1. Cream butter and peanut butter with reduced root beer and sugar.  Mix in vanilla extract and salt.
2. Mix in flour until combined.  Place dough in the fridge if needed to make it more workable.
3. Preheat oven to 350°.  In a small bowl, combine sugar and spices.  
4. Form dough into balls (about a tablespoon per ball) and roll in sugar spice mixture.  Place on cookie sheet and flatten using the bottom of a glass or jar.
5. Bake for about 15 minutes until the edges are golden and have set.  Allow to cool on the pan for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack.