I am in State Fair mode for the next two weeks – I need to lock in on getting all my bakes practiced. So when my brother asked if I was bringing snacks to the Sharknado screening in the park, I decided to impulse bake these and get another one crossed off the list. I’ve got to get serious, and that means pulling cookies together on a Friday even when there’s already other bakes in the house!
I’m doing two root beer bakes this year, because I am very dedicated to it being an underrated flavor in baking! I have never had a bad root beer chocolate bake! It’s always delicious. So I’m doing both a root beer float cookie like normal, and a root beer cookie cutout cookie. I am just determined to prove it’s a perfect flavor combo, and a ribbon at the Fair seems like good proof.
Last year, they allowed icing on most cookie categories, but this year they aren’t. I was going to go these root beer cookies that I decided against last year, but am now adapting to the rules. These are delicious and far far simpler!
I decided to try adding some vanilla powder to he white chocolate in order to make them more vanilla chunks rather than just white chocolate chips. I can’t decide if it worked as a major hack. But my brother said the flavor tasted more like root beer float than just root beer, so I think it worked. I certainly liked the bigger chunks, and there was some extra vanilla oomph.
But also, if you don’t go the extra mile, this recipe certainly isn’t ruined.
Even if these don’t receive any ribbon or acknowledgement, I can still add them to my now extensive list of root beer bakes. Perhaps there’s enough now that they deserve their own category and page on the blog…
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PinIngredients
- 6 tbsp unsalted butter , at room temperature
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 egg
- 2 teaspoons root beer extract
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup white chocolate chips
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla powder
Instructions
- Melt your white chocolate in the microwave in 30 second increments. Stir in the vanilla powder, then pour over parchment or foil on a sheet pan and spread into a thin layer. Refrigerate until solid, then break into chunks. If you don’t want to do this, you can also just use white chocolate chips.
- Preheat oven to 350° F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar on medium high speed until light and creamy, about 4 minutes. Add the eggs and root beer extract and mix well.
- In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Add to the mixer and mix until just combined. Fold in the vanilla white chocolate chunks. Scrape down the bowl as needed to make sure it’s mixed evenly.
- Scoop by the rounded tablespoon onto the prepared sheet pan.
- Bake until edges are crisp and the tops just barely appear set (no longer wet), about 9 minutes.
- Let them cool on the pan for a few minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Repeat with remaining cookie dough. Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for several days.
Notes
Adapted from Completely Delicious