The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
MISO SESAME CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES
Margaret, Irene and Andrew Li call these their “ultimate chocolate cookies,” and tasting is believing. Generous dabs of Chinese sesame paste (or tahini) and fermented bean paste (miso) add a subtle nutty, savory flavor to this riff on the cookie classic, with extra wholesomeness and texture provided by oats and spelt flour. It’s one of many creative ideas for using these ingredients and other widely available Asian condiments in the Li siblings’“Double Awesome Chinese Food: Irresistible and Totally Achievable Recipes From Our Chinese-American Kitchen” (Roost Books, $35).
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups spelt or whole-wheat flour
1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats 2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup (8 ounces) cold salted butter, cut
the size of sugar cubes
1 cup tightly packed brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons miso paste, preferably
white miso for a subtler flavor 2 tablespoons Chinese sesame paste or tahini (or omit and increase the miso by 1 tablespoon)
8 ounces dark chocolate chips or chunks (or substitute white chocolate, if you prefer)
Heat the oven to 350 degrees, with 2 racks evenly spaced inside. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. (The cookies should just fit, but spread them out to 3 baking sheets if you want to ensure they don’t run into each other.)
Whisk the flours, oats, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. Combine the butter and sugars in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on low speed until well combined, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, then add the eggs and mix on low speed until uniform. Add the vanilla, miso paste, and sesame paste, then the flour mixture, and continue to mix until the dough is barely coming together. Scrape down the sides of the bowl again and add the chocolate chips, then mix one last time to distribute the chocolate chips throughout the batter.
Use a spoon (we use a 2-ounce disher) to scoop out balls of dough and place them evenly on the baking sheets. I aim for 11 cookies per sheet, with a row of 4 cookies, then 3 cookies, then 4 cookies. Bake for 18 to 22 minutes, switching the sheets halfway through, until the cookies have flattened and are light golden brown. I like to pull them when they’re cooked through on the bottom but still a bit gooey in the center and eat them warm; if you let them cool and wrap them in an airtight container, they’ll last for up to 4 days, or in the freezer for up to a month. Makes 22 cookies.
Per cookie: 275 calories (percent of calories from fat, 42), 4 grams protein, 38 grams carbohydrates, 2 grams fiber, 13 grams fat (6 grams saturated), 42 milligrams cholesterol, 342 milligrams sodium. Reprinted in arrangement with Roost Books, an imprint of Shambhala Publications Inc.