Sesame Miso Chocolate Chip Cookies

Whenever I travel I always seek the best and most interesting bakeries. Sometimes I am fortunate to meet people who know the best as on a recent trip to Maine.

Cookies have piqued my interest lately, cookies that include miso. It seems an ill-fitting ingredient because of its umami contribution; it adds a tasting complexity unrecognizable on its own. The salt contribution adds sparkle to the cookie’s flavor.

If not familiar with miso, it is a thick fermented soybean paste that sometimes includes rice, barley or other grain. It may be made with no soy component but with other legumes like chick peas and quinoa. Miso’s origins date back ten thousand years. It has significant health benefits contributing microorganisms for a healthy microbiome.

The other ingredient that appears more often in bakery goods is tahini. A ground sesame paste similar in process to peanut or almond butter. Tahini is made from raw or roasted white sesame seeds. Although black seeds are common, they are not generally used as a paste. Sometimes the seeds are ground by themselves or with the addition of oil and salt.

Sesame seeds have been cultivated for several thousand years, originally in Mesopotamia. Tahini is used in Indian, Chinese and Japanese cuisines. You may be familiar with hummus which usually contains tahini; there also is the sweet treat halva which is essentially sesame paste and sugar.

I have found cookies made with one or both of these ingredients. This one is made with tahini, peanut butter, miso and chocolate. A delicious combination and, with the addition of chocolate, it is as familiar as a chocolate chip cookie, also mysterious.

Important notes about this cookie are the miso should be light or white. The darker versions are too pronounced in their flavor profile and would overwhelm the balance of taste. You will notice that the amount of tahini may seem small for Tahini has a strong flavor. The peanut butter helps to balance the flavors and adds complexity.

The recipe includes a technique of removing the cookies from the oven. Half way through baking remove, rap the pan on the counter to make the risen cookie dough fall. Return pan to the oven to complete the cooking process. The results in a chewier and crisper cookie. Use melted and cooled butter rather than beating softened butter with the sugar and egg. You’ll notice there is no salt in this recipe because of the miso.

Here is my version of this flavorful and interesting cookie.

SESAME MISO CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

• Ingredients:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour

• 1 teaspoon baking soda

• 1 teaspoon baking powder

• ½ cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled

• ⅓ cup white miso

• ⅓ cup tahini

• ¼ cup peanut butter

• 1 ½ cups light brown sugar, lightly packed

• 1 large egg

• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

• 1 ½ cups semi-sweet chocolate chips or the equivalent of chopped chocolate bars

• 1 cup sesame seeds, white or black or a combination of both

• ⅓ cup turbinado sugar or other large flake sugar

Method:

• Mix the sesame seeds and the turbinado sugar in a small bowl and set aside

• Melt the butter and set aside to cool to room temp, but still pourable

• Whisk together the flour, baking soda and baking powder

• In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, mix together the melted butter, miso, tahini, peanut butter, egg and vanilla until well combined

• Blend in the brown sugar

• On low speed, gradually mix in the flour until just combined and then add the chocolate chips.

• Mix and pause to scrape down the sides and then mix briefly to evenly distribute the chips

• Using a portion scoop or spoon, scoop golf ball sized pieces of dough and roll between your hands to make a ball, and then roll in the sesame seed mixture to evenly coat the ball. Lightly coating your hands in cold water may facilitate this process. If it is still too sticky to handle, refrigerate the dough for 20 minutes and then proceed shaping the balls. Set the balls on a pan in one layer and refrigerate for an hour

• Place the balls on a parchment lined cookie sheet three inches apart. You may need to do two batches depending on the size of your oven. Bake on the middle shelf of a pre-heated 350F degree oven for 8 minutes or until beginning to puff up.

• Remove the pan from the oven and give it a sharp rap on the counter and return the pan to the oven for another 4 to 5 minutes until the cookies are beginning to crisp around the edges

Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack. It’s okay to cool on the pan if the hot cookies are too delicate to remove from the pan

These cookies will become a new favorite. Much flavor and a bit of mystery too. If there is a person with a peanut allergy, just replace the peanut butter with almond butter. You can also make larger or smaller cookies, just add a few minutes in the oven for larger or subtract for smaller.

Enjoy!