Doenjang Chocolate Chip Cookie

Last year, the internet went berserk when NYT columnist Eric Kim released his gochujang caramel cookie recipe during the holidays. Streaked with coral swirls of gochujang, brown sugar, and butter which caramelizes beautifully when baked, these cookies captured the hearts and minds of eaters and readers everywhere who have come to recognize and love the spicy Korean paste that I’ve been eating in my mom’s cooking since I was born.

Ever since then, I’ve been thinking about how to do the same with doenjang, the other foundational “jang” or sauce that forms the basis of Korean cuisine. But the problem is that, unlike gochujang, doenjang has not really come onto the scene in the same way. It’s harder to pronounce. It’s always compared to its easier-to-pronounce Japanese cousin, miso.

So I guess it’s official. Consider me on a mission to make Korean fermented soybean paste famous! And no better way to kick start the holiday baking than with a Korean American twist on a delicious classic in my house…brown butter chocolate chip cookies.

For me, the holidays can be a stressful season but one way I love to slow things down is to block off a Sunday afternoon, pre-heat the oven, and start measuring and mixing with my favorite podcast on (like this favorite episode I keep coming back to again and again) until the smell of something sweet and delicious is wafting through the whole house.

Leave me a comment on my Instagram with what your favorite holiday tradition is - whether you’re continuing old ones or starting new ones. Cheers ✌🏼 Miij

Doenjang Chocolate Chip Cookies with Brown Butter

• 2 sticks of unsalted butter plus 1 TBSP
• 2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 3/4 tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt
• 1 cup (215 g) packed brown sugar plus 2 TBSPs
• 1/3 cup (73 g) granulated sugar
• 2 eggs, room temperature
• Good splash of vanilla extract, about 1.5 tsp
• 2 cups chocolate disks (I used Guittard 74% wafers)
• 1 TBSP doenjang
• Flaky salt like Maldon or Jacobsen

Brown the butter. Melt 2 sticks of butter over medium heat until the bubbles get small and the milk solids have separated and fallen to the bottom of the pan. Remove from heat as soon as the solids turn a golden brown. Scrape all of that goodness into the stand mixer bowl. Refrigerate briefly while you prep the dry ingredients.

Prep dry ingredients. Combine flour, baking soda, and salt in a sieve over a large bowl. Sift to combine and then mix by hand a few times to ensure everything is well incorporated.

Cream the wet ingredients. Add brown sugar and granulated sugar to the butter. With the paddle attachment, mix on low for 30 seconds. Add eggs one at a time. Add vanilla. Increase speed to medium high and beat until the mixture has lightened in color and all the sugar has dissolved, about 3 minutes.

Add the dry ingredients. Reduce the mixer to low and add the flour mixture just until combined. Remove the bowl from the mixer stand. Add chopped chocolate wafers as well as any small chocolate pieces and chocolate dust. Mix by hand with a spatula just until combined. Do not overmix.

Add doenjang butter cream. In a separate small bowl, combine 1 TBSP of butter with 2 TBSPs of brown sugar and 1 TBSP doenjang. Mix until well combined. Add dollops to the cookie dough and gently swirl a few times with a spoon. Be careful not to overmix as you want ribbons of doenjang butter cream in your dough.

Let the dough rest. 12 hours or overnight in the fridge*** (please see note below).

Bake. Scoop with a 1.5 TBSP cookie scoop, sprinkle with a little flaky salt, and bake at 350 degrees F for 8-10 minutes, just until the edges are golden brown and the center is still soft. Let cool on a rack and enjoy!

Store away the rest. If you have dough leftover, scoop 1.5 TBSP balls onto a tray and refrigerate for an hour to firm up slightly. Afterwards, transfer to a freezer-safe storage bag or container and store in the freezer. Will keep well for months. Top with flaky salt just before baking (not before freezing as it will not store well).

***I know you’re not going to like what I’m about to say but it’s true — you do really need to let the dough rest overnight for maximal cookie enjoyment. I baked off a few cookies immediately after making the cookie dough and while the flavor was still delicious, the texture was too airy and did not have that satisfying bite I was looking for. After letting the dough rest overnight, the flour has a chance to fully moisten with the wet ingredients and really enhance the overall taste and texture.