Miso Chocolate Chip Cookies
Miso chocolate chip cookies have a perfect balance of textures: a chewy center and crispy edges, with generous chunks of melted chocolate throughout. The addition of vanilla bean, butter, and a subtle hint of savoriness from miso creates a unique and delicious flavor profile.
Why This Works
When you add miso to the chocolate chip cookie dough and bake it, it creates a delightful nutty and caramel-like flavor that is both fragrant and addictive. My miso chocolate chip cookie recipe strikes the perfect balance, with just the right amount of butter to avoid being overly greasy, a texture that is neither too crunchy nor too soft, and a level of sweetness that is just right. For more cookie recipes, do check out my White Rabbit Candy Milk Cookies recipe!
What is miso?
Miso is an essential condiment in Japanese cuisine that is made by fermenting soybeans, barley, or other grains with salt and a fungus called koji. After a fermentation period of 18 months, these ingredients transform into a paste that has a distinct, savory, nutty, and umami-rich flavor. Miso is considered just as important as soy sauce in Japanese cuisine and used as a seasoning in various dishes.
What are the different types of miso?
Miso comes in a range of flavors that can vary from subtle to strong. The type of miso that you may be most familiar with is red miso, which is often used in miso soup. Red miso has a distinct, strong and bold taste that makes it the richest in flavor among all types of miso. On the other hand, shiro miso, also known as white miso, has a mild and sweet taste and it considered the most subtle type. I personally prefer using shiro for both sweet and savory dishes due to its versatility.
How to Make the Perfect Cookies
1. avoid substitutions
When it comes to cookies, baking is a science and it’s important to stick to the main ingredients: butter, eggs, sugar, flour, salt, and baking powder for the best results. Substitutions are possible as long as they don’t change the chemistry of the recipe. For example, butter is key for flavor and texture, substituting it with another type of fat may change the final outcome.
2. your eggs do not need to be at room temperature
Cold ingredients can be difficult to bake with, but eggs do not need to be at room temperature to make cookies. Focus on ensuring the butter is at the right temperature.
3. Add a little pinch of salt
Most dessert recipes will forget to include salt in the list of ingredients. Salt enhances the flavor of cookies and adds balance, so don’t forget to add a pinch. Consider using flakey salt for a rustic look.
4. Upgrade your chocolate (optional)
Chocolate is one of the most important components of a chocolate chip cookie cosmetically. Higher quality chocolate like fèves will melt better and create a more professional appearance.
5. Use a cookie scooper
Keep your hands clean and ensure uniform cookies by using a cookie scooper.
6. Allow the baking tray to cool between uses
Allow the baking tray to cool between uses to prevent misshapen cookies. Wait for the oven to reach full temperature and the tray to cool to room temperature.
7. How do I get perfectly round cookies?
Reshape cookies before baking and immediately after taking them out of the oven by spinning a pastry ring on top of them, cleaning up the edges while the cookie is still malleable.
Miso Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup unsalted Grade AA butter softened
- 1/4 cup white sugar
- 3/4 cup dark brown sugar avoid light brown sugar
- 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
- 1 tbsp white miso avoid yellow and red miso
- 1.5 tsp premium vanilla extract
- 1 whole large egg
- 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ tsp baking soda
- 6 oz chocolate coarsely chopped
- 2 tsp flakey salt optional
Instructions
- Prep | Leave the butter out at room temperature for at least two hours until it is softened. Preheat the oven to 350°F / 177°C and prepare the center rack.
- Cookie Dough | In a bowl, combine the softened butter, white sugar, and brown sugar. Use a hand mixer on high speed to beat the mixture until it becomes pale, white, and fluffy. Add in the vanilla extract, miso, and egg, and continue to beat on high speed until the mixture is uniform. Then, add in the flour, baking soda, salt, and half of the chopped chocolate. Using a spatula, gently mix the ingredients together until they are homogenous.
- Bake | Line a 9×13 baking tray with parchment paper. Using a 5 cm cookie scoop, scoop 6 level scoops of cookie dough onto the tray, spacing them 3 inches apart. Top each mound with additional pieces of chopped chocolate as desired. Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes or until the edges look browned. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking tray for 15 minutes, and sprinkle them with a little salt. Then, transfer each cookie onto a serving plate with a wide spatula and repeat the process.
