Peanut Butter Miso Cookies

My Whole Foods decided to start selling white miso paste in GIANT containers and so I found myself looking for recipes with miso so I wouldn’t waste it. I was shocked to see recipes using miso in baked goods so I just HAD to try it and I am so happy that I did, because these cookies are like crack. They are perfectly crispy on the ends with soft centers, which is my favorite kind of cookie. They are salty and sweet and will change your life.

Recipe adapted from New York Times Cooking

what you need:

• 1 ¾ cups grams all-purpose flour
• ¾ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• 1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 cup light brown sugar
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• ⅓ cup white miso paste
• ¼ cup peanut butter (chunky or smooth, whatever you have! I used smooth)
• 1 large egg, at room temperature
• 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
• Small bowl or granulated sugar or coarse sugar, for rolling cookies
• Sea Salt flakes (optional)

what you need to do:

• These need at least 2 hours to chill in the fridge, so plan accordingly.
• In a small bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and baking powder. Set aside.
• In large bowl, cream together butter and both sugars. You want to whip until it is light and fluffy which takes about 5 minutes. Do not skimp on this!
• Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add your peanut butter and miso paste. Mix on low until fully combined.
• With the mixer on slow, add your egg and vanilla extract. Mix until the egg is fully incorporated.
• Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add half of the flour mixture and mix on slow until combined.
• Add the rest of the flour and mix until you can no longer see any flour. Stop to scrape down the sides and the bottom of the bowl as needed.
• Put about 1/3 of regular sugar or coarse sugar (use what you have, I used granulated) into a small bowl.
• Working with one piece at a time, roll about 2 T (I used a cookie scoop) of dough into a perfect round circle, roll around in the sugar to completely coat it, and place it on a parchment lined cookie sheet. If your dough is too soft to roll, put it in the fridge for about 30 minutes and then try again.
• Keep rolling the cookies out until they are all done.
• Chill the rolled cookies in the fridge at least 2 hours. (chilling prevents spreading! do not skip this step!)
• TIP: To save fridge space, I like to roll them all and put them on one sheet about 1 cm apart and put that one sheet in the fridge. Then, when ready to bake, I grab however many I am baking at once and put them on a separate lined sheet and bake them while keeping the remaining dough balls in the fridge.
• When they are ready to bake, preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
• Space each cookie about 3 inches apart on your cookie sheet and bake about 12 minutes. They will still be gooey in the center.
• Remove from the oven and bang the cookie sheet on the counter a few times, then put them back in the oven for about 3 more minutes.
• Bang the cookie sheet on the counter again. The cookies should be crinkly all over, soft in the middle, and browned on the edges.
• Transfer to a cooling rack immediately.
• I sprinkle mine with a little bit of Maldon Sea Salt flakes for a little extra saltiness!