Miso Caramel Cookies
I would never want to discourage someone from trying one of my recipes. I only share things that I think are really good and I think other people would like them too. But with that being said, I have found these cookies to be a bit divisive. They’ve kinda got an either you love them or hate them thing going on.
Those that love them enjoy the combo of the salty savory miso and the sweetness of the cookie dough and the caramel. Those that hate them can’t quite get behind the the miso of it all. So, and I can’t quite believe I’m writing this, but if find yourself aligning more with the latter group, maybe these cookies won’t be for you. Maybe. BUT if you have any bit of curiosity, I say go for it! Give them a try, you may just end up on the side of loving them.
As a quick note, you’ll notice there is no added salt to the dough. I find that the miso in the dough and caramel bring plenty of saltiness to the party and any more might tilt these cookies into the realm of “too savory to be a dessert.”
Makes: 12 cookies
Active time: 20 minutes
Total time: 2 hours 35 minutes up to 24 hours
Ingredients
Miso Caramel Crunch
105g (1/2 cup) granulated sugar
1/4 cup water
1 tablespoon heavy cream
1 tablespoon miso, white or yellow
20g (1 cup) puffed millet or rice
Dough
170g (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter
225g (1 2/3 cup) all purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
158g (3/4 cup) brown sugar, packed
35g (2 tablespoons) granulated sugar
2 teaspoons miso, white or yellow
1 egg, large
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Method
Make the caramel crunch. Line a small sheet pan or heat proof plate with parchment paper and spray or lightly brush with neutral oil. Set aside.
In a small saucepan, add 105g (1/2 cup) sugar and 1/4 cup water. Do not stir, and place over medium low heat.
In the meantime, measure out the 1 tablespoon heavy cream, 1 tablespoon miso, and 20g (1 cup) puffed millet or rice and set it near the stovetop.
At this point, keep your eye on the sugar/water mixture. Let the mixture cook, without stirring, as that could cause crystallization to occur, which will leave your caramel gritty. Once the sugar begins to caramelize, you can gently swirl the pan or stir if needed. Let the caramel cook until it reaches deep amber. Turn off the heat and add in the heavy cream. Be careful as the caramel will steam and sputter. Stir to combine, then add in the miso, and stir again. Finally add in the puffed cereal and work quickly to fully coat. The temperature of the caramel will drop quickly once the cereal is added, making it harder to mix the longer you wait. Once fully covered, pour the caramel crunch onto the prepared pan or plate. Using the spatula, gently spread the crunch out.
Make the cookies. In a small saucepan, brown 142g (1 stick + 2 tablespoons) unsalted butter over low heat. This should take about 5-10 minutes, but keep an eye on it and give it a stir every so often. The bubbles will be loud and furious at first, but as the water evaporates and the milk solid sink to the bottom and brown, they will become quiet and less frequent. When the milk solids are a dark golden brown, pour the melted butter (and all the brown bits!) in a large heat proof bowl. Add in the remaining 28g (2 tablespoons) unsalted butter and stir to combine. Set it aside to cool while you prep the other ingredients.
In a medium bowl, scale 225g (1 2/3 cup) flour and 3/4 teaspoon baking soda and whisk to combine. Set aside.
At this point, the caramel crunch should to cool and set up enough to handle. Break off 12 pieces (about 1” x 1”) and keep separated from the remainder of the crunch, which will be add to the dough. The 12 pieces will be placed on top of the scooped cookie dough before baking (picture below).
Add 158g (3/4 cup) brown sugar and 35g (2 tablespoons) granulated sugar to the brown butter and whisk to combine.
Add 2 teaspoons miso and whisk.
Add 1 egg and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract whisk. The mixture should lighten in color a bit and thicken.
Switch to a spatula and add in the dry ingredients. Once the flour is mostly mixed in, with just a few pockets of flour remaining, add in the caramel crunch (not the 12 reserved pieces). Stir until the flour is fully mixed in the caramel crunch is well distributed. It will have broken up a lot.
Using a 3 tablespoon cookie scoop, scoop the dough onto a parchment lined plate or quarter sheet tray. If the dough is super soft, pop it into the fridge to chill for about 20 minutes to firm up. Wrap the scooped cookie and chill in the fridge for a minimum of 2 hours, but ideally overnight.
Shortly before you are ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350F and line two half sheet trays with parchment paper.
Arrange the scooped dough on the sheet trays, about 2” apart. Place a chunk of caramel crunch on the top of each cookie scoop and bake for 13-15 minutes, just until the edges are lightly golden and the center is just set.
Allow the cookies to cool on the tray for 5 minutes, then cool completely on a cooling rack.
Cookies can be kept in an airtight container at room temperature up to 3 days.