Miso rose chocolate chip cookies

Hi!

The weather forecast for today says sunshine and clear skies, so of course I am looking out at cloudy and grey. Not complaining, I love fall when the leaves turn to gold and there is a crispness in the air.

I have been up to my eyeballs in cookie dough testing what feels like a million recipes for “More than sweet - the cookbook”. Finally locked the flavours down for the book - and this means I can use some of the flavours I won’t be using in another chocolate chip cookie right here.

Every time I make cookies, I end up tweaking a little seeing if I can inch closer to “To me, you are perfect” level crispy-chewy goodness. While yours may be chunky, crunchy or crispy - my perfect cookie has crispy edges and a chewy middle. They are best eaten still slightly warm when the pockets and flecks of chopped chocolate are still soft and melted puddles in the centre. I love a mixture of dark and milk chocolate and I really love chopped nuts (pecans or walnuts) in my cookie - but they are definitely optional. I even made them without any chocolate and just amped up the nuts, which worked beautifully.

The rosewater in the cookies adds subtle floral and fruity notes that adds freshness to salty-sweet umami flavour of the white miso in the cookies rather than tasting like that forgotten potpourri bag in the back of your granny’s closet.

Miso-rose chocolate chip cookies

Makes about 20 cookies

275g unsalted butter - or 225g browned butter
150g sugar
200g brown sugar
2 large eggs
4 tablespoons white miso
1/2-1 tablespoon rosewater
280g all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
125g dark chocolate, roughly chopped (substitute with milk chocolate or pecans)
75g milk chocolate, roughly chopped (substitute with dark chocolate or pecans)
75g toasted pecans (substitute with dark or milk chocolate)

Place the butter in a small saucepan set over medium heat and melt, stirring occasionally. When the butter begins to foam, start stirring more rigorously with a spatula or spoon, scraping the bottom to avoid the solids burning.

Remove from the browned butter from the heat, weigh off 225g browned butter in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and allow to cool to room temperature.

Add sugar and brown sugar and beat to combine, about 1 minute. Add the eggs and beat until combined, then beat in the miso and rosewater.

Sift together the flour, baking soda and salt and fold into the butter mixture. Add the chopped chocolate and nuts (if using) when there are a few streaks of flour remaining to avoid over mixing the dough.

Refrigerate the dough for an hour.

Portion the cookies into 55-60g balls, place in an airtight container or a tray and wrap with plastic wrap. Refrigerate overnight to hydrate the cookie dough (for prettier less spreading cookies with a deeper flavour) or bake immediately (they won’t be as pretty as they spread more and have crispier edges).

Preheat oven to 160C fan.

Place cookie balls 5-8cm apart on a baking sheet lined with parchment and sprinkle with flaky salt before baking for 12-15 minutes.

Cool on the sheets for 10 minutes before moving to a wire rack.