The Stranger’s Cookie Countdown: Day 27
Dec 27, 2024
We're counting down to 2025 by sharing some of our favorite cookies on Slog every day in December!
by Lindsay Costello
Gochujang Caramel Cookies
Beyond Kimchee Recipe
If you asked me to rattle off a list of typical cookie ingredients, "gochujang" might be, like, the 5,375th in line. But when I clicked across this Beyond Kimchee recipe recently, I was intrigued. The fermented red chili paste, a key ingredient in one of my fave Korean comfort foods, has an interesting depth of flavor that I imagined could cut sweetness and add complexity to a cookie. After making them recently, the result was a treat that felt funky and oddly familiar, like a spicy chocolate moment with a mellow savory twist.
Korean cook and author Holly Ford’s “adaptation” of Eric Kim’s New York Times recipe is nearly identical—she simply advises using a hand-held or stand mixer instead of hand-mixing the dough, and a few other small tweaks. (A sneaky way, perhaps, to share a recipe with readers who don’t have a New York Times subscription. I support it.) Armed with a tub of O’Food gochujang, I got to work.
The caramel paste—a mix of softened butter, brown sugar, and gochujang—was a parade on the tongue. I had to stop myself from devouring the brilliant orange blend of zingy sweetness by the spoonful. After prepping and chilling the dough, it was time to stir in the paste, which proved trickier than expected.
“Moving in long circular strokes, swirl the gochujang mixture into the cookie dough so you have streaks of orange-red rippled throughout the beige. Be sure not to overmix at this stage, as you want wide, distinct strips of gochujang,” Kim’s recipe advises. Ford echoes this guidance: “Use a stiff spatula to gently swirl the caramel into a marbling pattern in the dough, ensuring you maintain a visible color contrast.”
The caramel paste, pre-cookie. LINDSAY COSTELLO
I was desperate to maintain the chunky swirls of gochujang paste that looked so beautiful in the recipe’s photos, but chilled, slightly stiffened dough is stubborn. My attempts to create a consistent “marbling pattern” (with a stiff spatula!) left the dough orange in some places. In others, the caramel wouldn’t integrate at all.
I pressed onward and plopped the dough onto two lined baking sheets, where I was hit with another surprise. Kim’s recipe suggests ¼ cup-sized cookies, while Ford opts for three-tablespoon scoops. Frankly, either measurement seemed gigantic. I went with the latter and generously spaced the dough, forming 11 rounds across two baking sheets. The cookies spread considerably—perhaps due to the short 15-minute chill—and emerged from the oven nearly the size of my hand.
I was excited about the hints of caramelization and color that I’d achieved, and the cookie consistency lined up with what I love in a snickerdoodle: a slightly crispy edge with a chewy interior. These are spiced sugar cookies with a subtle kick—I didn’t notice the gochujang coming through until the end of each bite. Even then, it’s muted.
Next time, I’d experiment with increasing the amount of gochujang in the caramel paste for a more pronounced heat and flavor. Still, these cookies were a complex delight. If you’re into spicy-sweet combos, warming winter recipes, or you’re just looking for a treat that’ll start party conversations, they’re worth a bite.
We're counting down to 2025 by sharing some of our favorite cookies on Slog every day in December! Because life is hard, and sugar helps. Will things get weird? Maybe! There may have been a small fire during the first photo shoot! But hopefully, you'll also discover some new favorite treats to enjoy this season. Track our daily recommendations here! 🍪