One week of enforced staying at home will lead to very dangerous boredom. Dangerous for the waistline that is. After days of cooking savoury dishes I was itching to have a go at something sweet instead. I had been meaning to try this recipe out for a long time and fortuitously, after a rummage in the kitchen cupboards found out that I had most of the ingredients.
This recipe is minimally adapted from The Baker Chick’s recipe, which is itself an adaptation from the NY Times’ original recipe. After trying to bake, then eat and refrain from eating more of them, I can understand why they’re so popular. Simple to concoct, yet full of the earthiness from the peanut butter and umami saltiness from the miso, these are a great option to bulk up for a party, or to freeze for future dessert emergencies.
Whilst I generally use salted butter for my baking, here the peanut butter and miso lend enough saltiness so unsalted butter is the way to go this time. I baked them for about 10 minutes in total, excluding the times I needed to open the oven door. I turned the trays 180 degrees left to right halfway through and gave them a big thwack 2 minutes before the end. Slamming the trays down will deflate the cookies and give you flat cookies with the characteristic crinkles. 10 minutes of baking results in a soft cookie, so if you want it a little crunchier just add a couple of minutes extra.
They’ve kept for three days so far, and I can see them keeping for another two or three days. If you can make them last for that long anyway! If freezing, freeze them on a baking tray first, then pop them altogether into a sandwich bag. Defrost, then heat them up for a few minutes in the oven to warm them up.
Peanut butter miso cookies
Makes 16-18 cookies
Ingredients
225g plain flour
3/4 tsp. bicarbonate of soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder
115g unsalted butter, softened
180g light brown soft sugar
1/4 cup (60ml) smooth peanut butter
1/3 cup (80ml) white miso paste
1 large egg
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Granulated sugar for coating
- Preheat the oven to 180°C or 160°C fan.
- Combine the flour, bicarbonate of soda and baking powder in a bowl.
- In a separate large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar together using either a handheld or stand mixer until smooth and fluffy. This will take a few minutes.
- Add the peanut butter and miso and mix again until combined.
- Add the egg and vanilla extract and mix again.
- Spoon a quarter of the flour mixture into the mixing bowl and use a spatula to stir in until just combined. Be careful not to over mix as that will develop the gluten and make the cookies tough. Repeat adding in flour and stirring until all the flour is used up.
- Weigh up 45g portions of dough and shape into balls. This will give 16 cookies, plus a little extra. Alternatively, make approximately 40g portions of dough which should give you 18 cookies.
- Pour some granulated white sugar into a bowl and roll each dough ball in it until fully coated.
- Line baking trays with baking parchment and place 4 cookie dough balls on each tray. Leave 2 inches around all the sides and at least 4 inches between each dough ball as they will spread.
- Bake in the oven for 10 minutes, turning each tray halfway round. 2 minutes before end, lift and slam the trays down on the oven rack to deflate the cookies. Make sure to add 30 seconds each time after opening the oven door to allow the oven to come up to temperature again. If the bottom tray looks less done, then remove the top tray after 10 minutes, transfer the bottom tray to the top and bake for another minute.
- Remove from the oven and give the trays one or two thwacks again on the counter. Leave to cool and firm up for 5 minutes, then transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool further.
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