Gochujang Caramel Cookies

When I used to go into an office, I’d bring in desserts for people to sample. At my first job, there was even a mailing list of dedicated eaters who would always come to sample and give feedback. This past week, for a rare in-person event at work, I made three kinds of cookies and brought one each day.

Free Cookies

The first one was an almond variation on the Macau-style cookies I first made the week before. For Day 2, I went with gochujang caramel cookies. Dr. S actually said it’s the best cookie I’ve ever made for her, which is shocking since it contains no chocolate.

Gochujang Caramel Cookies

The recipe is by Eric Kim, a writer for the New York Times Food section. You can watch him explain and make the cookies on YouTube.

Gochujang Caramel Cookies

Of course, if you’re a regular reader of this blog, you know I will always try anything unusual or unexpected. And using a fermented, spicy-sweet Korean chile paste in a cookie definitely attracted my attention. These aren’t hard to make, but do pay close attention to the tips given in the recipe and video. In particular, the swirling of the chile caramel needs a deft touch.

Gochujang Caramel Cookies

These cookies turned out chewy and moist, with a gentle build-up of heat and a nice lingering buttery finish. They spread out quite a bit, so even half is plenty, but they’re very irresistible. I would definitely make these again, especially as part of an assortment. Highly recommended.

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