What’s black and white — and delicious all over?
These “Black Sesame-White Chocolate Cookies” by Kat Lieu.
It’s from her new “108 Asian Cookies” (Little, Brown & Company), of which I received a review copy. Based in Washington State, Lieu is a food writer, recipe developer, and founder of Subtle Asian Baking, the global online group focused on spreading the deliciousness of Asian baking, and fundraising for Asian American and Pacific Islander communities.
Born in Canada to a Chinese mother from Hong Kong and a Chinese Vietnamese father from Vietnam, she readily admits that she didn’t even baker her first cookie from scratch until 5 years ago. The former doctor of physical therapy found herself embarking on a baking spree that year as a way to heal from the sorrow of her father’s death.
It wasn’t long before she filled notebooks upon notebooks with a multitude of cookie recipes, which went on to form the basis of this book. Why “108”? Eight was always her dad’s favorite number, in part because in Cantonese it is a homonym for the word “fortune.” Lieu even has a tattoo of that digit on her left bicep.
If you’re the type of person who appreciates that Asian desserts, particularly Japanese and Cantonese ones, tend to be far less sweet than American ones, then these recipes will be your jam.
It’s a collection of inspired treats that offer up a spin on desserts, re-imagining them with Asian ingredients — sometimes very unexpected ones. Just get a load of “Cowboy Cookies, But Asian” (with broken Poky sticks in the dough), “Lychee Frosted Sugar Cookies,” “Vietnamese Chewy Sesame Candy,” “Chili Crisp Chocolate Skillet Cookie,” “Instant Ramen Cookies,” and “Chinese Sausage (Lap Cheong) Cookies.”
Lieu is a firm believer that more cookies should be made with black sesame. I couldn’t agree more after making her “Black Sesame-White Chocolate Cookies.”
Black sesame in two forms go into the dough: toasted black sesame seeds and creamy black sesame paste (which you can pick up in a jar or squeezable pouch at a Japanese market).
Brown butter boosts the nuttiness of these already very nutty tasting cookies. Because you’re dealing with melted butter, you don’t even need to use a mixer to cream everything; a hand whisk will suffice.
Stir the brown butter into the usual flour, baking soda, and baking powder, along with a generous amount of black sesame seeds.
Next, the black sesame paste gets incorporated, along with an egg, a splash of Japanese whisky or maple syrup, and a smidge of red miso for a subtle depth and savoriness. If you don’t have red miso, Lieu writes, you can use white miso, or even a pinch of kosher salt instead.
Fold in chopped white chocolate. I used white chocolate chips because I had it on hand already. It works just fine, though, you won’t get melty white puddles because chips are formulated to hold their shape.
After refrigerating the dough to let it rest and the flavors to meld, portion into balls, place a few more pieces of white chocolate on top, then bake. When they come out of the oven, sprinkle over a little sea salt.
My cookies may have baked up a little thicker looking than the ones in the cookbook photo. Still, the nicely crisp edges gave way to a middle that’s tender and slightly chewy. The roasty-toasty nutty taste is off the charts, with the black sesame seeds in the dough adding a gentle teeth-crunch much like poppy seeds do in cookies.
As a dark chocolate lover all the way, white chocolate is not always my favorite ingredient because it’s just so darn sweet. What I love is that the black sesame tempers that, not only making this cookie just sweet enough but loaded with nuance.
With their otherworldly inky granite color, these cookies sure would make a timely, fun treat for Halloween, too.
Even my husband, who usually can’t suppress his disappointment whenever I deviate from a classic chocolate chip or snickerdoodle when baking cookies, couldn’t help but reach for one after another of these.
Note: Meet author Kat Lieu, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 30, when she’ll be signing copies of her cookbook at Bake Sum in Oakland. The bakery will also be baking two cookies from her book.
Black Sesame-White Chocolate Cookies
(Makes 12 to 15 large cookies)
1/2 cup (1 stick plus 1 tablespoon or 120 grams) unsalted butter cubed
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon (120 grams) packed dark brown sugar
1/4 cup (50 grams) granulated sugar
1 1/4 cups (160 grams) all-purpose flour
1/3 cup (45 grams) toasted black sesame seeds
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 cup (60 grams) black sesame paste
1 large egg
1 tablespoon Japanese whisky or maple syrup
1 teaspoon red miso
6 ounces (170 grams) high-quality white chocolate, chopped, plus more for topping the cookies (or 1 cup white chocolate chips, plus more for topping the cookies)
Sea salt flakes, for garnish
To make the brown butter, cook the butter in a heavy saucepan or pot over medium heat while whisking continuously until the butter foams, the foam subsides, the butter is golden and brown (not black) bits form on the bottom, at least 5 minutes. You’re looking for a nutty aroma and not a burnt smell. Transfer the butter to a heatproof mixing bowl. Add the sugars and mix until dissolved. Set aside to cool. A few minutes in the freezer will hasten cooling.
Whisk the flour, black sesame seeds, baking soda, and baking powder together in a medium bowl. Set aside.
Add the black sesame paste, egg, Japanese whisky or maple syrup, and miso to the cooled brown butter and mix with a whisk or hand mixer until fully incorporated, paler in color, and thickened. (You can also use a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment.) Add the flour mixture and mix until homogeneous. Fold in the white chocolate. Cover the dough and refrigerate for 30 minutes to overnight.
About 25 minutes before baking, adjust two racks to the upper- and lower-middle positions of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
Scoop about 2 tablespoons of the dough and roll into a smooth ball. Repeat to make 12 to 15 balls, placing them 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. Press a chunk or two of white chocolate onto the top of each dough ball.
Bake all the cookies, switching the sheets between top and bottom racks and rotating front to back once halfway through, until the edges and bottoms are golden brown, about 15 minutes. The cookies are meant to be set with gooey middles.
Sprinkle the cookies with sea salt flakes. Allow the cookies to set on the baking sheets for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Variations: Try rolling the cookie dough balls in a mixture of black sesame seeds and granulated sugar before baking. This will add a crunchy exterior and add an extra burst of black sesame flavor to each cookie.
Or substitute tahini for the black sesame paste and white sesame seeds for the black. Or use dark or semisweet chocolate instead of white chocolate.
Storage: Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Adapted from “108 Cookies” by Kat Lieu
More Black Sesame Recipes to Enjoy: Kinako and Black Sesame Cupcakes
And: Persimmons with Kinako Dressing and Black Sesame Salt by State Bird Provisions