Salted Doenjang Caramel Cookies
These cookies channel the umami depth of Korean fermented soybean paste into a brown sugar caramel dough. A small amount of doenjang, roughly one to two percent of the total batter weight, adds a savory undercurrent that most people cannot identify but find irresistibly complex. The brown sugar caramelizes at the edges during baking, producing crisp, toffee-like rims around a chewy center. Sea salt flakes pressed into the top before baking amplify both the sweetness and the fermented savoriness. The result tastes neither obviously Korean nor conventionally Western, occupying a unique middle ground that provokes curiosity. They pair exceptionally well with espresso, where the bitterness of coffee draws out the doenjang's deeper notes.
Adjust Servings
Instructions
- 1
Melt 40 g sugar over medium heat for caramel, add cream, then cool.
- 2
Cream butter with brown sugar, then mix in egg and doenjang until smooth.
- 3
Mix in cooled caramel, then fold in flour, baking soda, and salt.
- 4
Portion into 30 g balls and chill for 20 minutes.
- 5
Preheat oven to 180°C; bake cookies with spacing for 12-14 minutes.
- 6
Cool on tray for 5 minutes, then transfer to a rack to finish cooling.
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