G - Gochujang Sugar Cookies

 

G is for gochujang.  In this case, a sweet/salty combination of spicy gochujang and sweet cookie.  This recipe is adapted from the NYT published recipe, which I had tried years ago, but found that it spread a bit too much for my preference.  But the taste... wow.  There is an initial cognitive dissonance between the savory and the sweet.  I wasn't quite sure how I felt about them at first, but quickly fell in love.  Similar to the experience with the Korean Cream Cheese Garlic rolls, that sweet/savory mashup.  They were definitely worth making again and I found the ratio of flour that worked to make the perfect chewy cookie that I wanted.

The little bit of cinnamon gives the slightest hint of snickerdoodle to these delightfully chewy cookies.  Seriously, a cookie shouldn't be allowed to be this good and I am glad it's a relatively small batch since they are so difficult to stay out of.  The sweet, salty, spicy combination is wonderful and quite addictive.  It reminds me of the sriracha caramel corn, with the same appeal.  The texture is my absolute ideal cookie, perfectly chewy with crispy edges.

Gochujang Sugar Cookies 
makes a dozen large cookies

½ cup (7+1 tbsp)/113 grams unsalted butter, very soft, divided
2 tbsp dark brown sugar, packed
1 heaping tbsp gochujang
1 tbsp flour
1 cup/200 grams granulated sugar
1 large egg, at room temperature
½ tsp sea salt
¼ tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla extract
½ tsp baking soda
1½ cups + 2 tbsp/210 grams all-purpose flour
 

In a small bowl, stir together the 1 tbsp butter, 1 tbsp flour, the brown sugar and gochujang until smooth. Set aside for later, at room temperature.

In a large bowl or stand mixer, beat together the remaining 7 tbsp butter, granulated sugar, egg, salt, cinnamon and vanilla until smooth, about 1 minute.  With a flexible spatula, stir in the baking soda.  Add the flour and gently stir to combine.  Cover the bowl and let sit for 10 minutes.

Heat the oven to 350ºF and line 2 large sheet pans with parchment.

On top of the dough, spoon 3 to 4 separately spaced out blobs of the gochujang mixture.  With the rubber spatula, in long circular folds, swirl the gochujang mixture into the cookie dough just enough so that there are streaks of orange-red rippled throughout the beige.  Do not mix too much or the distinct stripes of gochujang will disappear.

Using a cookie scoop, measure out heaping ball of dough, spaced at least 3 inches apart on the sheet pans. (Six cookies per pan.)  Bake until lightly golden at the edges and dry and set in the center, 13 to 15 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through.  Let the cookies cool for  minutes on the sheet pan, until the cookies have set and firmed.  Remove to a wire rack to finish cooling.  The cookies will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.

Striped, not fully blended!

Looks like a scoop of ice cream!

As part of the 2026 Alphabet Challenge, organized by A Day in the Life on the Farm, we are sharing recipes that begin with "G" or include ingredients or methods that begin with "G":

• Jolene’s Recipe Journal: Cheesy Bacon Grits
• Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice: Chunky Garlic Stuffed Olive Deviled Eggs
• Magical Ingredients: Gochujang Garlic Flower 
• A Messy Kitchen: Gochujang Sugar Cookies
• Karen’s Kitchen Stories: Golden Diner Pancakes with Maple Honey Syrup 
• Blogghetti: Grilled Garlic Honey Boneless Wings
• A Day in the Life on the Farm: Ham, Cheese, and Spinach Packets
• Sneha’s Recipe: Homemade Gluten Free Bread Flour 
• Mayuri’s Jikoni: Kadai Aloo Gobi 
• Food Lust People Love: Ricotta Gnocchi à la Poêle 
• Sizzling Tastebuds: Wholewheat Garlic Monkey Bread