gochujang swirl cookies

you heard that right!

Weird food combos are really having their moment. Scroll FoodTok and you’re likely to find something unexpected that you can’t help but try. Some theories are brilliant - such as watermelon and mustard. Others, not so much. You won’t catch me trying cucumber with sugar any time soon. But, to each their own - I have more of a bone to pick with fussy eaters than with people being creative. Isn’t being creative with food what the love of cooking is all about?

When you think of cookies, gochujang paste wouldn’t be your classic add-in ingredient. It’s a korean chilli paste that has been fermented over years, giving way to a spicy, smoky, slightly sweet flavour. I know what you’re thinking - why wouldn’t you just use it for bulgogi or a stir fry or something? But trust me, when you make a gochujang caramel swirl and add it to a cookie, it creates such an intriguing, chewy, spicy, melt-in your mouth flavour that you’ll be thanking me. In fact, as I write this, I’m eating my second cookie.

I actually saw this recipe in a New York Times article and was immediately drawn to it. I love chilli with chocolate so this seemed to be in the realm of that flavour palate. I’m famously not good at baking, like, not at all, so had no intention on experimenting, only following a recipe. However, I googled “gochujang cookies vegan” and nothing came up!

So I was forced to be creative and adapt the recipe for myself, and now, for you! I expected these to be a flop because until today, I’ve never, ever made a successful batch of cookies. But to my surprise, they turned out soft, chewy, spicy and even the right shape (!). So, to my fellow non-bakers, here’s a recipe that will help you convince yourself and others that you bake cookies all the time.

recipe.

• 9 tbsp vegan butter (I used Nuttelex), softened

• 2 tbsp brown sugar

• 1 tbsp gochujang paste

• 1 cup sugar

• 1 flax egg (1 tbsp flax + 1 tbsp water) or a vegan egg replacer for 1 egg

• 3/4 tsp salt

• 1/2 tsp cinnamon

• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla

• 1/2 tsp baking soda

• 1 1/2 cups flour

how to.

1. Mix gochujang paste in a small bowl with 1 tbsp butter and the brown sugar. Cover and leave for later.

2. Whisk remaining butter, sugar, “egg”, salt, cinnamon, vanilla until combined. Add in baking soda and then mix flour in. I used my hands to combine into a large ball. It was a little dry and crumbly so I added 1 tbsp vegetable oil.

3. Refrigerate dough ball for 20 mins.

4. Place dough on some baking paper. Roll out the dough ball until flat, and spread gochujang mixture thinly across all of it.

5. Roll into a log using the baking paper, and refrigerate for another 20 mins.

6. Preheat the oven to 170c and line 2 baking trays with baking paper.

7. Take the log out of the fridge and cut into small slices, and carefully roll into balls. Make sure the swirls are still intact! Place cookies across two baking trays with enough room for them to spread. I did 9 cookies per tray.

8. Bake for 12 minutes, switching trays halfway through, so they are cooked evenly.

9. Remove cookies from the oven and keep them on their trays for another 10 minutes, as they continue to cook while on the hot trays. Serve and enjoy!

What’s your favourite food combination? Let me know, and enjoy these truly weird and wonderful cookies!