Chili crisp chocolate chunk cookies
Fellow members of the chili crisp fan club will revel in these umami-packed cookies where sweet and savory battle deliciously for attention. These are gooey, mottled with melty pools of dark chocolate, and wrinkled with crunchy golden ridges. Brown butter makes them toasty, nutty, and extra chewy. But it’s the chili crisp that really gives these cookies that je ne sais quoi. Any brand of chili crisp will do, but I prefer the OG Lao Gan Ma for that perfect hit of MSG.
MAKES 18-20 COOKIES
113g unsalted butter
1¼ cups (156g) all-purpose flour
½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
⅔ cup (133g) dark brown sugar
¼ cup (50g) granulated (caster) sugar
1 large egg, at room temperature
¾ tsp kosher salt
2 tsp (10g) chili crisp (see Note)
1 tsp vanilla extract
100g bar dark chocolate (70% cacao), chopped (about ⅔ cup)
red pepper flakes, for sprinkling
In a small saucepan, heat the butter over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until melted and it turns toasty and brown, about 5 minutes.
Transfer the brown butter to the bowl of a stand mixer and let cool to room temperature, about 45 minutes.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and baking soda.
Lock the bowl into the stand mixer and attach the paddle. Add the brown sugar, granulated sugar, egg, and salt. Beat on medium-high speed until pale, creamy, and the paddle leaves behind ripples in the mixture, about 2 minutes. Beat in the chili crisp and vanilla.
Add the flour mixture all at once and beat on the lowest speed until almost combined but not quite. Add the chocolate and beat until just combined.
Transfer the dough to a medium bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to overnight.
When you’re ready to bake, preheat the oven to 180°C.
Using a 1½-tablespoon scoop, scoop 9 mounds of dough onto a parchment -lined sheet pan. (Keep the remaining dough in the refrigerator). Sprinkle with red pepper flakes, pressing them on gently to make them stick.
Bake until puffed and light golden around the edges, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool for 5 minutes. Transfer the cookies to the wire rack and let cool for at least another 5 minutes. You can enjoy these warm or let them cool completely.
Repeat with the remaining dough, using a fresh parchment-lined sheet pan.
Note: When scooping the chili crisp, try to avoid the oil and get mostly the crisp part.
To read our Sugarcane review click here
This is an edited extract from Sugarcane by Arlyn Osborne, published by Hardie Grant Books. Available in stores nationally from 5 March 2024. Photography by Linda Xiao.
