Black Sesame Swirl & Vanilla White Chocolate Cookies
Black Sesame Swirl & Vanilla White Chocolate Cookies
Prep Time: 30 minutes, 1 hour to overnight rest period
Cook Time: 8 - 11 minutes
Servings: 20 - 24 small cookies
Ingredients
Vanilla black sesame white chocolate
1 cup white chocolate chips, chopped (~ 224 g)
1 tsp vanilla bean powder (sub 1 vanilla bean pod, scraped)
1 tbsp black sesame seeds, plus more for topping the cookies
Cookie dough
2 cups all purpose flour (284 g)
¾ tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
12 tbsp unsalted or salted butter, softened (170 g)
1 cup granulated cane sugar (200 g)
½ cup brown sugar (90 g)
1 large egg + 1 large egg yolk, at room temperature
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp sesame oil
¼ cup black sesame paste (this is the one I used)
Directions
Vanilla black sesame white chocolate*
Melt the white chocolate in the microwave in 20 second intervals, stirring after each, until smooth. Alternatively, place the chocolate in a heatproof bowl and melt it over a simmering pot of water (double boiler method).
Line a baking tray with parchment paper. Mix the vanilla bean powder in with the melted white chocolate and pour onto the tray. Spread it evenly on the tray until it becomes a smooth, thin layer, then sprinkle the black sesame seeds on top.
Place in the freezer or fridge until hardened, 5-8 minutes, then break up the white chocolate into small chunks of varying sizes, or roughly chop it on a cutting board. Reserve a small handful of the chocolate in a separate bowl for topping the cookies.
*ALTERNATIVELY: You can skip steps 1-3 altogether, and incorporate the vanilla bean powder and black sesame seeds directly into the cookie dough. Add the white chocolate chips or chopped chocolate as directed below.
Cookie dough
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
In a mixing bowl, beat together the butter, brown sugar, and white sugar until light and creamy, about 3-5 minutes. Add the egg and egg yolk and beat until fully combined, then add the vanilla extract and sesame oil and beat again.
Stir the flour mixture into the butter & sugar mixture until just combined with a wooden spoon or spatula. Careful not to overmix.
Take ⅔ of the dough out of the mixing bowl and set it aside in another bowl or plate. Drizzle a third of the black sesame paste over the remaining ⅓ of dough in the bowl, then sprinkle a third of the white chocolate chunks on top.
Add ⅓ of the reserved dough on top of the white chocolate. Drizzle ⅓ more of the black sesame paste on top of the dough and a third more of the white chocolate.
Finally, add the remaining portion of reserved dough on top and drizzle the remaining black sesame paste and white chocolate. Stir the dough softly a few times. Make sure not to overmix it so you are left with streaks of sesame paste and not a grey dough.
Scoop the dough with a spoon or cookie scoop (about 2 tbsp in volume) and place them on a parchment lined plate or tray. Press a small piece of the reserved white chocolate on top of each ball.
Chill the scooped balls for at least an hour, preferably overnight, before baking.**
Preheat the oven to 350 F and line a baking tray with parchment. Place the cookie dough balls on the tray, at least a couple inches apart, and bake for 8-11 minutes, until the outsides are slightly golden but the middle looks slightly raw.
Once they are out of the oven, optionally garnish with a few more black sesame seeds. Cool for 5 minutes on the tray, then finish cooling on a wire rack.
**At this point, you can store the cookie dough balls in the freezer and bake straight from the oven if you are making a small batch or want to have them at a later date.