Barley Miso Chocolate Chunk Cookies

From Rose Wilde's 'Bread and Roses'

I first made these cookies for a pop-up in Los Angeles in partnership with a small, curated grocery shop in Chinatown called Sesame LA. I wanted to create a signature chocolate chunk cookie that honored the shop in some way. Sesame and barley are both nutty, a natural match. Miso is a ferment of soybeans, sometimes combined with rice or barley, and used extensively in savory cooking, but is fantastic in desserts—like salt but with tons of umami. You can use any color miso you like, but my favorite is red, for its intense flavor. I make my own, but store-bought is fine! The addition of miso to these cookies makes them instantly craveable. I like to dip the cookies halfway in seeds to achieve a two-toned look, but if you are a seed lover, feel free to roll the entire cookie in sesame seeds; it will add extra crunch. The cookie dough lasts for 2 weeks in the fridge or 3 months in the freezer. Baked cookies keep for 2 weeks at room temperature in an airtight container.

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Barley Miso Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Makes 24 to 30 large cookies

550 g unsalted butter, at room temperature

150 g red miso

500 g dark brown sugar

8 g salt

150 g barley flour

650 g all-purpose flour

350 g granulated sugar

12 g baking powder

8 g baking soda

200 g dark chocolate discs

350 g milk chocolate discs

3 large eggs

300 g or more sesame seeds for rolling

1. Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line two sheet trays with parchment paper. Set aside.

2. In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter, miso, brown sugar, and salt on medium speed until light and fluffy. You’ll see the color lighten as well; this process will take 5 to 7 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, in a separate bowl, whisk together the flours, granulated sugar, baking powder, and baking soda. Set aside.

4. Add the eggs, one at a time, to the butter mixture, beating on medium until completely incorporated. Scrape down the sides completely between each addition.

5. Add the dry mixture to the wet mixture and mix on low until combined.

6. Add the dark and milk chocolate and mix for another minute on medium. Place the sesame seeds in a bowl.

7. Scoop about 2-ounce portions to form cookies. Roll half of each cookie in sesame seeds. Place the seed-covered balls 3 inches apart on the prepared sheet tray, about six total on each pan. Bake for 10 minutes, then open the oven and quickly lift each sheet tray 1 inch off its rack and let it drop back down. Bake for another 5 to 6 minutes, until golden brown.

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Excerpted from Bread and Roses: 100+ Grain Forward Recipes featuring Global Ingredients and Botanicals by Rose Wilde copyright © 2023, photography copyright © 2023 by Rebecca Stumpf, reprinted by permission of Countryman Press, an imprint of W. W. Norton & Co., Inc. All rights reserved.