RECIPES

Black Sesame Chocolate Chip Hojicha Cookies

Black sesame white chocolate:

The Ratio

4 oz (approx 1 bar or ¾ cup) High-quality White Chocolate (chopped bar is better than chips for melting)
1 ½ to 2 tablespoons Black Sesame Powder
½ teaspoon Coconut oil or Neutral oil (Crucial “safety” ingredient)

1. Prep the Black Sesame Chunks (Do this first!)

Melt your white chocolate (with a drop of neutral oil) and mix in the black sesame powder until grey/speckled.
Spread onto parchment paper and freeze for 20 minutes until hard.
Chop into chunks and keep them in the fridge until the very last step. (If they sit out, they will melt in your warm hands!)

2. Mix Dry Ingredients

Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the flour, Hojicha powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
- Tip: If your Hojicha powder looks lumpy, sift it in to avoid bitter pockets of dry tea.

3. Whisk Butter & Sugars

In a large mixing bowl, add the browned butter (make sure it has cooled for 10–15 mins and is not hot!) and both sugars.
Whisk vigorously for 1–2 minutes. The mixture should look glossy and paste-like. This step is crucial for that chewy texture!
Whisk in the egg and vanilla until smooth and combined.

4. Fold & Combine

Pour in the dry ingredients (flour/hojicha mix). Use a rubber spatula to fold just until the flour is almost gone.
The Cold Fold: Take your Black Sesame White Chocolate chunks out of the fridge and dump them in. Fold gently just until dispersed.
Stop mixing as soon as combined so the warmth of the butter doesn’t smear the chocolate.
5. Scoop & Bake
- Using your 2 tablespoon cookie scoop, scoop the dough onto the baking sheet.Space them about 2 inches apart (you can fit about 8–10 cookies per sheet).Bake for 8 to 10 minutes.
  - For gooey/soft centers: Check at 8 minutes.For chewy/set cookies: Bake for 9–10 minutes.
6. Visual Check (Crucial)
- Since these are smaller, the window between “perfect” and “burnt” is very short.At 8 minutes: Open the oven light.
  - Look at the edges: They should look dry and matte (not shiny).Look at the center: It should look puffed up and slightly soft.
Summary of the change:
- Temp: Stay at 350°F.
- Time: 8–10 minutes