Maple Black Sesame Cookies

Black sesame has a flavor that’s hard to pin down at first bite. It’s nutty, toasty, and a soft, pleasant earthiness—the kind of flavor that feels richer the more you taste it. Black sesame paste has roots in East Asian cultures and is used in both sweet and savory dishes. I found the paste at my local asian store, and it’s quickly become one of those ingredients I want to put in everything.

In these cookies, maple syrup is the perfect pairing. Maple brings warmth and a soft caramel sweetness that balances the sesame. The result is a cookie that’s quietly complex and a little unexpected, with beautiful swooping swirls of black sesame.

They’re not overly sweet, which means you notice all the flavor: the nuttiness, the maple, and the buttery cookie underneath it all. They’re the kind of cookie that makes people pause after the first bite and say, wait…what is that flavor?

Ingredients:

Instructions:

1. Place the butter in a pan over medium heat, stirring continuously. Once melted, the butter will begin to foam and sizzle. Keep stirring, as the butter will turn golden brown (about 5 minutes). Milk solids will begin to form at the bottom of the pan, and it will smell very nutty. Immediately remove the pan from the heat and pour the butter into a heatproof bowl.
2. Add the egg and brown/white sugar to the bowl of cooled butter. Using a hand or stand mixer, cream the butter and sugar together until smooth and creamy.
3. In a second bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and baking soda. Slowly add the flour mixture to the butter/sugar, mixing until fully incorporated. 
4. In a small bowl, add your black sesame paste and maple syrup. Whisk until smooth.
5. Add small dollops (about 1 tsp) of black sesame paste scattered throughout the cookie dough. 
6. Taking a knife, swirl the sesame dollops throughout the dough to create swooping swirls. Do not over mix, as the swirls won't be as prominent if too mixed together.
7. Scoop the dough into round balls and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
8. Bake at 350 F for 10-12 minutes.
9. Remove from oven and immediately sprinkle with sesame seeds and sea salt.
10. Let cool and enjoy!

Baker’s Tips:

• Save any remaining maple-sweetened sesame paste to use for later. I love a scoop of it in my lattes, on top of oatmeal, or just lick the spoon!

• The best way to get perfectly round cookies is to invest in a cookie scoop. I like the medium-sized Oxo or Kitchen-Aid one from Target.

• If you are shorter on time, you can skip browning the butter and just use softened butter, but I highly recommend it as it adds to the toasty, nuttiness of the cookie!