Gochujang is a deliciously sweet and spicy fermented Korean red chili paste. While I’d heard of this ingredient, before these gochujang caramel cookies, I’d never really cooked with it. Adding it to my Caesar salad dressing to jazz up a salad doesn’t count (and also I highly recommend doing that). Anyway, these gochujang caramel cookies first caught my eye on the New York Times Cooking app (one of my absolute favorite apps I pay for) and I almost immediately knew that I’d try these.
What I loved about this recipe initially was the relatively short ingredient and instruction list. I’ve been known to experiment with lengthy recipes but the way my life is currently set up, I don’t have time for anything that’ll take me all day to complete; I need almost immediate results. I’m also pretty particular about baking recipes that I try to recreate or try to develop on my own. I love the idea of baking but one wrong move (too much flour, not enough baking soda, etc.) and your baked goods are ruined.
Why I love Eric Kim’s gochujang caramel cookies
As I mentioned, these cookies are pretty easy to make. You do not need to be an expert baker to create these. Another reason to fall in love is the flavor. OH MY GOD. The moment I bit into these cookies, I was hooked. There’s something about the buttery, salty flavor that reeled me in pretty much immediately.
I had just a tiny amount of leftover dough for one cookie so I scooped it up and put it in the freezer to save for an “emergency”. Let’s just say, about a week later, I had to break into my emergency cookie. If you choose to freeze some of the dough to save for later, the flavor intensifies a lot more. I could taste more of the gochujang and there was a bit of heat that came along with every bite. It was perfect.
I will forever be grateful for Eric’s perfect gochujang caramel cookies. While you typically need a subscription to view NYT Cooking recipes, I’m linking to the recipe below and you *should* be able to temporarily access it. The link is only good for two weeks so depending on when you see this post, the paywall may appear.
I really hope you’ll try this recipe and let me know when you do! Bon appetite!
Try Eric’s gochujang caramel cookies.
