Equipment
* optional
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 100 g all-purpose flour
- 75 g dark rye flour
- 5 g roasted nori seaweed sheets
- 3 g baking soda
- 3 g kosher salt
Wet Ingredients
- 80 g unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 60 g black sesame paste, well stirred
- 100 g dark brown sugar, packed
- 50 g granulated sugar
- 1 egg, room temperature
- 5 ml vanilla extract
Mix-ins & Garnish
- 150 g dark chocolate, roughly chopped into chunks
- 10 g roasted black sesame seeds
- 2 g flaky sea salt, for garnish
Nutrition (per serving)
Method
Pulse the roasted nori sheets in a food processor or use a sharp knife to mince them into very fine flakes, resembling coarse black pepper.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, dark rye flour, pulverized nori, baking soda, and kosher salt until evenly distributed.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine the softened butter, black sesame paste, dark brown sugar, and granulated sugar. Beat on medium-high speed until light, fluffy, and slightly pale in color.
Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the room temperature egg and vanilla extract, then beat on medium speed until fully emulsified and smooth.
Turn the mixer to low speed and gradually add the dry flour mixture. Mix just until no dry streaks remain, being careful not to overwork the dough.
Remove the bowl from the mixer. Using a rubber spatula, manually fold in the dark chocolate chunks and black sesame seeds until evenly dispersed.
Cover the bowl tightly and chill the dough in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour. This hydrates the rye flour and firms the butter and sesame oils to prevent spreading.
Preheat the oven to 175°C (350°F). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Scoop the chilled dough into equal 55g portions. Roll each portion into a smooth ball and place them on the prepared baking sheet, spacing them at least 5cm apart.
Bake in the preheated oven for 11 to 13 minutes. The edges should appear set and slightly crisp, while the centers will still look quite soft and underbaked.
Remove the baking sheet from the oven and immediately sprinkle the warm cookies with flaky sea salt. Let the cookies rest on the hot pan for 5 minutes to finish setting before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Chef's Notes
- Black sesame paste acts similarly to a nut butter in baking, bringing high fat content and moisture. Ensure you are using unsweetened, 100 percent pure sesame paste (often sold in Asian grocers as kurogoma paste) and not a sweetened dessert spread.
- Rye flour has lower gluten-forming potential than wheat flour and requires more time to absorb hydration. Do not skip the chilling phase, or your cookies will have a gritty texture.
- For the seaweed, choose a high-quality roasted snacking nori or sushi nori. The earthy, iodine-rich flavor of the seaweed harmonizes incredibly well with dark chocolate, acting as an umami amplifier much like espresso powder.
- To achieve professional-looking cookies, reserve a few chocolate chunks when mixing the dough and press them into the tops of the dough balls right before baking.
Storage
Refrigerator: 3 days — Store unbaked dough in an airtight container to prevent drying out.
Freezer: 3 months — Freeze pre-portioned dough balls. Bake directly from frozen, adding 2 to 3 minutes to the bake time.
Reheating: Microwave a baked cookie for 10 seconds to restore the melted chocolate texture.
