Miso Sesame Shortbread Cookies

I can honestly say that these must be the best shortbread cookies I have ever tasted. And they're made with miso too! If that sounds surprising, the miso adds only a hint of saltiness that actually enhances the sweetness of the maple syrup-sweetened shortbread. Light, flaky and buttery, sesame seeds on the outside of the cookies add a nice contrast and a little delightful sesame flavor too.

An added bonus is that these shortbread cookies are easy to make too. They're made sheet-style, meaning that you press the dough down onto a prepared baking sheet and cut into square shapes, pushing them slightly apart, but the cookies will still be baked closely together.

Although the recipe is easy, it's not quite so easy to stop oneself from over-indulging. But they do keep well in the refrigerator for a good week or so in a covered container, and they freeze well too.

Miso Sesame Shortbread Cookies

Recipe by Lisa Turner
Published on December 30, 2018

Easy, soft and flaky sweet buttery shortbread cookies with a hint of miso

Print this recipe

Ingredients:

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup maple syrup
2 1/2 tablespoons white (shiro) miso
2 1/2 cups almond meal
1 cup tapioca starch
pinch of sea salt
1 1/2 tablespoons sesame seeds

Instructions:

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Using a stand mixer or electric hand mixer, cream together the butter and maple syrup on high speed for about 3 minutes until light and fluffy. Add the miso and process on high for another minute.
Add the almond meal, tapioca starch and sea salt and mix on low speed until just incorporated. Don't overmix. The dough should be crumbly, but somewhat sticky.
Spoon the batter onto the prepared baking sheet and place a piece of parchment paper on top of that. Press down firmly using the palms of your hands to form a rectangle roughly 1/4 inch thick. Let the dough sit in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour or longer.
Preheat an oven to 350°.
Cut the dough into roughly 1 1/2 inch squares and move each cookie slightly apart. You can also use a cookie cutter to cut into other shapes The extra edges from the rectangle can be trimmed off and shaped into squares or whatever shape you like, such as rounds. Sprinkle the sesame seeds over the tops of the cookies.
Bake in the preheated oven for about 20 to 25 minutes, turning the pan half way through the baking time. When the edges begin to brown, remove from the oven. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 40 minutes or even longer, and then when they are firmer, transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Serve them up and store any remainders in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to a few weeks, or longer in the freezer.

Makes about 30 cookies