Equipment
* optional
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 220 g all-purpose flour
- 4 g baking soda
- 4 g kosher salt
- 3 g gochugaru
Wet Ingredients
- 115 g unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
- 60 g almond butter, smooth and well-stirred
- 150 g dark brown sugar, packed
- 50 g granulated sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 egg yolk
- 10 ml vanilla extract
Mix-ins
- 150 g milk chocolate chips
- 100 g honey-roasted almonds, roughly chopped
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 240 kcal
- Protein
- 4 g
- Carbohydrates
- 28 g
- Fat
- 13 g
- Fiber
- 2 g
- Sugar
- 15 g
- Sodium
- 169 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 5 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 5 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 1 g
- Cholesterol
- 35 mg
- Potassium
- 118 mg
- Calcium
- 56 mg
- Iron
- 0.9 mg
- Magnesium
- 32 mg
- Phosphorus
- 80 mg
- Zinc
- 0.6 mg
- Vitamin A
- 56 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 0 mg
- Vitamin D
- 0.1 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 1.1 mg
- Vitamin K
- 1 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.0 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.1 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.03 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.13 mg
- Niacin
- 0.5 mg
- Folate
- 11 mcg
- Water
- 6 g
- Alcohol
- 0 g
- Caffeine
- 2 mg
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Place the honey-roasted almonds on a cutting board and roughly chop them with a chef knife. Set aside.
In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, kosher salt, and gochugaru until evenly combined.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk the melted unsalted butter, almond butter, dark brown sugar, and granulated sugar until a smooth, uniform paste forms.
Add the whole egg, egg yolk, and vanilla extract to the sugar mixture. Whisk vigorously for 1 to 2 minutes until the mixture lightens in color, thickens slightly, and becomes glossy.
Switching to a rubber spatula, gently fold the dry flour mixture into the wet ingredients until just combined. Leave a few visible streaks of flour to prevent overmixing.
Gently fold the chopped honey-roasted almonds and milk chocolate chips into the dough until they are evenly distributed.
Cover the large bowl tightly with plastic wrap or a secure lid and chill the dough in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours to allow the flavors to meld and the fats to solidify.
Preheat the oven to 175°C (350°F). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Using a cookie scoop, portion the chilled dough into balls, about 45 grams each. Arrange them on the prepared baking sheet, leaving about 5 centimeters of space between each.
Bake in the preheated oven at 175°C (350°F) for 10 to 12 minutes. The edges should be set and slightly golden, while the centers will still look soft and slightly underbaked.
Remove from the oven and let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for 5 minutes. They will deflate and finish baking residually. Carefully transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Chef's Notes
- Whisking the eggs and sugar vigorously for a full two minutes helps properly dissolve the sugar, which is the secret to achieving a shiny, crinkly top crust on your cookies.
- Gochugaru provides a gentle, fruity heat that cuts through the rich sweetness of the milk chocolate without overwhelming the palate. For a sharper kick, you can safely increase the measurement by 1 gram.
- Do not skip the chilling phase. Allowing the dough to rest in the fridge hydrates the flour and solidifies the butter and almond butter, preventing flat cookies and creating an intensely chewy center.
- For a professional bakery presentation, reserve a handful of the chopped honey-roasted almonds and chocolate chips, and press them gently into the tops of the dough balls right before they go into the oven.
Storage
Refrigerator: 3 days — Store baked cookies in an airtight container. Unbaked dough can stay in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Freezer: 3 months — Freeze shaped dough balls in a single layer before transferring to a freezer-safe bag. Add 2 minutes to the bake time if baking from frozen.
Reheating: Microwave for 10 seconds to restore a warm, gooey texture.
Troubleshooting
Cookies spread excessively and lose their shape.
Cause: The dough was not chilled adequately, or the melted butter was too warm when incorporated.
Fix: Cannot be fixed for the currently baked batch. For the remaining unbaked dough, return it to the refrigerator to chill for an additional 30 to 60 minutes.
Prevention: Ensure the dough is chilled for the full two hours and that the butter is cooled closer to room temperature before mixing.
Dough is crumbly and will not hold a ball shape.
Cause: Almond butter was too dry or not stirred properly, leading to a lack of fat and moisture.
Fix: Knead the dough firmly with your hands to warm the fats and help it bind. If extremely dry, add a teaspoon of milk.
Prevention: Ensure the almond butter is well-stirred, incorporating any oil separated at the top of the jar, before measuring.
Cultural Context
The chocolate chip cookie is a quintessential American baked good, originating in Massachusetts in the 1930s. This iteration bridges American comfort food with modern global pantry staples, utilizing Korean gochugaru to introduce a mild, smoky heat that brilliantly elevates the classic milk chocolate and almond pairing.
