Spicy Black Sesame Cookies

Spooky season isn't over

Nov 03, 2021

Recreational stress

I have always said that I have no interest in recreational stress. There’s enough involuntary stress in my life as it is, thanks. I watched The Shining in freshman year of college (circa 2009) and afterward said to myself, “I’m done with horror for the rest of my life, thank you so much.” But I recently watched Jaws for the first time, and more recently An American Werewolf in London and while, yes, these are baby horror films, and began to feel what the thrill-seekers in my life have always described: a rush of adrenalin that is pleasant rather than uncomfortable.

As an <insert psychiatric diagnosis here>, I taught myself from a very early age that a mild to moderate amount of self-inflicted pain or discomfort (i.e. pinching skin, digging in a fingernail, etc.) could bring me out of moments of panic. With a sort of fight-fire-with-fire strategy, discomfort could counter discomfort. Ultimately this is, of course, a matter of instilling a sense (or feeding an illusion) of control at times when we feel at the mercy of unpleasant thoughts or sensation.

The logic of this palliative strategy informs my understanding of what horror movies can provide for the absolute maniacs (jk <3) who love them. It’s controlled, titrated stress that counters the ambient, chaotic stress of the universe. You can anticipate exactly what you will feel, and the jump scare delivers. It’s a powerful system.

Join me in my den of horrors

With Halloween behind us now, I find myself unwilling to part with the spooky season ethos and have decided to continue my horror movie journey into the holiday season. So here’s where you come in: Give me your 101-level horror movie suggestions, coping strategies, and, as always, let me know if I’m not alone in my morbid fascination with injecting a little recreational stress into life.

In return, here is a recipe for a spicy little cookie that is very goth, actually. Perfect for your horror movie marathon color story.

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Spicy Black Sesame Cookies

This is a complex little cookie. The layers of spice unfold gradually, and one goes through quite an arc from tip to tail. Sea salt and dark chocolate add a little twist that deepens and darkens the experience to something that is delicious and, quite frankly, spooky.

Ingredients

200g AP flour

75g buckwheat flour

30g cornstarch

1.5 tsp baking powder

2 sticks butter

2 Tbsp grated fresh ginger

2 tsp ground cinnamon

Heaping 1/4 tsp ground black pepper

200g brown sugar

100g granulated sugar

2 eggs

80g black sesame paste

2 tsp vanilla extract

Dark chocolate of your choice and format (chips, bar, etc.) for drizzling

Large-flake sea salt

Directions

Preheat your oven to 350ºF and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or baking mat.

Combine the ginger, cinnamon, and black pepper in a small bowl and set aside. Place the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat to brown. You will know the butter is browned by these signs three: specks of dark golden bits at the bottom of the pan, nutty aroma, and deeper, more resonant bubbling. When the butter is ready, add the spice mixture and stir to combine. The mixture will bubble, so be wary.

While the butter is browning, combine flour, buckwheat, cornstarch, and baking powder in a bowl and stir well to combine.

Pour the butter-spice mixture into a large bowl and add the sugars. Stir until homogeneous, then add the eggs and beat until glossy. Ruin the fantasy by adding the black sesame paste and vanilla, then stir again to combine. Add the flour mixture and mix just until incorporated.

At this stage the dough is workable, if soft, and can be baked straightaway. However! I prefer to refrigerate the dough overnight. The advantage of this tactic is that the flavors meld more completely and the texture of the dough is much easier to handle. Regardless, portion out dough pieces about the size of a golfball (or around 30g if you’re into that sort of thing) and space about 2” apart on your baking sheet.

Note that this yields a fairly large number of cookies. I prefer to make a full batch and then freeze pre-formed dough balls in plastic bags, baking whatever quantity I need at the time.

Bake at 350º for 10 minutes. Because of their dark color, it can be hard to tell when they’re finished baking. You will know them by these signs three (I’m so corny, I’m sorry): a matte, slightly cracked exterior; visibly set and darkened edges; an almost caramel-like smell. The ten-minute mark has reliably worked for me with this size cookie, but adjust bake time as needed.

To finish, melt your chocolate in your preferred way (I use a microwave, but I suppose you could be chef-y and use a double boiler). About a quarter cup will very safely cover 15 or so cookies. Using a spoon or piping implement, drizzle the chocolate over the cooled cookies and expeditiously salt-bae the flaky salt atop them before the drizzle sets too much. Allow the chocolate to harden before storing.