Hojicha Brown Butter Cookies (Print Version)

Buttery, nutty cookies with roasted hojicha tea and caramelized flavors

# What You'll Need:

→ Brown Butter

01 - 3/4 cup unsalted butter

→ Dry Ingredients

02 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
03 - 1 teaspoon baking soda
04 - 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
05 - 2 tablespoons hojicha powder (roasted green tea)

→ Wet Ingredients

06 - 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
07 - 1/4 cup granulated sugar
08 - 1 large egg
09 - 1 large egg yolk
10 - 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

→ Optional Toppings

11 - Flaky sea salt for sprinkling

# Steps to Follow:

01 - Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Continue cooking while swirling occasionally until the butter foams, browns, and develops a nutty aroma, approximately 5-7 minutes. Pour immediately into a heatproof bowl to halt cooking. Allow to cool for 10 minutes.
02 - In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, and hojicha powder until evenly distributed.
03 - In a large bowl, combine the cooled brown butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar. Whisk until thoroughly combined.
04 - Add the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla extract to the butter mixture. Whisk until smooth and slightly thickened.
05 - Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Stir with a spatula until just combined, being careful not to overmix the dough.
06 - Cover the dough and refrigerate for 30 minutes for thicker cookies, though this step is optional.
07 - Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
08 - Scoop tablespoon-sized balls of dough onto the prepared sheets, spacing them approximately 2 inches apart.
09 - Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown and the centers are just set.
10 - Immediately sprinkle with flaky sea salt if desired. Cool on the baking tray for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

# Additional Tips::

01 -
  • The hojicha gives you something quietly sophisticated without being loud or pretentious about it.
  • Brown butter does the heavy lifting of flavor, so you get maximum deliciousness with minimal fuss.
  • They're crispy at the edges and tender inside, which honestly feels like luck but is actually just good technique.
02 -
  • Brown butter can turn from golden to burnt in seconds, so stay present and use your senses—the smell is your timer.
  • Hojicha powder can clump, so whisking it thoroughly into the flour prevents those bitter pockets that catch you by surprise mid-bite.
  • These cookies spread slightly, so don't crowd your baking sheets or they'll merge into one giant cookie situation.
03 -
  • Use a kitchen scale for the flour and sugars because volume measurements can be wildly off depending on how you scoop, and accuracy matters here.
  • Don't skip the cooling period on the baking sheet because that's when the structure sets and you get the ideal texture contrast.
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