Nathasha Pickowicz’s Shoyu Peanut Cookies

A glug of shoyu—slightly sweet Japanese-style soy sauce—enhances the natural savory qualities of the peanut butter and adds a crucial umami underpinning to this classic American cookie.

Makes 12 large Cookies

20 minutes active time, 3 hours inactive time

8 ounces (225 g) unsalted butter, cubed, at room temperature

¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar

½ cup (100 g) dark brown sugar

1 cup plus 3 tablespoons (285 g) Shoyu Peanut Butter (recipe follows)

1 egg (50 g), at room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups (240 g) all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons (15 g) rye flour

1½ teaspoons baking soda

½ teaspoon kosher salt

2 cups (150 g) unsalted skin-on roasted peanuts

½ cup (60 g) powdered sugar or snow sugar (doughnut sugar)

Flaky sea salt

1. Cream the wet ingredients. In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle (or in a large bowl using a handheld mixer), combine the butter, granulated sugar, and dark brown sugar and beat until fluffy and lightened in color, about 3 minutes. Add the shoyu peanut butter and paddle to combine. Scrape the mixer bowl with a spatula so the mixture combines evenly. Drop in the egg and vanilla and paddle for 1 minute to combine.

2. Incorporate the dry ingredients. In a small bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, rye flour, baking soda, and kosher salt. Tip the mixture into the stand mixer and paddle on the lowest speed until the ingredients are halfway combined and the flour looks streaky, about 8 seconds. Use a spatula to finish mixing by hand. Transfer the dough to an airtight container and refrigerate for at least 3 hours to chill (or up to 5 days).

3. Preheat the oven and prep the pans. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). To bake in batches, top two half-sheet pans with parchment paper and lightly mist the paper with cooking spray.

4. Shape the cookies. Put the roasted peanuts in a shallow bowl; put the powdered sugar in another shallow bowl. Using an ice cream scoop or bench scraper, divide the dough into 12 equal portions (each should weigh between 75 and 85 g). Lightly coat your hands with cooking spray and roll each portion into a ball. Dunk the top half of each dough ball into the roasted peanuts and press firmly so the peanuts stick. Then roll the cookie in the powdered sugar. Place 5 or 6 cookies, peanut side up, at least 4 inches (10 cm) apart on each prepared sheet pan and press gently with the heel of your hand to flatten. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt.

5. Bake the cookies. Bake until the edges are beginning to crackle and the centers look souffléed and puffy, 14 to 15 minutes. Let cool completely on the sheet pan. Store, covered,
at room temperature, for up to 2 days.

This cookie dough can be easily made peanut-free. Some combinations that you’ll love just as much: 1 cup (255 g) almond butter plus 3 tablespoons (45 g) tahini, with the cookies rolled in sliced almonds, or 1 cup (255 g) pistachio butter plus ½ cup (60 g) finely ground pistachios, with the cookies rolled in a blend of whole pistachios and cacao nibs.

Makes 1½ cups (300 g), 5 minutes active time

2 cups (300 g) unsalted peanuts

2 tablespoons (30 g) grapeseed oil

2 tablespoons (40 g) honey

2 tablespoons (30 g) shoyu

tip—If you aren’t able to make your own peanut butter, use 1 cup (260 g) of your favorite unsweetened creamy peanut butter and add 1 tablespoon (20 g) honey and 2 tablespoons
(30 g) shoyu.

In a food processor, process the peanuts until a paste forms, 3 to 4 minutes. With the machine running, stream in the oil, honey, and shoyu and continue to blend until smooth, another 3 minutes.

Excerpted from More Than Cake by Natasha Pickowicz (Artisan Books) Copyright @2023. You can order More Than Cake from Now Serving bookstore HERE.