This is an adaptation of the recipe originally published in the New York Times. It's really excellent, it reminds me of a snickerdoodle, but spicier and more flavorful. They are excellent with a cup of milky tea.
You can get gochujang at most grocery stores these days, but beware of hidden gluten. Not all brands are safe; I use O'Food brand.
You can substitute all sorghum flour or all brown rice flour for the blend of the two. This recipe also works with King Arthur Measure for Measure flour.
Start by prepping your ingredients. Weigh out your flours and whisk together with the other dry ingredients (minus the sugar).
In a small bowl, mix 1 tablespoon of the butter with the brown sugar and gochujang in a small bowl. You will have a brilliant red paste when they are mixed together fully.
In a medium bowl, cream together the butter and sugar. You can use a stand mixer or hand mixer or do this with a fork by hand, as I've done here.
Add the egg and vanilla and beat until fully combined. The mixture should be smooth with no clumps.
Mix in the dry ingredients until they're completely combined. If desired, you can mix the gochujang directly into the dough at this stage. The swirls will be less distinct and the gochujang flavor less intense.
To create the gochujang swirl, lay a piece of plastic wrap on the counter. Spread the dough into a rectangle, roughly 5" by 10". Take 1/3 of the gochujang mixture and spread it evenly over the top of the dough.
Use the plastic wrap to fold the dough in half. Make sure the edges are sealed, then use a rolling pin or your hands to flatten the dough back out to a roughly 5" by 10" rectangle under the plastic wrap.
Peel the plastic wrap away from the top of the dough and spread another third of the gochujang over the top. Repeat the fold and roll out process a second time.
After you've rolled out the dough for the third time, spread the last of the gochujang over the dough and then roll along the long edge. Peel the plastic wrap away as you roll so that it doesn't get caught in the roll. The resulting roll should be 1 1/2 - 2 inches in diameter.
Chill the dough for at least 2 hours before slicing and baking. If you're desperate for cookies, 1/2 hour in the freezer will mostly do it. You can also keep the dough in the fridge for several days before baking.
After the dough has chilled, preheat the oven to 350oF. Slice the log into 1cm thick (slightly less than 1/2 inch) rounds.
Arrange the rounds on a baking sheet, giving them plenty of room. These will spread a lot. Six cookies per tray is a safe number.
Bake cookies for 11 - 15 minutes, or until the edges are lightly browned and the cookie is puffed slightly. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for at least 15 minutes. The cookies will be very fragile until they have set.
Enjoy!
These excellent cookies are reminiscent of a snickerdoodle but with more spice and a hint of umami flavor that sets off the sweetness of the cookie. Best enjoyed with a cup of milky tea.
Mix 1tbsp butter, brown sugar, and gochujang together in a small bowl and set aside.
Combine all dry ingredients (minus the sugar) in a medium bowl, whisk to mix, then set aside.
Cream butter and sugar together (by hand or using a stand/hand mixer) in a large bowl. Add the egg and vanilla and beat to combine.
Add in the dry ingredients and mix until fully combined.
Turn the dough out onto a piece of plastic wrap and shape into a rough square. At this stage you can chill the dough briefly (10ish min) to make it easier to work with.
Spread 1/3 of the gochujang mix over the dough. Fold the dough in half using the plastic wrap (making a sandwich so the dough is in between two layers of plastic wrap) and roll out into a square again. Repeat 2x with the remaining gochujang, then roll the rectangle into a log (diameter 1 1/2 - 2 inches).
Chill the log for at least 2hrs in the fridge. It can be kept in the fridge unbaked for up to several days.
Preheat the oven to 350oF while the dough is chilling. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Cut ~1cm thick slices of the log and arrange on the baking sheet.
Bake 11-13 minutes. Allow to cool several minutes before eating to allow the cookie time to solidify.