'Use Up That Jar Of Miso' Biscuits/Cookies

Who would think to add salty, umami miso paste to a sweet biscuit?  Cherie Hausler that's who, in her cookbook A Plant-Based Farmhouse.  Then again, I love a bit of sea salt on a chocolate biscuit or dessert ...  so it's not that odd!

I took some of these into our local bookshop, thinking the miso flavour might be a bridge too far, but they went down a treat, apparently.  We are so lucky in our little suburb to have this fabulous bookshop (Quick Brown Fox) run by two fabulous ladies!  They run heaps of craft sessions during school holidays, and run many a bookclub in the shop.  I've made treats for bookclub, and Love Your Bookshop Day, and book launches ...  Such fun!

gotta make these again!

Makes around 25:

ingredients:

150g./5.3 oz butter, at room temp.

110g/4 oz caster sugar

1 large (60+g.) egg

105g./4 oz white miso paste  (or red)   see Notes

250g./9 oz plain flour

1 tsp baking powder

choc bits or chopped nuts on top - I used a (290g.) bag of white chocolate melts, and some Lindt choc-orange!

one Flake chocolate bar, and/or more chopped chocolate after baking, to decorate  -  

Method:

Butter and sugar go into your food processor (or a mixing bowl where you will beat like the devil), and whizz away till you have a fluffy, creamy mixture (scrape down the bowl when and if needed)

Add the egg (motor running), then the miso paste

And then add the flour and baking powder - and pulse it in, briefly -Cherie says till you have a soft, thick, mousse-like dough!

Now divvy up the dough into two pieces, and slap each piece onto a piece of baking paper

Then knead very briefly (you might not need to knead, as the dough is very soft) and shape into 15cm/6 in. logs

Roll up the dough in the paper, screw up the ends and whack into the fridge for 2-3 hours

On goes the oven to 160C/320F, while you grab a baking tray and line it with baking paper

Slice up into 1cm (c.½ inch) discs, place them on the tray, and press the sprinkles and/or chocolate bits into the dough

Bake for 20 minutes or till golden

Cool on the tray completely  (can be stored in an airtight container for a few days)

Add extra chocolate bits or sprinkles after baking, if you fancy - I did!

Notes:

You can use other pastes like Nutella or peanut butter or whatever takes your fancy (Cherie even suggests marmalade!)

She also says to use unsalted butter, but that's the devil's work!

You can use electric hand beaters to cream the butter and sugar, if you don't have a food processor

I used 90g. of white miso and 15g. of hulled tahini paste

divvy up the dough!

lay them on baking paper

twisted up like Egyptian mummies

cut into discs

onto the tray, and press in the sprinkles and the chocolate

cool 'em down on the tray, then onto a wire rack

looks like the white chocolate melted, then hardened - yum!