Description
At its heart, this recipe is a refined twist on the traditional slice and bake butter shortbread. Standard butter cookies rely heavily on vanilla and sugar for their profile, which can sometimes feel one dimensional or overly sweet. This recipe reimagines that base by bringing two dynamic Japanese staples into the fold: aromatic yuzu and creamy white miso.
Ingredients
Scale
Makes about 24 cookies
- 170 g (¾ cup) unsalted butter, softened
- 100 g (½ cup) granulated sugar
- 30 g (2 tbsp) light brown sugar
- 25 g (1½ tbsp) white (shiro) miso
- 1 large egg yolk
- 2 tsp yuzu zest (from 1–2 yuzu, or use lemon if unavailable)
- 1 tbsp yuzu juice
- 1 tsp vanilla extract (optional)
- 250 g (2 cups) all-purpose flour
- ¼ tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp fine salt (reduce or omit if your miso is salty)
Optional topping
- Coarse sugar
- Black or white sesame seeds
- Flaky sea salt
Instructions
- Cream the butter
- Beat the softened butter with the granulated and brown sugars until light and fluffy (2–3 minutes).
- Add flavorings
- Mix in the miso until smooth.
- Beat in the egg yolk, yuzu zest, yuzu juice, and vanilla.
- Add dry ingredients
- Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
- Fold into the butter mixture just until no dry flour remains.
- Chill
- Divide the dough in half and roll into logs about 5 cm (2 inches) in diameter.
- Wrap tightly and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or freeze for 30–45 minutes.
- Bake
- Heat oven to 170°C (340°F).
- Slice cookies about 8 mm (⅓ inch) thick.
- Arrange on a parchment-lined baking sheet about 5 cm (2 inches) apart.
- Sprinkle with coarse sugar or sesame seeds if desired.
- Bake for 12–15 minutes, until the edges are just turning golden.
- Cool
- Let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack.
Notes
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 12–15 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Japanese-Inspired
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 110 kcal
Keywords: Yuzu miso shortbread, Japanese citrus miso cookies, Yuzu butter cookies