A friend introduced me to this recipe as an Asian-American holiday favorite a few months ago. And while I didn’t get around to trying them over the holidays, I think they’re good enough for any time of year.

Gochujang is a Korean chili paste. In what would otherwise be a basic snickerdoodle, it adds a little tingle of heat. It’s not a mouth-searing level of spiciness unless you’re the type to think mayonnaise has a flavor, but just enough to let you know it’s there. If you like Mexican-style chocolate chip cookies that come with a dash of chili pepper, you’ll probably like these, too! And if you want to take it even spicier, you can try doubling the amount of gochujang. It’s your cookie: go wild!

The texture of the cookie came out thin and crispy because I tend to press out cookie dough before baking, though they might be thicker if left in balls before baking.

8 tbsp unsalted butter, softened, with 1 tbsp. separated
2 tbsp light brown sugar
1 heaping tbsp. gochujang
1 cup sugar
1 large egg, room temperature
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 1/2 cup  all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
3/4 tsp. kosher salt

Mix the gochujang with 1 tablespoon of butter and brown sugar until it forms a paste. Set aside.

Using a hand-held or stand mixer, beat the remaining butter with the white sugar, egg, and vanilla until the mixture is creamy and fluffy.

In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Gradually add this to the butter mixture, stirring until combined. Refrigerate the dough for 10-15 minutes.

While the dough chills, preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats.

Remove the dough from the fridge. Add dollops of the gochujang mix to the cookie dough. Use a stiff spatula (or your standing mixer on low speed) to gently swirl the caramel into a marbling pattern in the dough, ensuring you maintain a visible color contrast.

Use a small cookie scoop to make 23-24 cookies. Arrange 12 to a baking sheet.

Bake the cookies for 11-13 minutes, until they show cracks on the top and are golden around the edges. Rotate the pans halfway through for even baking.

Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheets for about 3 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack.

Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature. They’ll stay good for up to three days.