Miso Chocolate Cookies

These small batch miso chocolate cookies are sweet and chocolaty, with a hint of welcome saltiness from the savory miso paste. We could not stop eating them!

Sharing this recipe makes me nostalgic for my favorite food magazine, delicious. which ceased publishing last Autumn, much to the sadness of all of its fans. I had been a reader since discovering the Australian edition back around 2002 when I moved to Kuala Lumpur. Its UK sister magazine started publication at the end of 2003, boasting a Christmas roast turkey crown from Jamie Oliver on the cover. 

If you’ve been reading along here for a while, you know how I feel about Jamie. How could I not by that magazine?! And I was hooked from there on out. 

This recipe is adapted from one in a more recent issue, March 2024. It was created by the very talented Pollyanna Coupland. She named these pan-bang cookies and you’ll soon see why from the method.

Miso Chocolate Cookies

I used semi-sweet chocolate for these cookies because that’s what we love but the original called for milk chocolate so you can choose. I always have both white and black sesame seeds on hand so I used half and half. The original didn’t specify but the photos look like all white so use what you’ve got!

Ingredients for 10-12 cookies

1 cup or 230g butter, softened

1 ¾ cups or 350g light brown sugar

1 egg

2 ¼ cups or 280g flour

½ teaspoon baking soda

¾ teaspoon fine sea salt

1 ½ teaspoons white miso paste

3 ½ oz or 100g semi-sweet chocolate

4 tablespoons sesame seeds

Method

Measure out your miso paste, sesame seeds and chop the dark chocolate into bits with a sharp knife. 

With electric beaters or in your stand mixer, cream the butter and sugar together until pale and fluffy. 

Beat in the egg.

Sift in the flour, baking soda and salt and mix again.

Mix in the miso and half the sesame seeds.

Mix in the chopped chocolate. 

Heat the oven to 350°F or 180°C and prepare two cookie sheets by lining them with baking parchment or silicone liners.

Spoon the dough out onto a large piece of cling film. 

Using the cling film, roll it into a thick log. If you don’t want to bake all the cookies today, the balance of the log can be rewrapped and frozen for up to a few weeks, until you do. 

Slice the log into 10-12 discs.

Put three of them on one of your lined cookie sheets, leaving plenty of room around each one. Sprinkle some of the remaining sesame seeds over the top of the discs, then chill the cookie sheet in the freezer for 15 minutes. 

Remove from the freezer and put the cookie sheet straight into the preheated oven for 8 minutes. 

Prepare the second sheet of cookie dough discs and put them in the freezer.

 

After 8 minutes in the oven, the discs should have spread outwards and puffed up a little. 

Remove the tray and bang it down sharply on the counter, which will cause the dough to spread outwards even more. Mine didn’t get all crinkly like Pollyanna’s but they did spread out. 

Put the baking pan back in the oven for 3 minutes, then remove and bang it again. 

Return for a final 3 minutes, then remove and let the cookies cool on a wire rack while you bake the rest of them in batches. 

Serve with some cold milk and enjoy! 

Welcome to the 13th edition of Alphabet Challenge 2026, brought to you by the letter M. Many thanks to Wendy from A Day in the Life on the Farm for organizing and creating the challenge. Check out all the M recipes below:

• Grilled BBQ Meatball Skewers from Jolene’s Recipe Journal
• Mambazha Pulissery from Mayuri’s Jikoni
• Mastica Ice Cream from A Messy Kitchen
• Melon and Prosciutto Salad from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Methi Chole from Sizzling Tastebuds
• Mexican Green Chile Pimento Cheese Dip from Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice
• Mini Turkey Meat Loaves from Blogghetti
• Miso Chocolate Cookies from Food Lust People Love
• Mix Flour Shankarpali/Shankarpara from Sneha’s Recipe
• Sweetened Condensed Milk Cookies from Karen’s Kitchen Stories

Here are my posts for the 2026 alphabet challenge, thus far:

A: Ají de Cerdo aka Peruvian Pork Stew

B: Baby Cos Peach Salad with Blue Cheese Dressing 

C. Traditional Cullen Skink 

D. Coconut Cream Date Caramel 

E. Edamame Summer Salad 

F. Lamb Feta Mint Patties 

G. Ricotta Gnocchi à la Poêle 

H. Hazelnut Vodka 

I. Italian Sausage Stuffed Mini Peppers - this post!

J. Jägersuppe - Hunter's Soup 

K. Easy Chicken Kapama 

L. Easy Lamb Shoulder Roast 

M. Miso Chocolate Cookies - this post!

To check out the Alphabet Challenges for 2024 and 2025, click here.

Pin these Miso Chocolate Cookies!

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Easy Lamb Shoulder Roast

Tender and flavorful, this easy lamb shoulder roast melts in your mouth! It’s simple to prepare and, after a fast start, cooks long and slow in the oven. Time making this dish is mostly hands-off. 

If you’ve been reading here a while, you know how much I adore Jamie Oliver. Since his young, baby-face days as the Naked Chef, I’ve watched his career expand as he grew up. Now with a family of his own, he has one of his son’s looking to follow in his footsteps, as he did with his own dad who ran the family pub kitchen.

While occasionally he does a fancy cheffy thing, a nod to his culinary training, most of his recipes are deliciously down-to-earth, like this one. 

Easy Lamb Shoulder Roast

If you can’t find new potatoes or young carrots, substitute regular ones, peeled and cut into chunks. This recipe is adapted from one of Jamie Oliver’s in his book, Jamie at Home: Cook Your Way to the Good Life, published in 2006. I’ve been making some version of it ever since.

Ingredients

1 (2.2 lb or 1 kg) half shoulder of lamb

Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

3-4 sprigs fresh rosemary

1 head garlic, peeled and large cloves halved

1 yellow onion, peeled and cut in thick slices

Olive oil

1 lb or 450g new potatoes

12 oz or 340g young carrots

Method

Preheat your oven as high as it goes, 450-500°F or 232-260°C.

Score the fat side of the lamb with a sharp knife. 

Rub it all over with a generous amount of fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. 

Wrap it in cling film and set aside while you prep the garlic and onion according to the ingredient list.

Drizzle a little olive oil in the bottom of your Dutch oven and arrange the onion slices to cover the area where the lamb will rest. Put half of the garlic on top, along with half of the leaves from your rosemary, stripped from the sprigs. 

Unwrap the lamb and lay it fat side up on the onion, garlic and rosemary. Drizzle the top of the lamb with more olive oil. Add on the balance of the garlic and stripped rosemary leaves with another little drizzle of oil.

Put the cover on the Dutch oven (or a tightly fitting piece of thick foil) and put it in the oven. Immediately turn the oven temperature down to 325°F or 163°C. 

Roast for three hours. Meanwhile, scrub the new potatoes and young carrots and toss them with a little olive oil, salt and pepper. Set them aside, ready to go in. 

When the three hours are up, remove the Dutch oven from the oven and take the lid off carefully, so you don’t burn yourself.

Add in the potatoes and carrots and turn them in the pan juices. Put the lid back on and roast for a further 30 minutes. 

Remove from the oven and check to see if the meat is falling off the bones yet. It should be! 

If you’d like a little more color on your lamb, baste it with the pan juices and pop it back in the oven without the lid for another 15-20 minutes or until it is colored to your satisfaction. 

Remove the lamb to a serving platter with the potatoes and carrots. 

Pan juices, along with the onion, garlic and rosemary, can be made into gravy with the addition of a little flour and stock or they can be served as is on the side. 

Enjoy!

Welcome to the 12th edition of Alphabet Challenge 2026, brought to you by the letter L. Many thanks to Wendy from A Day in the Life on the Farm for organizing and creating the challenge. Check out all the L recipes below:

• Deviled Eggs with Lemon Caper Remoulade from Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice
• Easy Lamb Shoulder Roast from Food Lust People Love
• Greek Pork Chops from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Instant Pot Spicy Moroccan Lamb and Lentil Stew from A Messy Kitchen
• Lasooni Palak from Mayuri’s Jikoni
• Lemon Lavender Scones from Blogghetti
• Lentil, Sweet Pepper, Spinach, and Linguica from Karen’s Kitchen Stories
• Low Carb 2 Ingredient Oat Bread from Sneha’s Recipe
• No Bake Lemon Lush Dessert from Jolene’s Recipe Journal

Here are my posts for the 2026 alphabet challenge, thus far:

A: Ají de Cerdo aka Peruvian Pork Stew

B: Baby Cos Peach Salad with Blue Cheese Dressing 

C. Traditional Cullen Skink 

D. Coconut Cream Date Caramel 

E. Edamame Summer Salad 

F. Lamb Feta Mint Patties 

G. Ricotta Gnocchi à la Poêle 

H. Hazelnut Vodka 

I. Italian Sausage Stuffed Mini Peppers - this post!

J. Jägersuppe - Hunter's Soup 

K. Easy Chicken Kapama 

L. Easy Lamb Shoulder Roast - this post!

To check out the Alphabet Challenges for 2024 and 2025, click here.

Pin this Easy Lamb Shoulder Roast!

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Easy Chicken Kapama

Boneless skinless chicken thighs make this easy kapama chicken with a rich cinnamon scented tomato sauce quick to the table. It’s so very delicious! 

Not that I’ve ever made it before but New York Times Cooking says that the traditional Greek version would be made with a whole chicken, cut into its typical pieces. But, of course, bone-in chicken takes much longer to cook so if you are looking for a weeknight dish, starting with boneless chicken is ideal. 

It's also a great make-ahead dish because it just gets better the next day! We liked it the first night but loved it even more as leftovers. 

Easy Chicken Kapama

This recipe is adapted from one on New York Times Cooking. It calls for ground cinnamon as well as two cinnamon sticks and it needs both for a more authentic Greek flavor. Serve it over buttered egg noodles or orzo.

Ingredients

1 lb 12 oz or 800g boneless, skinless chicken thighs

Fine sea salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Ground cayenne

Ground cinnamon

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced

4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1 (15 oz or 425g) can tomato puree

2 cinnamon sticks

1 teaspoon sugar

2-3 sprigs fresh oregano, leaves only

½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, optional

For garnish:

2 tablespoons fresh herbs, such as Italian parsley and oregano, roughly chopped

For serving:

Buttered egg noodles or orzo

Grated kefalotyri cheese or Parmesan

Crushed red pepper, optional

Method

Season the chicken thighs well on both sides with salt, black pepper, cayenne and a sprinkle of ground cinnamon. Cut them into three or four pieces each.

In a large skillet, heat the butter and olive oil over medium flame. Working in batches to avoid overcrowding, cook the chicken until it is lightly browned on both sides. 

Remove to a plate as you cook each batch. The chicken will not be cooked through at this point but, worry not, it will finish cooking in the sauce. 

Slice the onion and garlic thinly. 

Add them to the skillet and cook until the onion is soft and translucent. 

Stir in the tomato puree, tomato paste and water equal to half of the tomato puree can. This also helps rinse the can so you are sure to use all of the puree. Stir well.

Add in the cinnamon sticks and leave to cook for a few minutes.

Return the chicken to the pan along with any juices that have collected on the plate, stir to coat with the sauce and bring to a simmer. 

Turn heat to medium-low, cover and simmer until the chicken is cooked through and the flavors meld, stirring occasionally, 20-30 minutes. Add in the fresh oregano leaves, the spoon of sugar and crushed red pepper, if using, stir well. 

Taste and adjust seasonings to your liking, adding more salt and pepper, if necessary.

Serve the chicken over buttered egg noodles or orzo, spooning the tomato sauce on top. Top with the fresh herbs and grated cheese.

Enjoy!

Welcome to the 11th edition of Alphabet Challenge 2026, brought to you by the letter K. Many thanks to Wendy from A Day in the Life on the Farm for organizing and creating the challenge. Check out all the K recipes below:

• Baby Kale Salad with Steak and Citrus Vinaigrette from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Brown Sugar and Ketchup Pork Chops from Blogghetti
• Creamy Kohlrabi Pasta from Mildly Indian
• Easy Chicken Kapama from Food Lust People Love
• Individual No Bake Key Lime Pies from Karen’s Kitchen Stories
• Kabocha Methi Garlic Rolls from Magical Ingredients
• Kachhe Kele Ke Kofte from Mayuri’s Jikoni
• Kahlua and Cream: Brown Cow Cocktail from Jolene’s Recipe Journal
• Kielbasa Pasta Medley (Sicilian Medley) from A Messy Kitchen
• Kondakadalai Sundal / Chickpeas Sundal from Sneha’s Recipe
• Spicy Cheddar Krispies Crackers (Rice Krispies) from Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice

Here are my posts for the 2026 alphabet challenge, thus far:

A: Ají de Cerdo aka Peruvian Pork Stew

B: Baby Cos Peach Salad with Blue Cheese Dressing 

C. Traditional Cullen Skink 

D. Coconut Cream Date Caramel 

E. Edamame Summer Salad 

F. Lamb Feta Mint Patties 

G. Ricotta Gnocchi à la Poêle 

H. Hazelnut Vodka 

I. Italian Sausage Stuffed Mini Peppers - this post!

J. Jägersuppe - Hunter's Soup 

K. Easy Chicken Kapama - this post!

To check out the Alphabet Challenges for 2024 and 2025, click here.

Pin this Easy Chicken Kapama! 

.

Jägersuppe - Hunter's Soup

A traditional German dish, jägersuppe translates to hunter’s soup in English. This version features wild mushrooms, bacon, red wine and sour cream. 

A while back I was looking for soup recipes and came across the name jägersuppe. I am not familiar with German cuisine so, intrigued, I followed the links and went down a rabbit hole of recipes with all manner of wild game and foraged ingredients.

The recipe I finally settled on called for chanterelle mushrooms which my high-end local grocery store, Central Market, often carries. Much to my disappointment, they didn’t have any! So I picked up some baby bella mushrooms there instead and decided to hydrate some wild mushrooms to keep to the spirit of the recipe name. 

It turns out that chanterelle season here in the US is July through November so I’ll definitely be making this again later in the year. Even without the special mushrooms though, it was delicious, rich and satisfyingly savory. My husband said it was the best mushroom soup he's eaten in quite a while!

Jägersuppe – Hunter’s Soup

Use whatever nice fresh mushrooms you can find if chestnut ones aren’t available. If you have chanterelles, all the better! This recipe is adapted from one on Gute Kueche, Germany’s Good Food magazine. It makes four servings. 

Ingredients

1 oz or 28g dried wild mushrooms

8 oz or 227g fresh baby bella mushrooms

½ large or 1 small onion (Mine weighed 112g)

2 tablespoons butter

3 ½ oz or 100g bacon crumbles

2 tablespoons flour

4 ¼ cups or 1L beef stock

½ cup or 120ml dry red wine

½ cup or 120ml sour cream

¼ teaspoon white pepper

¼ teaspoon fine sea salt or to taste – depending on the saltiness of your stock

Optional for garnish - chopped flat leaf parsley

Method

Pour boiling water over the dried mushrooms in a heatproof bowl and set aside to soak. 

Clean the fresh mushrooms, trim any hard bits and slice them. 

Mince the onion.

Sauté the sliced mushrooms in the butter.

Keep cooking until they have released their liquid and turned a lovely golden brown. Remove them from the pan and set aside. 

Drain the dried mushrooms, reserving the liquid and straining out any dirt. Chop them finely with a sharp knife.

Fry the bacon crumbles in the same pan you used for the mushrooms.

Add in the minced onion and cook until the onion is softened and translucent. 

Dust the bacon and onion with the flour. (I like to use a little sieve which helps avoid lumps.) Stir well and cook the flour for a minute or two. 

Pour in the stock and red wine and bring to a low boil.

Stir in the fresh and dried mushrooms along with the soaking liquid. Bring to the boil and then simmer for about 10 minutes.

Add the sour cream, season with salt, if needed, and white pepper and bring to a boil again briefly.

Stir well to combine.

Garnish with some chopped parsley to serve. Enjoy! 

Welcome to the 10th edition of Alphabet Challenge 2026, brought to you by the letter J. Many thanks to Wendy from A Day in the Life on the Farm for organizing and creating the challenge. Check out all the J recipes below:

• Aloo Tamatar Jhol - No Onion No Garlic from Sneha’s Recipe
• Bacon Wrapped Jalapeño Poppers from Blogghetti
• Coconut Cherry Jasmine Rice from Jolene’s Recipe Journal
• Cowboy Candy from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Jägersuppe - Hunter's Soup from Food Lust People Love
• Jasmine-Infused Tres Leches Bundt from Culinary Cam
• Jerk-Seasoned Caribbean Honey Mustard Sauce from Faith, Hope, Love & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice
• Juniper Butter Cookies from A Messy Kitchen
• Jicama Slaw with Carrots, Cucumbers, and Bell Peppers from Karen’s Kitchen Stories
• Vegetable Jalfrezi from Mayuri’s Jikoni

Here are my posts for the 2026 alphabet challenge, thus far:

A: Ají de Cerdo aka Peruvian Pork Stew

B: Baby Cos Peach Salad with Blue Cheese Dressing 

C. Traditional Cullen Skink 

D. Coconut Cream Date Caramel 

E. Edamame Summer Salad 

F. Lamb Feta Mint Patties 

G. Ricotta Gnocchi à la Poêle 

H. Hazelnut Vodka 

I. Italian Sausage Stuffed Mini Peppers - this post!

J. Jägersuppe - Hunter's Soup - this post!

To check out the Alphabet Challenges for 2024 and 2025, click here.

Pin this Jägersupper – Hunter’s Soup!

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