Spiced Gochujang Swirl Cookies

1. Make Spicy-Sweet Paste

In a small bowl, stir together 1 tablespoon of the very soft butter, the dark brown sugar, and the gochujang until the mixture is smooth and well combined.

2. Prepare Main Dough

In a large bowl, whisk together the remaining 7 tablespoons of butter, granulated sugar, egg, salt, cinnamon, and vanilla extract for about a minute until well blended and slightly fluffy. Stir in the baking soda using a flexible spatula, then add the all-purpose flour and stir until just combined.

3. Chill Dough

Refrigerate the dough for 15 to 20 minutes to firm up. While the dough chills, preheat your oven to 350 degrees and line two large sheet pans with parchment paper.

4. Swirl in Gochujang Mixture

Spoon the gochujang mixture over the chilled dough and gently swirl it in. Do not overmix; you want wide, distinct stripes of the spicy mixture throughout the dough.

5. Portion and Bake Cookies

Use an ice cream scoop to portion the dough into 1/4-cup rounds, placing them on the prepared baking sheets about 3 inches apart. Bake in the preheated oven for 11 to 13 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through.

6. Cool and Store

Allow the cookies to cool completely on the sheet pans. Once cooled, store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.