As the days get shorter and the air turns crisp, there’s something magical about the simple pleasure of the smell of cookies in a warm oven. This season, we’re all about the art of the pairing—finding that perfect balance where coffee and cookie come together in perfect harmony. In this guide, you won’t find any standard chocolate chip cookies; instead, we’re highlighting unique, beyond-the-usual recipes. You might just discover a new cookie to add to your rotation!

Gochujang Caramel Cookies x Apollo 

I had no idea what to expect the first time I tried this recipe. I love gochujang in savory dishes, but I was unsure how it would be in a sweet application. This recipe by Eric Kim is nothing short of a masterpiece. The brown sugar, butter, and gochujang melt together to form a richly complex and unique flavor. I paired these cookies with Apollo, a Year-Round Blend that highlights the magic of Ethiopian coffee. With a silky texture, floral notes are accompanied by a supporting sweetness and pop of acidity.     

Ingredients:

• ½ cup (8 tablespoons) (115g) unsalted butter, very soft
• 2 packed tablespoons dark brown sugar
• 1 heaping tablespoon gochujang
• 1 cup/200 grams granulated sugar
• 1 large egg at room temperature
• ½ teaspoon coarse kosher salt or ¾ teaspoon kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal)
• ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• 1½ cups (185g) all-purpose flour

Directions:

In a small bowl, stir together 1 tablespoon of butter, the brown sugar, and gochujang until smooth. Set aside at room temperature for later.

In a large bowl, by hand, whisk together the remaining 7 tablespoons of butter, the granulated sugar, egg, salt, cinnamon, and vanilla until smooth, about 1 minute. Switch to a flexible spatula and stir in the baking soda. Add the flour and gently stir to combine. Place this large bowl in the refrigerator until the dough is less sticky but still soft and pliable, 15 to 20 minutes.

While the dough is chilling, heat the oven to 350 degrees and line 2 large sheet pans with parchment.

Remove the dough from the refrigerator. In 3 to 4 separately spaced-out blobs, spoon the gochujang mixture over the cookie dough. Moving in long circular strokes, swirl the gochujang mixture into the cookie dough to have orange-red streaks throughout the beige. Be sure not to overmix at this stage, as you want wide, distinct strips of gochujang.

Use an ice cream scoop to plop out ¼-cup rounds at least 3 inches apart on the sheet pans. (You should get 4 to 5 cookies per pan.) Bake until lightly golden at the edges and dry and set in the center, 11 to 13 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through. Let cool completely on the sheet pan; the cookies will flatten slightly and continue cooking as they cool. The cookies will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.