Description
These Japanese melon pan cookies feature a tender, light cookie base with a distinctively sweet, crisp, and crackly sugar-coated top. Each cookie has a decorative scored pattern resembling a cantaloupe, creating a unique texture contrast.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Cookie Dough
- 3 tbsp (45 g) unsalted butter, softened
- 1/4 cup (50 g) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 3/4 cup (90 g) cake flour
Coating
- 2 tbsp (28 g) granulated sugar
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
- In a large bowl, beat the softened unsalted butter with 1/4 cup (50 g) granulated sugar until the mixture turns pale and fluffy.
- Add the egg and continue mixing until fully combined.
- Sift the cake flour into the butter mixture and gently mix until just combined. The dough will be sticky.
- Weigh out 28 g of the dough for each cookie and roll into a smooth ball using your hands.
- Roll each dough ball in the granulated sugar to coat the exterior.
- Use a bench scraper or a butter knife to lightly score a crisscross pattern on the top of each cookie.
- Place the shaped cookies on the prepared baking sheet. Chill them in the freezer for 5 minutes, or in the refrigerator for 10 minutes, to help the dough firm up.
- Bake the cookies for 16 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden and the cookies are crisp.
- Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
My dough is quite sticky, so I find wearing gloves helps a lot when I roll the balls.
Chilling the dough before baking is a key step. It helps the cookies hold their shape better and keeps those crisp edges.
When scoring the tops, use a light hand. You just want to make a shallow pattern, not cut deep into the dough.
- Prep Time: 35 mins
- Cook Time: 16 mins
- Category: Cookies
- Method: Baking