This Umami Powerhouse Rounds Out The Flavor Of Brownies Like You've Never Imagined

When it comes to upgrading your brownies, swirls of caramel or chopped, dried fruit make for tasty additions. Chocolate is an incredibly versatile flavor that pairs well with everything from coffee to cherries, leaving a lot of room for interpretation when it comes to brownies. Miso might not be the first ingredient that comes to mind — but if you're a fan of sweet and salty, consider adding it to your next batch of brownies.

Enjoy sea salt dark chocolate or salted caramel? Chances are you'll also like miso-infused brownies. Miso, a fermented soybean paste used as a base for soup and broth, can provide balance and more depth of flavor to brownies. The salty umami flavors of miso paste contrast and cut through the sweetness of brownies. The rich nuttiness of miso can also enhance the deep chocolate flavors, and umami also tames the bitterness of cocoa powder.

Umami flavors in desserts is not such an odd concept — we see bacon incorporated into chocolate and decadent ricotta cheese folded into cake batter. While umami is not always easy to identify right away, it does a good job of enhancing other more prominent flavors without taking the spotlight. You shouldn't necessarily taste miso in the brownies, but rather notice that the richness of the chocolate is more pronounced. On top of flavor, miso contributes to moisture and texture. Because it contains fermented proteins and natural sugars, it adds a slightly fudgy, buttery, almost caramelized quality to brownies.

Incorporating miso into brownies is simple, but the key is using the right type and amount. White miso is one of the most popular options for brownie recipes because it has a mild, slightly sweet taste that doesn't overpower the chocolate. It's one of the easiest varieties to find at grocery stores as well and is normally stocked in the refrigerated section, or near Asian products in an ethnic foods aisle. FYI: Don't use miso soup packets. These dry packets of miso powder are not pure miso, and they often include other savory flavorings and dried seaweed. Darker miso varieties, like red or barley, can be used in place of white miso, but note that the darker the miso, the stronger the flavor (and the less you should be using).

A little miso goes a long way; recipes call for anywhere from 1 teaspoon to a tablespoon or two. The miso paste can be creamed with butter or sugar, or you can mix it into your bowl of wet ingredients. If you're not following a miso brownie recipe and you're just adding miso to a standard recipe, eliminate the added salt if the recipe calls for it.

Besides blending miso into the batter classic approach, you can experiment by swirling miso-infused caramel into the batter before baking, making a marbled pattern, or drizzling over the top when finished baking. The umami paste can be blended into a sophisticated cream cheese frosting or a creamy tahini glaze to top brownies.