Kim Nara, head pâtissier at Mont Cookie, who shook up the dessert market with the "Dubai jjondeuk cookie," is drawing attention. This cookie, which combines the chewy texture of marshmallow with the nutty and crunchy notes of pistachio and kadaif, spread by word of mouth on social media and has become a hit menu item that even prompts open-run lines.
On the 26th, SBS' Master of Living featured Kim, the first developer of the Dubai jjondeuk cookie. Kim explained the development process of the Dubai jjondeuk cookie and said the starting point of the trend was a request from a regular. In Apr. last year, when the Dubai chocolate craze was spreading, a regular customer suggested making a chewy cookie with a Dubai-style twist, and that led to months of testing to complete the current recipe.
According to the broadcast, Kim is a former Navy aviation noncommissioned officer who entered the dessert market after discharge with Mont Cookie CEO Lee Yun-min, whom Kim met during military service as a senior-junior connection. The "chewy cookie" first introduced was coated with marshmallow on the outside to highlight the texture, and it was said to have received a positive response from customers.
The Dubai jjondeuk cookie maintains the framework of the existing chewy cookie while configuring the filling in a Dubai style. By combining marshmallow with chocolate, pistachio, and kadaif, a Middle Eastern noodle-like ingredient, it creates a contrast with a chewy exterior and a nutty yet crunchy interior.
Kim pointed to the pretreatment of kadaif as the key to preserving crunchiness. Kim said the filling is completed by adding brown rice to the kadaif and baking it several times in the oven, then mixing in white chocolate to add sweetness and adding pistachio spread. For the marshmallow dough that wraps the outside, butter and margarine are slowly melted over low heat, but if overmelted, the texture can actually become firm, so temperature and time are adjusted, Kim added. Finally, the method of enhancing chewiness by adding cocoa powder and skim milk powder was also revealed.
Kim, together with a manufacturing staff of about 50 people, is said to produce more than 30,000 units a day, with daily sales of 1.3 billion won. While similar products are spreading rapidly, Kim said there are no plans to monopolize the name Dubai jjondeuk cookie or the recipe.
On the broadcast, Kim said, "I thought the process was simple and anyone could make it, and I didn't expect to receive this much love," and added, "Many shops released the Dubai jjondeuk cookie in various forms in their own style. I think we were able to receive this love because everyone created the trend together."