Chocolate Covered Perilla Hearts Recipe

Directions

Roast the perilla seeds over medium flame for about 3 to 4 minutes. Keep stirring to ensure even roasting. The seeds will release a nutty aroma when ready.

In another pan, caramelize the sugar by heating it over medium flame until it turns golden brown. You can swirl it around for even melting but don't use a spatula or spoon. Once done, add the perilla seeds to this and mix to evenly coat.

Transfer the now-cooled perilla seeds on a baking sheet lined baking tray. Arrange cookie cutters on the paper. Fill each cookie cutter with the caramelized perilla seeds mixture.

Melt the dark chocolate using a double boiler or microwave. Stir until smooth.

Spread the melted chocolate into the caramelized perilla seed cookies, then use a spatula to evenly spread.

Finally, decorate with sprinkles and allow the cookies to cool and the chocolate to set. Once the chocolate and caramel has hardened, remove the cookies from the cookie cutters, and serve.

Do not roast the perilla seeds for more than 5 minutes, else they will give a bitter taste.
Experiment with different shapes and sizes of cookie cutters for a variety of designs.
You can customize the toppings by using crushed nuts, coconut flakes, edible flowers, or edible glitter.
You can also add nuts like chopped walnuts, almonds, and cashews or even dried fruits like cranberries and raisins for more texture and a burst of flavor.
If you want to make the Perilla Hearts taste gourmet, use dark chocolate for frosting and sprinkle some flaky sea salt as the final garnish.