Add sugar, water, and corn syrup to a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan. Gently stir just until all the sugar is moistened, then stop stirring.

Whisk in the butter, vanilla, and soy sauce until completely smooth. If any hardened bits remain, set over low heat and whisk 20–30 seconds to melt.

Cool 10–15 minutes until thick but pourable. The caramel will thicken more as it cools; rewarm gently before drizzling.

Heat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment.

In a stand mixer with paddle attachment, beat slightly chilled butter (cool but pliable) with granulated sugar + brown sugar on medium speed (about 2–3 minutes) until pale and fluffy; the mixture should look lighter and leave soft ridges on the spatula.

Mix in honey, vanilla, and butter extract just to combine.

In a separate bowl, whisk flour, salt, cornstarch, baking soda, baking powder, cornmeal to evenly distribute leaveners. Add to the mixer and blend on low just until no dry pockets remain. Finish with a few folds by hand to avoid over-mixing.

Optional but great for texture: rest the dough 10 minutes to let the cornmeal hydrate (less grit, chewier center).

Using a 3-tablespoon scoop, scoop two portions per cookie and roll them together into one large ball. The double-scoop gives you that bakery-style thickness and a gooey center. (If weighing, ~85–90g per dough ball.)

Space dough balls 2 inches apart. If your kitchen is warm, chill the sheet 10 minutes to reduce spread.

Bake 12–14 minutes, rotating once if needed, until edges are lightly golden and centers look just set but still pale.

Right out of the oven, use a flat-bottomed glass or spatula to gently press each cookie to roughly ½-inch thickness (this makes a perfect surface for the buttercream + caramel).

Cool on the tray 5 minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool completely.

Beat softened butter on medium until smooth and creamy, 1 minute.

Add powdered sugar; mix on low until incorporated, then on medium until light and fluffy, 1–2 minutes.

Mix in 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil and a pinch of salt. Taste; add up to 1 more tablespoon sesame oil for a bolder nutty flavor.

On each cooled cookie, dollop about 1 tablespoon sesame buttercream in the center.

Drench/drizzle with warm soy caramel so it gently pools around the dollop.

Store assembled cookies in an airtight container at room temp up to 2 days or refrigerated up to 4–5 days. They hold up so well — the caramel softens slightly, but the cookies stay chewy and the flavors deepen. For the crispest tops, you can also store components separately and assemble before serving.