Happy New Year! I don’t know about you, but the last two weeks of 2017 flew by in the blink of an eye for me. I tackled the recipes I planned for Christmas and somehow managed to turn out a batch of salted tahini chocolate chip cookies prior to Dec. 25, too. After checking off the tasks on my culinary to-do list, I gladly sat back and savored a plethora of good food.
Salted tahini chocolate chip cookies are insanely delicious – and all credit goes to Danielle Oron for the inspiration. If you’re a CCC purist, don’t let the idea of adding sesame seed paste to the mix deter you. I was a bit skeptical, but the tahini lends a little nuttiness that contrasts nicely with chocolate. And freezing the dough for at least 12 hours before baking helps ensure the perfect texture.
P.S. Wondering what noteworthy fare I tried in the final days of 2017? Here’s a glimpse:
- An assortment of tapas and arroz negro at La Marcha in Berkeley
- Brussels sprouts, Mozza caprese and three kinds of pizza at Pizzeria Mozza in Los Angeles
- A tasting flight at The Ojai Vineyard
- An unforgettable five-course New Year’s Eve dinner specially prepared by chef Mark Nargi
Recipe adapted from I Will Not Eat Oysters.
- ½ cup + 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
- 4 tablespoons tahini
- ½ cup sugar
- 1 egg
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¾ cup semisweet or dark chocolate wafers (see notes)
- flake salt (for finish, optional)
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, or in a bowl with a hand-held mixer, beat the butter, tahini and sugar at medium speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla extract and continue to beat for another 5 minutes.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients and beat on low speed until just combined. Add the chocolate wafers and stir to combine.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Divide dough into 8 equal pieces and shape each piece into a ball. Place the balls on the prepared baking sheet about 3 inches apart. Wrap with plastic wrap and freeze for at least 12 hours.
- When you're ready to bake the cookies, preheat oven to 325 degrees.
- Bake cookies until the tops are lightly golden and the centers are still soft, 13-16 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and sprinkle cookies with flake salt, if using. Allow cookies to rest on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack.
Tahini+chocolate chips=HEAVEN. I think that should be a new mandatory equation for all small humans to learn early on. These cookies look SO good.
Thank you, Karly! I agree – I can’t wait to make a second, third and fourth batch!
Tahini is always a bit savory tasting to me. I bet this makes an amazing sweet/savory combo!
Yes – especially with the addition of flake salt on top!
Hi,
I love the pictures and the recipe.
However, I am tahini virgin.
Where do you buy it?
Hi – You can find tahini in most grocery stores, usually near the peanut butter.