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Tahini Shortbread Cookies with Chocolate Chunks When I think about developing a recipe, I am inspired by an ingredient or a technique or even a photo, but this cookie idea popped up in my head as a sudden craving. A rarity from someone who rarely ever craves cookies! I wanted a salty shortbread type of cookie with some chew and bite. Not overtly sweet. Tahini always does the job for me as it balances out any sweetness in a recipe and adds the earthiness that pushes it into savory territory. It worked for me and it’s probably one of my favorite cookie recipes I have developed recently. Here are a few notes about the recipe: - You can use unsalted butter or even coconut butter although it might alter how the cookies spread. - Oat milk can be substituted with whole milk or nut milk. - I used light buckwheat flour. You can use the darker varieties as well, but the color will be more intense and the flavor slightly earthier. I often times grind my own buckwheat groats as they are soft and they pulverize easily in a high-powder blender. - The cookies are intentionally a bit salty. You can reduce the amount of salt to 1 teaspoon. I highly recommend using Diamond kosher salt, but if using fine sea salt, use 1/2 to 3/4 teaspoons. - You can substitute the chocolate for halva candy for even more tahini flavor. - The yield and baking time for the recipe are based on cookies that are 50 grams. If your cookies are smaller, make sure to adjust baking time. - I prefer baking one sheet at a time. I find that the cookies bake evenly this way. I try to keep the oven rack in the middle when baking cookies. But, of course, you can put both baking sheets in at once and rotate halfway through. - The cookies tend to be a bit crumbly when warm but as soon as cooled, they are chewy and have a bite to them. I like to let them cool completely before enjoying them. - You can double the recipe and freeze the raw cookie dough. I like to bake them frozen but adding a few minutes to baking time. Makes 12 cookies 6 tablespoons (85 g) vegan butter, melted and cooled (see note about other fats) 1/3 cup (90 g) well-stirred tahini 1/2 cup (100 g) sugar 2 tablespoons (35 g) tightly-packed light brown sugar 3 tablespoons (35 g) oat milk (see note about other milks) 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 cup plus 1 tablespoon (150 g) light buckwheat flour 1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon 2 ounces (55 g) 70% chocolate, coarsely chopped 1. In a large bowl, whisk together the butter, tahini, and both sugars for 1 minute. Add the oat milk and vanilla extract. 2. In a medium bowl, stir together the buckwheat flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon. Add into the butter mixture and stir together using a wooden spoon or spatula. Fold in the chopped chocolate until it’s thoroughly mixed. I get my hands in the dough if it feels too hard to mix with a spoon. Refrigerate the dough for at least one hour. 3. Preheat oven to 350F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. 4. Scoop cookies that are approximately 50 grams (about 3 tablespoons of dough) and round them into balls. You should have 12 cookies. Divide the cookies between the baking sheets. 5. Bake the cookies for 13 to 15 minutes (rotate halfway if needed) until the edges are set but middle feels soft. They should be lightly golden brown. Remember the cookies continue to harden as they cool so best to slightly under bake them. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for at least 10 minutes or until you can lift them up without falling apart. Store cookies in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
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