Ho ho ho ho...hold the phone! Santa is going to flip his beard for these Tahini Chocolate Chunk Cookies! This is a Halva good Hanukkah Cookie! Ok, but for real, this is the best chocolate chip cookie I have ever tasted, and I made them myself, so there's that.
No secret that I frequently am on the search for my favorite treats around my city. I have go-to's and local places to find them because when I have a craving, I want it when I want it, which is right now.
When possible, I try and replicate what my palate has a hankering for.
I recently discovered Tahini Chocolate Chip Cookies that I found at one of my neighborhood coffee shops, but it's not that close by, and I have had some baking realizations as of late and turns out, I can bake. Not tooting my own horn, well fuck it, toot toot! If you tell yourself something for long enough you start to believe it, and I have this tale, I speak about the fact that I'm a great cook, but I can't bake. A couple of months ago, I baked a three-tier cake, more to come about that later, but I did it, and not only did it look pretty, but it tasted amazing. I had unbiased tasters, so it wasn't my imagination.
So I went on my second baking mission and found a tahini cookie recipe, tweaked a couple of things to make it Jessified, and darn it if they didn't turn out perfect! Like better than the ones in the coffee shop.
Santa will be so grateful if you share these cookies with him. They make a perfect Hanukkah gift due to the tahini/halva element, make ice cream sandwich snacks for the kiddos or adult-o’s, and you must, must, must keep some dough on reserve for a naughty or nice (depending on how you look at it) treat. Happy baking!
Tahini Chocolate Chunk Cookies
Makes 12-18 cookies depending on how big or small you want them.
1/4 Cup Coconut Sugar
3/4 Light Brown Sugar
1/2 cup Tahini
1/2 cup unsalted butter- I love the salt element in these cookies, the tahini adds a nuttiness plus I top them with sea salt, however, if you love love love salty and sweet, use Salted Butter instead of Unsalted.
1 1/4 Whole Wheat Pastry Flour
1 Tsp Vanilla
1/2 Teaspoon Baking Soda
1 Egg
1/2 Tsp Salt
5 oz-ish 80% Chocolate Bar - or even 85%, I used a mix of both. Chopped into roughly broken pieces, chunky! This adds to the rustic yet oh so professional-could-be-in-a pastry -shop-window touch.
For the Cookie Dough:
Mix sugars and butter together. I don't own a standing mixer; this has maybe added to my "I can't bake story' guess what, I don't need it. It takes some elbow grease, but you can use a fork and wooden spoon to cream butter and sugar. Use a glass bowl and put it on your lap to generate some heat; no, this isn't supposed to be inappropriate. I start with room temp butter; this is important, chilled butter won't be fun, and you might hurt yourself. Begin the process by smooshing the butter and sugar together with the fork until the butter and sugars are just combined; this isn't the creamed part yet. Then using a wood spatula shape spoon (flat top) to start the smoosh and mashing of the mixture, get in there and don't stop, it's gonna burn and you will get your arm workout in so stay committed, it will begin to blend and start to look creamy, not whipped like using a mixer, but it does the trick. Or use a standing or hand mixer and do your arm fitness later.
No judgment.
A hand mixer is great for after the egg to whip it up. I've been using the same hand mixer for other stuff I cook, and for the past 25 years, it's done the trick.
Add the egg and mix some more. The egg will make this start to look like more of a batter.
Add, tahini, vanilla, salt, blend. Now it's really lookin' batter-like, creamy and whipped.
Sift or mix with a fork the Wheat Flour and baking soda, so it's combined.
Add 1/4 of the flour mix at a time to wet and stir together till combined. You can do this with the wooden spoon.
Then fold in the chopped chocolate.
Roll out the dough in some plastic wrap; its' gonna look like a tube of your fave cookie dough from childhood. Move over Nestle. Save a pinch or two for some choc chip cookie dough snacking, wink wink. This stuff tastes like Halva. If you know what that is, you are going to be so excited if you are confused, then buy some Halava, and you will know what I mean.
Pop the dough in the fridge for at least 4 hours or longer.
Time to Bake:
Turn your oven to 350. See oven notes below ****
When you are ready to bake these little darlings cut them into pieces, then roll into balls just about 1 1/2 inch and using palm flatten just a smidge.
Bake about 16 minutes. I bake for 10 min.than turns the baking sheet and do another 6 min max.
The cookie will be slightly golden at the edges and might seem underdone, but trust me, don't bake them till the whole cookie is golden, or they will be hard and crunchy, and everyone knows that cookies taste best consumed slightly gooey and chewy.
Take the cookies out and sprinkle with the flakey sea salt while they are warm. Then let cool on sheet for 10 minutes before transferring them, or they will fall apart on you if you move them hot.
Eat one or two, and pat yourself on the back. You did it! Go you!
**** Everyone's oven is different, and I can't stress that enough. You might only use a 325 oven, or less bake time. Best bet so you don't waste precious treats, do a couple of testers with one cookie.***
Happy Holidays Food Athletes!
xo Jessi xo
