CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES WITH BLACK SESAME AND SEAWEED

Chocolate Chip Cookies With Black Sesame and Seaweed image

This complex and earthy cookie comes from Zoe Kanan, the pastry chef at Simon & the Whale restaurant in New York, and proves the notion that ingenuity is often born of necessity. While working in Hong Kong on a collaborative dinner with Yardbird restaurant, Ms. Kazan found herself with a glut of specialty ingredients at her disposal. Inspired by the experimental flavor combinations for which her mentor, Christina Tosi, is known, Ms. Kanan added black sesame paste, seaweed and sesame seeds to a tahini chocolate chip cookie recipe she'd been developing. Deeply chocolatey and extremely savory, the result -this cookie, created for the 2019 NYT Food Festival - is perplexing at first bite and addictive after that.

Provided by Alexa Weibel

Categories snack, cookies and bars, pastries, dessert

Time 1h

Yield 22 cookies

Number Of Ingredients 14

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups/190 grams unbleached all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups/140 grams dark rye flour or pumpernickel flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 packed teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons fine sea salt
3/4 cup/165 grams dark brown sugar
2/3 cup/135 grams granulated sugar
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons/140 grams unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
2 large eggs plus 1 yolk
1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon/105 grams black sesame paste, such as Kevala Black Sesame Tahini, or regular tahini
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
13 ounces/370 grams 65 to 70 percent dark chocolate, roughly chopped
1/2 cup/5 grams kizami nori (toasted and shredded seaweed) (see Tip)
1 cup/120 grams black sesame seeds, to coat

Steps:

In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose and rye flours, baking powder, baking soda and sea salt; set aside.
In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat both sugars together on medium speed to blend. Add butter and beat on medium until beginning to lighten and starting to become creamy, about 2 minutes.
Add the eggs and egg yolk one at a time to the butter mixture, beating until incorporated, then add the black sesame paste and vanilla, and blend just until combined.
Add the flour mixture all at once, and use a sturdy rubber spatula to fold it into the butter mixture until about halfway combined, and the mixture goes from a shaggy mess to a semi-combined dough. Scatter the chocolate and seaweed on top and fold just until dough forms. (A gentle touch is necessary, as overmixing can cause the dough to separate and crumble.)
Add the black sesame seeds to a shallow bowl. Using a 1/4 cup measuring cup, portion the dough into about 22 balls (60 grams each). Working with one portion of dough at a time, roll it between your palms until rounded, then gently roll it into the sesame seeds until coated all over. Arrange on a parchment-lined baking sheet and transfer to the refrigerator to chill at least 4 hours. (You can prepare the dough balls up to one week in advance; transfer to a lidded container or loosely cover them with plastic wrap and refrigerate.)
When ready to bake, heat the oven to 400 degrees. Arrange the cookies a few inches apart on a large baking sheet and bake until they have spread out slightly but are still puffed in the center, about 12 minutes. Once you've removed the baking sheet from the oven, gently tap the center of each cookie down using the bottom of a ladle, pressing just until you've created a slightly indented crater. (This technique helps ensure a gooey and chewy center.)
Allow the cookies to cool for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Store, covered, at room temperature, up to 2 days.