SALTED TAHINI CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

Salted Tahini Chocolate Chip Cookies image

When the chef Danielle Oron was growing up in the New Jersey suburbs, she knew that her Israeli family's habits of dousing vanilla ice cream with tahini and spreading halvah on toast would be considered odd. Sesame has long been shunned in American desserts, but its addition to a confection can add a nutty, salty undertone, and sesame desserts are now popping up all over the place. These chocolate chip cookies, developed by Ms. Oron, are a great place to start for the home baker seeking more sesame. Rich, savory and sweet, they are one of the rare variations that are just as good as the original.

Provided by Julia Moskin

Categories snack, cookies and bars, dessert

Time 45m

Yield 12 to 18 cookies

Number Of Ingredients 12

Ingredients

4 ounces/113 grams unsalted butter at room temperature
1/2 cup/120 milliliters tahini, well stirred
1 cup/200 grams granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 egg yolk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons/150 grams all-purpose flour, or matzo cake meal (See tip)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 3/4 cups/230 grams chocolate chips or chunks, bittersweet or semisweet
Flaky salt, like fleur de sel or Maldon

Steps:

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter, tahini and sugar at medium speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add egg, egg yolk and vanilla and continue mixing at medium speed for another 5 minutes.
Sift flour, baking soda, baking powder and kosher salt into a large bowl and mix with a fork. Add flour mixture to butter mixture at low speed until just combined. Use a rubber spatula to fold in chocolate chips. Dough will be soft, not stiff. Refrigerate at least 12 hours; this ensures tender cookies.
When ready to bake, heat oven to 325 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or nonstick baking mat. Use a large ice cream scoop or spoon to form dough into 12 to 18 balls.
Place the cookies on the baking sheet at least 3 inches apart to allow them to spread. Bake 13 to 16 minutes until just golden brown around the edges but still pale in the middle to make thick, soft cookies. As cookies come out of the oven, sprinkle sparsely with salt. Let cool at least 20 minutes on a rack.

Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 306, UnsaturatedFat 6 grams, Carbohydrate 40 grams, Fat 15 grams, Fiber 2 grams, Protein 5 grams, SaturatedFat 7 grams, Sodium 157 milligrams, Sugar 23 grams, TransFat 0 grams