Tahini Cookies

I’ve had this recipe bookmarked for ages, and even though I’m trying not to make any BA recipes, I just couldn’t delete it. I had a hunch these cookies would be like Sesame Snaps* in cookie formation, and I just had to see if I was right. I also unearthed a plastic bag of toasted sesame seeds from the back of my pantry/cupboard that were labelled “July 2020” so it was time to make these before they got even older.

This is just like mixing up a peanut butter cookie, except (of course) swapping in tahini for peanut butter, plus a little bit of honey. The dough is super soft, so it’s a little tricky to roll it into balls and dip the top in the sesame seeds. I ended up with little patties instead of balls but it totally didn’t matter.

It turns out I was right, and these cookies are delicious and are the cookie equivalent of a Sesame Snap. They have the texture of a shortbread cookie, with a nutty sesame flavour and a bit of crunch on the top from the toasted sesame seeds. They might also be good with chocolate chips mixed in; I’ll have to try that next time.

*Sesame Snaps were a very important part of my childhood. I have a very specific memory of my Mom buying them for me and my brothers whenever we went to Bi-Way! I asked Joel if he also remembered this, and he totally did. He also said there are now new versions of Sesame Snaps with quinoa and chia seeds in them, so they’ve come a long way since the ’80s!

Tahini Cookies

Source: Bon Appétit

Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter, room temperature
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 3 tbsp honey
  • 3/4 cup tahini
  • 2 cups flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 cup toasted sesame seeds

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350° and line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
  2. In a large bowl, mix the butter, sugar and honey until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in the tahini until smooth.
  3. Add the flour, baking powder and salt, and mix again until fully combined. The dough is very soft.
  4. Roll the cookie dough into balls and dip the top into the sesame seeds, then place on the baking sheets.
  5. Bake for 13-15 minutes until golden brown.