Tahini is a thick paste made from ground roasted white sesame seeds. People usually associate it with hummus, but it’s actually incredible in desserts and the Greeks love to spread it on their morning toast with honey or jam. The tahini in our cookies adds a rich and nutty flavour that works perfectly with the dark chocolate. If you’re having a chilled movie night with a bunch of friends, then these are the perfect dessert to serve. If you really want to take it up a notch, make ice-cream sandwiches with good-quality store-bought vanilla or pistachio ice cream and sandwich a scoop between two cookies. –Helena Moursellas and Vikki Moursellas
Peináo: A Greek Feast for All is out on October 31.
Sesame Dark Chocolate Cookies
Helena and Vicki Moursellas share their recipe for Greek chocolate chip cookies with tahini and sesame seeds.
Ingredients
- 9 oz (255 g) brown sugar
- 4½ oz (120 g) unsalted butter melted
- 2 tbsp hulled tahini
- 1 egg
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour sifted
- ½ tsp baking soda
- 5½ oz (150 g) dark chocolate (40% cocoa solids) roughly chopped
- ⅓ cup white sesame seeds
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk the sugar, butter and tahini until creamy and smooth. Whisk in the egg until smooth. Fold in the flour, baking soda and chocolate and stir to form a dough, then rest in the fridge for 30 minutes to firm up.
- Place the sesame seeds in a large bowl. Line two large baking trays with baking paper.
- Roll 2 tbsp of the cookie dough into a ball, then roll in the sesame seeds to coat and place on one of the prepared trays. Using your hand, lightly flatten the cookie to a 2½ in (6 cm) circle. Repeat with the remaining dough to make 14 cookies, then place the cookies in the fridge for another 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 340°F (170°C).
- For soft cookies, bake for 12 minutes or until lightly golden; for slightly crunchy cookies, bake for 14 minutes.
- The cookies can be stored in an airtight container for 5 to 7 days. If you only want to bake half the cookies, store the remaining rolled uncooked cookies in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Notes
The cookie dough can be made ahead and stored in the freezer for a rainy day. Thaw the dough and follow the same cooking instructions.
