Tahini Cookies

Lately, the internet is exploded with sweet baked goods recipes made with tahini. Finally, the rumor that tahini does exist outside of the context of hummus, spread to the western world. Tahini is still a secondary ingredient in these western baked goods, but hey - it's a progress! When I started to sell my mom's tahini cookies at Sweet Tahini's farm stand, many eyebrows raised.

This tahini cookies recipe, is simple, but it does use some ingredients that you may need to buy, such as whole spelt flour and date syrup. If you do not regularly carry these in your pantry, consider this an opportunity to explore new food ingredients. What makes these cookies so soft and buttery (without any dairy butter at all— this version of tahini cookies is vegan) is the use of tahini as the main ingredient and the short baking time that lets its taste shine through.

Makes 20 cookies

Ingredients

• 1 cup (240 gr) raw tahini

• 1 ¾ cup (200 gr) whole spelt four

• 1½ teaspoon baking powder

• ¼ teaspoon salt

• 1/4 cup (50 gr) cane sugar

• 2 Tablespoons (45 gr) date molasses/honey/maple

• ¼ cup (50 gr) coconut oil

• 3 Tbsp (30 gr) sesame seeds (optional)

Preparation

1. Lined a baking sheet with parchment paper, and preheat oven to 350°F.

2. In a mixer bowl with hook attachment, add all dry ingredients and lightly blend.

3. Pour in all other ingredients, and blend at low speed until all ingredients are well combined. Stop the mixer and make sure to blend in all dry ingredients that have settled on the bottom and the sides of the bowl. Work it in as needed, until a soft and a bit greasy dough comes together.

4. Roll into 1-1/2 inches balls. Place 1” apart on the baking pan and flatten with a fork or with your fingers to half an inch-thick cookie.

5. Bake 8-9 minutes. DO NOT OVERBAKE! cookies should be pale and soft, let them sit on the sheet to cool and harden before removing them to a plate.

6. Store in an airtight container for about a week. It also freezes well – just make sure to defrost inside a sealed bag or a container and not while it sits on an open plate.