Although tahini is usually paired with my weeknight hippie bowl, I was craving some new options. After having one too many of these tahini cookies made by a friend, I decided to try my hand at a sweet & savory cookie. This sesame seed paste is used in mostly savory recipes, including miso tahini dressing and your beloved hummus, but with the addition of chocolate, these flavors just seem to merge perfectly. It’s my new favorite crowd-pleaser, and one of those recipes I can’t really keep around the house, if you know what I mean. This sweet / salty / nutty combination just happens to be free of dairy and uses only natural sugars but I promise, you won't notice. Best of both worlds? I think so.
SALTED OATMEAL THUMBPRINT COOKIES WITH CHOCOLATE & TAHINI FILLING (Gluten-free, dairy-free opt) Makes about 12 cookies
dough:
- 1 3/4 c gluten-free oats
- 1/2 cup almond meal
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/2 cup maple sugar (or regular/coconut/turbinado/etc sugar!)
- 1/3c + 2 tablespoons extra virgin coconut oil
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
filling:
- 2/3 cup bittersweet chocolate, chips or roughly chopped
- 1/4 cup tahini
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a food processor, pulse the oats until gritty, but not yet flour. Mix in a large bowl with almond meal, salt and maple sugar. Stir in all the wet ingredients and mix with your hands to combine well. Chill dough for 25 minutes.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Use about 2 tablespoons of dough per cookie. Shape into a disk and press your thumb into the center to make an imprint. Continue until all cookies are finished. Bake for 15-17 minutes or until golden brown around the edges and firm to the touch. Press into the centers of the cookies again to reinforce the the dent. Let cool for 10 minutes.
For filling: Double-broil the chocolate chips, tahini and sea salt over medium heat, stirring to help the melting process. Once mixture is smooth, let cool for 10 minutes. Then, fill each cookie with a teaspoon or two of filling. Continue until all cookies are filled, then sprinkle sea salt over top and let cool (filling will set). Eat immediately for an extra-gooey cookie.
