Cookie Time: Sesame Tahini Cookies

The original recipe for these cookies came from a cookbook by Jeff Young called Around the Table with the Catholic Foodie: Middle Eastern Cuisine. I made a double batch to bring to a party and needed way more sesame seeds than the recipe called for to coat the cookies–fortunately, there’s a Turkish market nearby that sells 3.75-oz jars of sesame seeds for $1.50! I used about that many in this recipe.

These cookies have a great chewy texture and are not too sweet. They’re also quite high in protein!

Tahini tip: if possible, purchase tahini in short, squat jars rather than tall, thin ones. You’ll have to stir down the tahini (it’s a lot like natural peanut butter) and that’s not easy to do if it’s in a tall jar.

This recipe is for a single batch of cookies, which is plenty unless you’re having a party! Here’s the recipe as I made it, slightly altered from the original.

Sesame Tahini Cookies

Makes 3 dozen cookies

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
8 oz butter (2 sticks)
1 cup sugar
1 cup tahini
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/3 cups sesame seeds

Mix flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

Using a stand mixer, cream butter and sugar. Add tahini and vanilla and mix until well blended. Add flour mixture. Chill dough 1 hour, then roll dough into 1-inch balls. Roll in sesame seeds and place on parchment-covered baking sheet.

Bake at 350 for 12 to 15 minutes. Cookies will puff up and begin to crack when done. Cool on baking sheet.

VARIATION: roll dough into a long log, sprinkle sesame seeds on all sides and wrap in waxed paper. Freeze 45 minutes, then slice in 1/4-inch slices and bake as directed above.

Recipe and photos copyright 2015 Barb Szyszkiewicz for Cook and Count. All rights reserved.

Nutrition information is per cookie.

Note: The Amazon link to the Catholic Foodie’s cookbook is an affiliate link, meaning that if you purchase the cookbook through my link, I get a little extra in my Amazon account to fund my cookbook habit–at no extra cost to you!