Chocolate-Sesame Tahini Cookies with Clif Family Solar Grown™ Cacao Honey
Recipe by Executive Chef John McConnell
Yield: 12-14 cookies
INGREDIENTS:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour (or gluten-free baking mix)
- 2 TBSP. cocoa powder, unsweetened
- 1 tsp. kosher salt
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- 6 oz unsalted butter, at room temperature (or vegan butter)
- ¼ cup sugar
- ½ cup brown sugar (packed)
- 1/3 cup Clif Family Solar Grown™ Cacao Honey
- 1 egg (or flax “egg” equivalent, see below)
- ½ tsp. vanilla extract
- ¾ cup tahini
- sesame seeds to roll
**flax egg – measure 1 TBSP flax meal and bloom with 2.5 TBSP water by mixing and letting sit for 5 minutes. This replaces the need for using a traditional hen egg.
DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 350° F.
In a mixing bowl, combine all the dry ingredients (flour, cocoa powder, salt, baking powder) and set aside.
In a second mixing bowl, add room temperature butter and both granular sugars, and beat together with an electric mixer until the butter and sugar have been creamed. With the motor stopped, add the honey, egg, and vanilla extract. Continue to combine until mixed well. Stop the motor and add the tahini. Return to low speed until the tahini is incorporated and the dough is combined. Stop the motor once more and gradually add in the dry ingredients on low speed until all incorporated.
Using a cookie scoop, measure scoops the size of golf balls and set aside. On a plate, pour sesame seeds and roll all cookie dough balls in the seeds. Place each ball on a parchment-lined baking tray 3 inches apart. Using the bottom of a water glass, gently press each cookie until flattened and circular in shape (about ½-inch thick).
Bake for 12-15 minutes and rotate halfway through. Remove from the pan and transfer to a cooling rack.
