Toasted Sesame & Chocolate Cookies

Adapted from Sarah Kieffer

As soon as I saw a photo of a cookie rolled in sesame seeds, I knew I had to have it. This is my version of that recipe, tweaked to my tastes. I’ve added tahini and dark chocolate to temper the sweetness, giving it that perfect sweet/savoury balance - the holy grail in a sea of super-sickly cookies. The seeds give it a wonderful crunch too so this is a serious contender of a cookie.

ingredients

Makes 15

• 175g unsalted butter, softened

• 120g caster sugar

• 150g soft brown sugar

• 1 egg
  1 tsp vanilla extract
  3 tbsp tahini
  1 tsp sea salt flakes, plus extra to sprinkle
  1/2 tsp baking powder
  240g plain flour
  100g 70% dark chocolate, chopped or choc chips
  Black and white sesame seeds, to roll
  

instructions

Preheat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. With an electric whisk, beat together the butter and sugars until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla and once fully incorporated after a minute or so, add the tahini.

In a separate bowl, combine the salt, baking powder and flour, then stir into the sugar mix. Once mixed, stir in the chocolate.

Combine the sesame seeds in a shallow bowl. Shape the cookie mix into 55g balls, then roll in the sesame seeds until evenly covered.

Place on some lined baking trays (I suggest 5 per tray), making sure there’s plenty of space between each one. Sprinkle with a tiny pinch of salt, then place in the oven for 8 minutes until golden in the edges.

Remove the tray and give it a couple of assertive taps on a hard surface (this helps create the ripples), then return to the oven for another 3 minutes. Repeat this once more, then once the cookies are golden on the edges and place in the centre, remove and leave to cool, transferring to a cooling rack after 10 minutes. Will last in an airtight container for 3-5 days.