Choc-chip sesame cookies with tahini ganache
“These chewy cookies are the right balance of salty sweet,” says food writer and stylist Emma Knowles. “If tahini ganache is a bridge too far, they’re excellent without it, but we think the fudgy filling takes it to the next level.”
Ingredients
- 125 gm cold unsalted butter, diced
- 180 gm (⅔ cup) hulled tahini, stirred
- 110 gm (½ cup) each brown sugar and caster sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 egg yolk
- 185 gm (1¼ cups) plain flour
- 1¼ tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 200 gm dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids), chopped into chunks
- 2½ tbsp white sesame seeds
- 1½ tbsp black sesame seeds
- Tahini ganache
- 160 ml (⅔ cup) thickened cream
- 200 gm dark chocolate (54% cocoa solids), finely chopped
- 170 gm couverture milk chocolate, finely chopped
- 60 gm hulled tahini, well-stirred
Method · 50 min
- Cook butter in a saucepan over medium-high heat until nut brown (4-5 minutes), transfer to a bowl and refrigerate to firm (1-2 hours).
- Preheat oven to 170°C. Grease and line 3-4 baking trays with baking paper. Beat browned butter, tahini, sugars and 1 tsp salt flakes in an electric mixer until pale and creamy (3-4 minutes). Scrape down the sides of the bowl, add egg and egg yolk and beat to combine. Scrape down the sides of the bowl again, add flour, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda and beat to just combine. Add chocolate and beat to combine.
- Combine sesame seeds in a bowl. Divide cookie dough into 20 even portions (it’s easiest to weigh the mixture, or work with roughly a heaped tablespoon of mixture per cookie). Roll into balls, roll in sesame seeds to coat well, then flatten slightly. Place on prepared trays, leaving about 5cm between each. Bake for 10-12 minutes until puffed and golden brown around the edges. Cool completely on trays.
- For tahini ganache, bring cream to the simmer in a saucepan over medium high heat. Add chocolate, tahini and a good pinch of salt. Remove from heat, stand for 5 minutes, then whisk until smooth and combined. Cool until thick and spreadable.
- Spread or pipe half the biscuits with a thick layer of tahini ganache. Sandwich with remaining biscuits. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
“If tahini ganache is a bridge too far, they’re excellent without it, but we think the fudgy filling takes it to the next level.”
Note Allow extra time for cooling and chilling; refer to the method for details.
