During summer vacation at my family’s home on Cape Cod, my older sister and I like to escape by ourselves to the beach. We grab our beach chairs and our books, and take a quick side trip on our bikes to our favorite coffee shop for an iced coffee to go.
Then, we plant ourselves on the beach and have a heart to heart.
Last summer, my sister surprised me with a tahini cookie she had bought. It was both savory and sweet and chewy. I nibbled on it while the waves washed onto shore and the sand warmed my feet.
By now you’ve seen the flurry of dessert recipes using tahini. We’re all smitten with putting sesame paste in our sweets, especially these salted tahini chocolate chip cookies. The flavors are both familiar and exotic.
For my own tahini exploration, I kept thinking about those cookies on the Cape, but not exactly. I have a favorite oatmeal cookie recipe we made at my restaurant. I thought, How great would tahini taste with toasted oatmeal, flake coconut and dried fruit!
So, I’ve been developing this recipe for a big, bakery-style oatmeal-tahini cookie for some time now. Several tests came out too cakey. What I wanted was a substantial cookie that was still chewy and tender. One you might snack on sometime in the late morning when you haven’t had breakfast. {Guilty!}
This is it. The eve of St. Patrick’s Day seemed a good time to share it. After all, other than corned beef and beer, is there anything more Irish than a big bowl of oats?
These cookies not only contain ingredients you’d find in a good homemade granola, they also have a smattering of semisweet chocolate chips. Use them when you’re in the mood.
This cookie does not depend on them. {I have to admit that there is something magical about tahini with chocolate. But, the add-ins are totally up to you.}
I love making these cookies to give away. To teachers, to the city workers who have been plowing our streets, to the cat sitter.
If you haven’t tried my technique for make-ahead cookies that you can scoop and freeze, then bake at the drop of the hat, check out the end of this post.
I’m going to put a few in the mail to my brother, whose birthday is today. And a few to my sister just to let her know I’m thinking of her. I hope they taste just as good all the way on the east coast.
Who are you making cookies for?
Toasted Oatmeal Tahini Cookies
This recipe makes about 16 large, bakery-style cookies. The additional step of toasting the oatmeal and flake coconut adds more flavor that compliments the tahini, or sesame seed paste. If you’ve never tried tahini is baked goods, this is one to make first.
- 3 cups rolled oats (organic or gluten free)
- 1 cup unsweeted coconut
- 1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour (or gluten-free flour)
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter, preferably pastured (or extra-virgin coconut oil)
- 1 1/2 cups brown sugar
- 3/4 cup tahini
- 2 large eggs (pastured)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 cup golden raisins (or dried cranberries or other dried chopped fruit or a combination)
- 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips (optional)
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Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spread the oatmeal into a thin layer on the same sheet pan and toast until golden brown, stirring once or twice, about 20 minutes. Add to a mixing bowl.
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Spread the coconut in a thin layer on a baking sheet and toast until it begins to turn golden around the edges, about 6 minutes. Transfer the coconut to the mixing bowl.
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Combine the flour and salt with the coconut and oats until well blended and set aside.
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In a stand mixer, cream the butter, brown sugar and tahini until very smooth. Beat in the eggs one at a time, scraping the bowl in between them. Beat in the vanilla.
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Add the dry ingredients and mix on low speed until well blended. Add the raisins and chocolate chips, if using, and stir until blended.
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Line the baking sheet with parchment paper. Use a large scoop or tablespoon to drop cookie dough onto the baking sheet at least 4 inches apart (4 per baking sheet). Moisten your fingers on the cookies to flatten them into rounds about 1/2 inch thick.
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Bake the cookies until the edges turn golden brown and the centers are soft, 13-15 minutes. Let cool for a few minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.
The post Toasted Oatmeal, Coconut and Tahini Cookies are for Gifting appeared first on Lynne Curry.