Salted Tahini Chocolate Chip Cookies

I have several traditional chocolate chip cookie recipes on my site - one that uses browned butter, one that is soft and chewy, one that uses blended oatmeal, and the original toll house chocolate chip cookie recipe which is near perfect in my opinion. I’m always looking to improve on a traditional recipe or just try something different. One of my friends turned me on to this salted tahini chocolate chip cookie recipe. After reading this recipe, I knew in a split second that I wanted to try it.  I mixed the cookie dough as the recipe instructs and I could smell the tahini a mile a way. I couldn’t help but think that adding it was a huge mistake and I was convinced that I was not going to like it. Despite the musky weird smell of the cookie dough, I forged ahead with the recipe --I refrigerated the dough for over 24 hours and baked the cookies the next day. Just one bite convinced me that the addition of the tahini combined with the chocolate is pure genius. The cookie has a rich caramelized and intense chocolate flavor, and it has a soft center with a crunchy exterior, just the way I like my chocolate chip cookies. The tahini flavor in the baked cookie is subtle and adds a unique, delicious, and nutty sweetness.  This is definitely not your traditional chocolate chip cookie. If you are looking for something a little more sophisticated and exotic, then you should definitely try this cookie.

Ingredients

• 4 ounces unsalted butter (1 stick) at room temperature
• 1/2 cup tahini paste, well stirred
• 1/2 cup (100 grams) granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup (90 grams) brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (150 grams) all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 2 cups (280 grams) bittersweet or semisweet chocolate bar, chopped in chunks
• Flaky salt, like fleur de sel or Maldon

Instructions