Giora Stuchiner
Mar 10, 20171 min
Tahini cookies are very popular in Israel for their unique taste and texture. If you are familiar with the outstanding flavor of Halva - the Middle Eastern sweet treat made of tahini (and sugar syrup), you will recognize the taste. I call them sand cookies, because their crumbly texture literally melts in your mouth into a powdery goodness. They are really easy to make and fun to make with kids - just dump all the ingredients into a bowl of a stand mixer and mix together to form the dough, let it chill, and roll out into small balls. I use 2 half sheet pans, and bake them in two batches.
This quantity yields about 60-70 cookies.
Ingredients:
3 cups gluten-free all-purpose flour
2 1/4 tsp baking powder (10 gr)
1 cup tahini paste
3/4 cup sugar
2 tbs honey
1 tbs vanilla extract
Zest of one lemon
2 stick butter (8 oz, 226 gr)
1 egg
Pecans
Preparation:
1. Place all the ingredients in a bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment and mix together to form a dough (about 1 minute). Cover with plastic and place the the refrigerator to set for 30 minutes.
2. Heat the oven to 355 F (180 C).
3. Wet your hands slightly, and roll out 1 inch balls.
4. Place each ball on a baking sheet lined with parchment, allowing space for the cookies to expand.
5. Place a pecan on each ball and gently press down with your thumb.
6. Bake for 12-14 minutes. The cookies should still be moist, but they will harden as they cool down.
Store at room temperature in an airtight container.