These delicate little cookies are a staple around the holidays in many parts of the Mediterranean and Middle East, and in that regard, they’re not entirely unlike the pfeffernüsse cookies so popular in Germany and Scandinavia. Given that there was some tahini left over after recreating Zahav’s dreamy hummus, this recipe (also from Michael Solomonov’s cookbook) was the perfect solution, not just for using up the tahini, but also for adding to our stockpile of cookie recipes that utilize that fantastic gluten free Cookie Flour Blend.
That aside, the use of a savory element in an otherwise sweet treat was too intriguing not to try. In addition to contributing a distinct nuttiness to the cookies, the tahini takes the place of some of the butter found in a typical shortbread cookie recipe, making these cookies lighter and more delicate than their traditional counterparts. This gives them a soft, slightly sandy crumb–yet another quality they share with pfeffernüsse– and the decreased butter content also means that they don’t spread much in the oven, as you can see in the photos. If you want a more traditional “disc” shape, just flatten them a bit with a spatula before baking.
Making these cookies gluten free was fairly straightforward. It was a simple matter of replacing the wheat flour with the gluten free blend–with a little xanthan gum added in, of course–and voila! The resulting cookies leave nothing to be desired, be it taste, texture or crowd-pleasing “devourability.”
Another bonus is that the smoky, lightly spicy flavor of the tahini keeps the cookies from being overly sweet. Actually, that’s a good thing and a bad thing. Without that overt sugariness, there isn’t much beyond your own willpower to prevent you from eating an entire tray of them in one sitting. Don’t feel bad. We don’t have much willpower, either.
To that end, though, don’t make the same mistake that we made. While reviewing Solomonov’s original recipe after the fact, we discovered some pretty fantastic serving suggestions—dunking them in coffee (yum), crumbling them over ice cream or in a trifle (double yum), or using them to make ice cream sandwiches with tahini semifreddo (Holy crap, we have to try that! Wait, what happened to all of the cookies?). Yeah, gone. Just note that if you’re going to use these cookies for ice cream sandwiches, the slightly flattened version is probably the way to go. Otherwise, where are you going to put all of that yummy semifreddo?
As you might well have guessed by now, our “genius” plan to use up the leftover tahini resulted in a trip to the store to buy even more of it. How else are we going to give all of those delightful ideas a proper, um, field test? There might also be more hummus in the offing, but my money is on those ice cream sammies. Just sayin’.
That officially makes these a year-round treat, because while they’re a lovely addition to any holiday cookie platter, what better way to beat the heat than with a tray full of bite-sized ice cream sandwiches? Anyone? Bueller? We thought not. Enjoy.
Adapted from Zahav: A World of Israeli Cooking.
Find the recipe for the Gluten Free Cookie Dough Flour here!
- 7 ounces (1 ¾ sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 7 ounces (1 cup) sugar
- 1 cup tahini
- 10 ounces (about 2 cups) Gluten Free Cookie Flour blend
- 1 teaspoon xanthan gum
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- pinch kosher salt
- Combine the butter and sugar in a stand mixer on medium speed and mix until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the tahini and continue mixing until well incorporated.
- Combine the flour, xanthan gum, baking powder, and salt in a mixing bowl and whisk together. Add the combined dry ingredients to the tahini mixture and beat until just incorporated. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour to allow the xanthan gum to hydrate fully.
- Preheat the oven to 350° F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Drop the batter by the heaping tablespoonful onto the prepared baking sheets. Bake until the cookies are light brown around the edges and set, about 15 minutes, rotating pans halfway through the baking time. Let cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. The cookies can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for 1 week.
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