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Chocolate Chip Tahini Cookies With Halva and Cardamom

Time45 minutes, plus 1 hour chilling
YieldsMakes 32 cookies
Vegan, tahini-based chocolate chip cookies
(Silvia Razgova / For The Times; prop styling by Leah Choi)
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The combination of tahini and halva candy marks these accidentally vegan cookies with an unmistakable sesame flavor. The halva candy melts while baking, forming a delicious, sweet sesame pool on top of the cookies. Chef Zoë Komarin likes to use the Har Bracha brand of tahini, but use any good brand you have, as long as it doesn’t stay runny; it should always have the texture of peanut butter. Look for halva in the kosher section of your local grocery store or, to support a local brand, buy from Hebel & Co.

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1

In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, cornstarch, salt, baking powder, baking soda and ground cardamom.

2

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk, or using a hand mixer and a large bowl, combine both sugars, the coconut oil and tahini and beat on medium speed until creamy, lightened and thick, about 5 minutes. Reduce the mixer speed to low and drizzle in the oat milk and vanilla.

3

Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and beat on low speed to combine. Add the chocolate chips, then stir with a large rubber spatula until well combined. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rest in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour or up to 5 days.

4

Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

5

Remove the dough from the fridge and, using your hands or a 1-ounce cookie scoop (or 2 tablespoons), break off chunks of dough roughly the size of a ping pong ball. Place 12 dough balls on each sheet, spaced equally, and press lightly with the palm of your hand to flatten into a thick disk. (Keep the remaining dough in the refrigerator while each batch bakes.) Place one packed, level teaspoon of halva (roughly the size of a gumball) in the center of each disk.

6

Bake, rotating the baking sheet halfway through cooking, until the edges are golden brown and the halva on top has melted, 11 to 14 minutes. Transfer the baking sheet to a rack and let the cookies cool completely on the sheet. Repeat baking cookies with the remaining dough and halva.

Cook's Note
When measuring flour or powdered sugar, spoon it into a dry measuring cup and level off the excess. Scooping compacts the ingredients, resulting in dry baked goods. And if using a stand mixer, use a rubber spatula to scrape the bottom of the bowl and the paddle after beating the butter and sugar together and after the dough is mixed to ensure the ingredients are evenly mixed throughout.