CHEWY VEGAN TAHINI CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

I say chocolate chip, but really we’re talking dark chocolate chunks. A bar of good quality dark chocolate, chopped up and mixed into the cookie dough for pools of rich, melty chocolate.

The tahini-laced cookies have a delicious nutty and caramel-y flavor which pairs perfectly with slightly bitter dark chocolate. Topped with flakes of sea salt, each bite of cookie is like a morsel from heaven.

I wanted a chewy cookie with deep caramel notes, so the first thing I did was to use a mix of granulated sugar and brown sugar. Brown sugar creates a chewier cookie, and thanks to the molasses added back into the processed sugar, it has a much richer flavor. Brown sugar also spreads less than white sugar in a cookie, which is something that vegan cookies can struggle with as there is no egg protein to set and hold them in.

A little flaked salt finishes these cookies to perfection. I think we all know by now how perfect salted chocolate is, and salted chocolate and tahini is an even better combination. Plus, it’s so pretty and makes for a lovely presentation!

CHEWY VEGAN TAHINI CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES RECIPE
These chewy vegan tahini chocolate chip cookies are laced with chunks of dark chocolate that melt into dreamy puddles in the oven. Sesame paste adds a nice nuttiness, and deepens the bittersweet flavors of the dark chocolate. They're bound to become your new favorite cookie!

INGREDIENTS

• ½ cup (113g) refined coconut oil at room temperature, creamy and soft and scoopable texture
• ½ cup (122g) tahini (see note)
• ½ cup (100g) granulated sugar
• ⅓ cup (60g) packed brown sugar
• ¼ cup (55g) plant milk
• 1 tsp (4g) vanilla extract
• 1¼ cup (165g) all purpose flour
• 2 tbsp (18g) cornstarch
• 1 tsp (5g) salt
• ½ tsp (2g) baking powder
• ½ tsp (2g) baking soda
• 1¾ cups (200g) chopped dark chocolate, 60-70% dark
• flaked sea salt, such as Maldon

DIRECTIONS

1. Using an electric mixer, beat the coconut oil, tahini, granulated sugar, and brown sugar on medium for about 3 minutes until a smooth and creamy mixture is formed. Add the plant milk and the vanilla extract and mix another minute to combine. This can also be done with a wooden spoon, but will take more effort to cream.
2. In a separate mixing bowl whisk together the flour, cornstarch, salt, baking powder, and baking soda to combine. Add the dry ingredients to the creamed oil and sugar mixture and mix on low speed until just incorporated. Fold in the chopped chocolate.
3. Put the cookie dough in the fridge for at least 30 minutes while you preheat the oven, or leave in the fridge to bake the next day. Transfer to the freezer for longer storage of the cookie dough (pre-scoop the dough into balls and bake straight from frozen, and may need to add a couple of minutes onto the baking time).
4. Preheat the oven to 350 ºF with one rack in the center of the oven. Line two baking trays with parchment paper or a silicon mat.
5. Scoop the cookie dough into 2 tbsp (1oz) portions, a cookie scoop makes quick work of this. Place the cookie dough balls on the baking trays 3" apart.
6. Bake the cookies, one sheet at a time, for 12-13 minutes, or until the edges are just barely golden and the center is a shade lighter.
7. Remove from oven and immediately sprinkle some flaked salt on top of the cookies. Let cool on the baking tray. Bake the remaining cookies the same way.

Recipe Adapted : CHEWY VEGAN TAHINI CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES @ thecuriouschickpea