Tahini Shortbread Cookie Food

TAHINI SHORTBREAD COOKIE RECIPE

Steps:

• In a large bowl combine the butter and sugar. Using a hand mixer on medium speed, combine until light and fluffy.
• Now add the tahini and continue mixing on medium speed until well-incorporated.
• In a separate mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt.
• Transfer the dry ingredients to the tahini mixture, and mix until well-incorporated into a dough.
• Take the tahini cookie dough out of the bowl and make it into a log (about 2 inches in diameter). Place the log on the short end of a large piece of plastic wrap. Roll the wrap twisting the ends in opposite direction so that the dough log is tightly wrapped. Refrigerate for at least one hour or overnight.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Slice the dough into 1/3 to 1/2 inch rounds, and arrange on a very large baking sheet (or two baking sheets) lined with parchment paper.
• Bake in the 350 degrees heated oven for 15 minutes or so until the cookies are light brown around the edges and set.
• Remove from the heat and leave the cookies in the baking sheets to cool briefly (about 10 minutes). Then transfer to a cooling rack to completely cool. Dust with powdered sugar, if you like.

TAHINI SHORTBREAD COOKIES (GLUTEN FREE)

Steps:

• Adjust the oven rack to the middle position, pre-heat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC) and line two large baking sheets with baking/greaseproof paper.
• In a large bowl, using a wooden spoon, mix together the tahini paste, softened butter, light brown soft sugar and vanilla bean paste until combined. Don't cream the butter mixture - just stir it all together until smooth and all ingredients are well combined.Tip: You don't want to cream the tahini, butter and sugar together, as that aerates the mixture (that is, it incorporates air into it), which can cause the cookies to spread too much in the oven.
• Sift together the gluten free flour blend, cornstarch, xanthan gum and salt, and add them to the butter mixture. Mix well with a wooden spoon until the dough starts coming together, then knead it by hand until smooth. The dough shouldn't be sticky to the touch.
• Chill the dough in the fridge for for 15-30 minutes. This will firm it up, which makes it easier to shape it into logs.
• Divide the dough into two equal portions and shape each into a log about 7 inches (18cm) in length and about 2 inches (5cm) in diameter.
• Mix the white and black sesame seeds together and sprinkle them in an even layer on a large plate or platter. Roll each cookie dough log in the sesame seed mix, then wrap them tightly in cling film or baking paper, and chill in the fridge for about 2 hours or until solid.
• Using a sharp serrated knife, slice the logs into about ½ inch (1cm) thick cookies and place them onto the lined baking sheets. Space them out slightly, leaving about ¾ inch/2cm of space between them.You should get about 16 cookies per log, 32 in total.
• One baking sheet at a time, bake at 350ºF (180ºC) for about 12 minutes until light golden brown. While one baking sheet is in the oven, keep the other one in the fridge.
• Immediately out of the oven while they're still very hot, you can correct the shape of the cookies using a round cookie cutter slightly larger than the cookie diameter. Use the cookie cutter to nudge the cookies into a more round shape if necessary.
• Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for about 5-10 minutes, then transfer to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
• Storage: The cookies keep well in an airtight container in a cool dry place for about 2-3 weeks.

TAHINI SHORTBREAD COOKIES

Steps:

• Toast sesame seeds: Put them in a nonstick pan over medium-low heat and stir every 30 seconds until golden brown, about 4 minutes. Pour onto a large plate to cool.
• Combine butter, confectioners' sugar and tahini in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium speed until smooth, 4 to 5 minutes. Scrape bowl. Add flour and salt, and mix on low speed until dough is smooth.
• Transfer dough to a lightly floured work surface. Divide it in half and knead until smooth. Roll each piece of dough into a log about 1 inch in diameter.
• Roll each log in sesame seeds, coating logs completely. They may be difficult to maneuver, but they patch up easily. Wrap them tightly in parchment paper, twisting at each end. Refrigerate until firm, at least 4 hours or up to overnight.
• Heat oven to 300 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Slice logs into 1/4-inch-thick coins and place on prepared baking sheets 2 inches apart. Bake until firm around edges and not colored, 14 to 16 minutes. Cool completely on baking sheet. Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.