Equipment
* optional
Ingredients
tahini cookie dough
- 220 g all-purpose flour, sifted
- 4 g baking powder
- 3 g fine sea salt
- 115 g unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 120 g tahini, room temperature
- 150 g dark brown sugar, packed
- 50 g granulated sugar
- 1 egg, room temperature
- 1 egg yolk, room temperature
- 5 ml vanilla extract
coating
- 40 g white sesame seeds, raw
filling and garnish
- 180 g dulce de leche, thick, room temperature
- 3 g flaky sea salt
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 169 kcal
- Protein
- 3 g
- Carbohydrates
- 21 g
- Fat
- 8 g
- Fiber
- 1 g
- Sugar
- 12 g
- Sodium
- 135 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 3 g
- Potassium
- 71 mg
- Calcium
- 80 mg
- Iron
- 1.3 mg
- Magnesium
- 15 mg
- Phosphorus
- 83 mg
- Zinc
- 0.5 mg
- Vitamin A
- 45 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 0 mg
- Water
- 6 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Whisk all-purpose flour, baking powder, and fine sea salt together in a medium mixing bowl until uniformly combined.
Cream softened unsalted butter, tahini, dark brown sugar, and granulated sugar in a stand mixer with paddle attachment on medium speed for 3 minutes until smooth and fluffy.
Beat the room temperature whole egg, egg yolk, and vanilla extract into the creamed mixture on medium-low speed for 1 minute until completely emulsified.
Fold the whisked dry ingredients into the bowl using a rubber spatula on low speed just until no visible dry streaks of flour remain.
Chill the covered mixing bowl in the refrigerator for 30 minutes until the dough firms up to a workable consistency.
Preheat the oven to 175°C (350°F) and position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven.
Shape the chilled dough into 24 uniform spheres weighing 28 grams each using clean hands and the digital kitchen scale.
Dredge each dough ball in the small bowl containing white sesame seeds until all exterior surfaces are thoroughly coated.
Shape a central well into each ball by gently pressing the back of a rounded measuring spoon into the center, and place them 5 cm (2 inches) apart across parchment paper-lined baking sheets.
Bake in the oven at 175°C (350°F) for 10 to 12 minutes, rotating baking sheets halfway through, until the cookie bases are set and sesame seeds are lightly toasted.
Shape the softened cavity by immediately re-pressing the center of each hot cookie with the rounded measuring spoon upon removal from the oven.
Cool cookies on the baking sheets for 10 minutes, then transfer them onto a wire cooling rack for 15 minutes to cool completely to room temperature.
Assemble the cookies by piping or spooning 7 to 8 grams of room-temperature dulce de leche into each indented center using a piping bag.
Garnish the center of each dulce de leche well with a small pinch of flaky sea salt directly before presentation.
Chef's Notes
- Ensure your tahini is completely homogeneous before measuring; separated oil will disrupt the fat-to-flour balance and cause the cookies to weep or overspread.
- Dark brown sugar delivers essential moisture and molasses complexity that complements the roasted sesame notes, producing an authentic halvah-like bite.
- A secondary press immediately after removing the cookies from the oven is critical; cookies puff slightly during baking, and this step locks in a deep, clean well for the dulce de leche.
- Choose a thick, pipeable confectioners dulce de leche rather than a dessert sauce to ensure the filling stays neat and structurally intact at room temperature.
Storage
Refrigerator: 7 days — Store layered between sheets of parchment paper inside an airtight container.
Freezer: 2 months — Freeze solid in a single layer on a parchment-lined tray, then seal inside an airtight freezer container.
Reheating: Let stand at room temperature for 15 minutes before serving to restore the characteristic fudgy chew.
Troubleshooting
Cookies spread excessively flat and lose their distinct shape
Cause: Dough was too warm when entering the oven, or the tahini was warm and separated
Fix: Re-press indentations deeply with the measuring spoon while cookies are bubbling straight out of the oven
Prevention: Chill shaped cookies on the baking sheet for 10 minutes prior to baking if your kitchen is warm
Dough edges crack excessively when indentations are pressed
Cause: The dough became too cold and dry during refrigeration, causing fissures under pressure
Fix: Smooth edge fractures together using lightly dampened fingertips prior to baking
Prevention: Let the chilled dough rest at room temperature for 3 to 5 minutes before pressing, and depress gently with a rocking motion
Baked cookie texture is crumbly and oily rather than fudgy and chew-forward
Cause: Tahini was measured without blending, incorporating too much isolated floating sesame oil
Fix: Cannot be fixed once mixed and baked
Prevention: Stir the tahini container thoroughly from the bottom up to create an even emulsion before measuring
Cultural Context
This confection harmonizes traditional Latin American dulce de leche with Middle Eastern sesame halva craftsmanship. Built upon the format of Swedish hallongrottor, or thumbprint cookies, this variation reimagines holiday cookie trays through contrasting sweet caramel and savory, nutty sesame paste.
