*Loaded with cardamom, dried rose petals, two types of pepper and dark chocolate, with a chewy-crunchy texture, this is the cookie of my dreams.*

**I really want to wax lyrical about this cookie.**

And tell you how it combines my favorite ingredients (tahini, dark chocolate, cardamom, dried rose petals, black and Aleppo pepper) and how it just happens to be gluten-free, grain-free and vegan.

And how you’ll want to spend a few moments with it, taking it ALL in with your senses before your first nibble.

And how surprising and satisfying its chewy-crunchy-crumbly texture is;

and how you’ll want to savor the whole batch by yourself;

and how even my skeptic husband was shocked by how good they were.

But I won’t because I know you want this damn recipe NOW.

So here it is.

Please make this recipe, savor it slowly and share at least 1 cookie with a friend.

xo, Mux

Recipe: The BEST Tahini Chocolate Chip Cookie I’ve ever made

(Adapted from Shane & Simple’s Sesame Tahini Cookies - a wonderful base recipe to play with.)

Makes ~15 small cookies | Gluten-free | Grain-free |Vegan

EQUIPMENT:

Oven
Baking tray/Cookie sheet
Parchment paper
Large mixing bowl
Measuring cups and spoons (US)

INGREDIENTS:

(Dry ingredients)

1 1/2 cups almond flour (not almond meal - see Notes)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 tsp salt

(Spice mixture)

16-18 green cardamom pods, seeds removed and crushed (see Notes)
1 tablespoon dried rose petals (optional, but recommended)
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon Aleppo pepper (or a pinch of regular chili flakes - see Notes)

(Wet ingredients)

1/3 cup maple syrup (I prefer using a dark variety, but any will work)
1/3 cup tahini (I used the brand “Once Again”)
1 teaspoon vanilla

(Additional toppings)

1/4 cup chopped dark chocolate or chocolate chips (ideally at least 60% dark. Doesn’t have to be baking chocolate)
approx. 1/4 - 1/2 cup white sesame seeds for decoration

INSTRUCTIONS:

First, preheat your oven to 350F (175C) and line a large baking/cookie tray with parchment paper.
Make your spice mixture: Using a mortar & pestle or spice grinder, crush the cardamom seeds and dried rose petals together. Add the crushed black pepper and Aleppo pepper (or chili flakes) to this mixture and set aside.
In a medium bowl, combine the dry ingredients: almond flour, baking soda, salt and spice mixture and stir with a wooden spoon to evenly distribute.
In another large bowl, combine the wet ingredients: maple syrup, tahini and vanilla extract. Using a wooden spoon or whisk, mix well until smooth and creamy. If your tahini is thicker (like mine was), this might take effort.
Slowly mix the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and combine to make a dough that’s scoopable. If your dough is too dry, you may need to add a touch of oil from the tahini jar, coconut oil or maple syrup to wet it. If it is too sticky, add a little almond flour.
Now, add the chocolate and mix well. Optional: refrigerate the cookie dough for 10-15 minutes if your kitchen is warm.
Using a tablespoon cookie scoop, scoop out the dough and roll it into small balls. Dip the balls into the sesame seeds until they’re fully covered, then place them on the lined baking sheet an inch or so apart. These cookies will not spread much, so press gently down on the tops to flatten the balls.
Bake for anywhere between 8-15 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown. They will crisp up as they cool (see Notes.)
Cool the cookies on the tray for a few minutes, then transfer to a wire rack and cool completely. Use all your senses to savor them. Store in an airtight jar in a cool place and finish within 5 days.

NOTES:

While you technically can use almond meal (made by grinding raw almonds in a food processor/blender), this will likely make the cookies denser and a little darker. Almond flour is made using skinless, blanched almonds. You can read about the difference between the two here.
I highly recommend freshly grinding cardamom for this recipe (rather than using ground cardamom). However, if your ground cardamom smells fantastic and you love it, use it! If using ground, you’ll need approximately 1 tablespoon.
If you don’t have dried rose petals, don’t worry. The cookies will still taste amazing.
Aleppo pepper has a softer heat than chili flakes, so if you’re using the latter, go easy on the heat unless you want these cookies spicy! You can find Aleppo pepper at your local Levantine store or online.
The original recipe called for a baking time of 8-10 minutes, so these cookies should be cooked within 10 minutes. Mine were still a little pale, so I left them in for 15. Keep an eye on them after the 8-minute mark to make sure they don’t burn or overcook. Every oven is slightly different.

The BEST Tahini Chocolate Chip Cookies I've ever made

I *really* want to wax lyrical about this cookie.