Tahini Orange (or Lemon) Cookies
I’m aware you might come close to being bored to tears if you weren’t already, considering a lot of the recent posts on this blog have all been tahini-centered, but I promise I’ll switch to a new obsession in the next post if you give me a chance to write about these cookies today.
Do you?
Good.
The first time I made these a few months ago, I used orange zest. I had also included a little oil, which turned out to be absolutely superfluous because of the rather liquid nature of tahini paste.
The second time around, I turned to lemon extract, as I had run out of anything else related to citrus fruit. I must admit I prefer them to be flavored with orange, but you’re free to replace the orange zest with the same amount of actual lemon zest if you feel like it, as a tester gave this option two thumbs way up. I think I just had too much of a heavy hand with the extract.
If I only get to give you one tip, it would be that you remove them from the oven after 10 minutes even if they appear to still be soft, because you want them to be chewy, not dry. Which can easily happen with a mere extra 2 minutes in the hot stuff.
One last thing: you can use agave nectar instead of maple syrup; just be sure to use a 325°F (170°C, or gas mark 3) oven in this case.
Tahini Orange (or Lemon) Cookies
1 cup (256 g) tahini
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup (120 ml) pure maple syrup or (168 g) agave nectar
1/4 cup (48 g) raw sugar
Zest of a big (organic, preferably) orange, about 2 heaping teaspoons, or same amount of lemon zest
1/2 cup (40 g) ground oats
1/2 cup (80 g) brown rice flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/2 cup (88 g) nondairy semisweet chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C, or gas mark 4), or 325°F (170°C, or gas mark 3) if using agave nectar. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats, such as Silpat.
In a large bowl, whisk together tahini, vanilla, syrup or nectar, sugar, and zest.
In another medium bowl, whisk together ground oats, flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and chips.
Stir dry ingredients into wet.
Divide dough into 20 equal portions. Flatten a little as the cookies won’t spread much while baking, leaving 1 inch (2.5 cm) between each of them.
Bake for 10 minutes, until the very edges are golden. Leave the cookies on the sheet for just a couple of minutes until they are firm enough to be transferred to a wire rack to cool completely.
Yield: 20 medium cookies
Enjoy the non-buttery buttery goodness!
DaviMack said,
March 31, 2009 at 3:10 am
Is it an obsession, or is it just that tahini comes in a huge jar? ;)
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Celine Reply:
March 31st, 2009 at 4:30 am
both?
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Virginia said,
March 31, 2009 at 3:19 am
those sound delicious although i never have tahini in my fridge! must buy some!
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Mihl said,
March 31, 2009 at 3:46 am
Recently I’ve found myself staring at the tahini jar in the fridge and telling myselft to actually do something with it. Of course you helped me out! Right after the book is out you should start a second carrier as a mind reader.
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Celine Reply:
March 31st, 2009 at 4:30 am
I knew you were going to say that!
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Lisa (Show Me Vegan) said,
March 31, 2009 at 3:53 am
that close up shot is torturing me! looks so delicious.
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Rosa said,
March 31, 2009 at 4:11 am
A glorious combo! I’d love to eat some of these cookies with my coffee…
Cheers,
Rosa
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VeggieGirl said,
March 31, 2009 at 4:20 am
Mmm, refreshing!!!
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Shelby said,
March 31, 2009 at 4:38 am
I don’t usually use tahini but these sound great =)
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Tami (Vegan Appetite) said,
March 31, 2009 at 6:20 am
You just have the best ideas.
Obsessions are funny things, aren’t they?
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Carrie said,
March 31, 2009 at 6:24 am
Mmmm…non-buttery buttery goodness!
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Kelly said,
March 31, 2009 at 8:02 am
Those look fantastic. I had been noticing all the tahini-related posts. It’s been amusing to me because thanks to hummus Tahini has a pretty savory reputation with me, but I love the idea of using it in sweet applications. Not to beat a dead horse, but your photography is mouthwatering as always.
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Kiersten said,
March 31, 2009 at 8:07 am
Tahini cookies sound interesting. I have actually never used tahini in something sweet before. I need to stop being a wuss and just try it already.
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tahinitoo said,
March 31, 2009 at 8:47 am
I loved the orange ones, so I am sure these here lemon cookies will have a special place in my tummy too. Don’t stop the obsession!!!!
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melomeals: Vegan For $3.33 a Day said,
March 31, 2009 at 9:23 am
I LOVE LOVE LOVE it! I am a huge fan of tahini… and I have a lot of bulk sesame seeds and vita mix dry container to grind them in!
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allularpunk said,
March 31, 2009 at 10:03 am
brilliant! can’t wait to make these gems, celine. and you may now commence to a new obsession. though i have to admit, i don’t really mind this one.
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Bianca- Vegan Crunk said,
March 31, 2009 at 10:12 am
I seriously doubt anyone is bored…tahini is awesome and those cookies look stellar….
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DJ Karma (VegSpinz) said,
March 31, 2009 at 11:01 am
Tahini is one of those ingredients that I rarely use… time to revisit it! Those cookies look wonderful!
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dreamin'itvegan said,
March 31, 2009 at 11:23 am
Love, love, love, tahini. These cookies look great. I was just going to buy a new jar of tahini and it was almost $10!!! Wow! I miss not having a Lassens here. I guess I just have to drive the 35 minutes to one. Actually I might just grind my own sesames. Have you done that?
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Celine Reply:
March 31st, 2009 at 4:57 pm
I have! use a coffee grinder, be happy. okay, it’s a bit of a PITA to clean up, but if you dampen a piece of paper towel (I know, evil paper towels, but you gotta do what you gotta do), it works out rather well.
fresh, delicious sesame tahini in 5 seconds flat, guaranteed. although it is definitely far less liquid than store-bought tahini, so consider adding extra oil or any nondairy milk if the dough is too dry.
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Shellyfish said,
March 31, 2009 at 12:16 pm
First, you could NEVER bore us!
Second, there is no such thing as too much tahini.
And Third – I ran out of tahini this weekend, and after panicking, I instantly thought of you. How pavlovian of me?! Bisous!!!
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Jennifer said,
March 31, 2009 at 12:45 pm
I never mind you posting things that look so delish!!
Keep them coming! I haven’t made anything with tahini, so it sounds really interesting!
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Ricki said,
March 31, 2009 at 12:51 pm
You can never make too many tahini-based cookies for me! Love ‘em. I think I’d like both orange and lemon options. :)
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Erin said,
March 31, 2009 at 3:49 pm
I personally love all the tahini-ness. I need more excuses to use my jar before 2020. :)
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Vegetation said,
March 31, 2009 at 3:55 pm
I too am a fan of all your tahini inspirations! These sound AMAZING! Mmmmm.
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A&N said,
March 31, 2009 at 4:46 pm
Using Tahini is new to me, and very very interesting! Lovely recipe :)
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River (Wing-it Vegan) said,
March 31, 2009 at 4:54 pm
Obsessions are fun! Obsess away, my friend, obsess away.
I’m loving the ingredients, and you’re making me wish I had an oven packed in one of our bags. You never take a bad food picture. Show off! :D
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veggievixen said,
March 31, 2009 at 7:21 pm
i love tahini too!!
these are to die for. must try.
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traci said,
March 31, 2009 at 10:15 pm
I made some of these tonight (with lemon)! They are glorious. I didn’t have any chocolate, so I put in carob chips… then I found a bar of dark chocolate with poppyseeds, and thew a little of that in too. Served with vanilla rice dream. I only wound up with 9 cookies though, not 20… they weren’t very large. Maybe I missed something?
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Celine Reply:
March 31st, 2009 at 10:27 pm
way odd. lessee: did you use metric measurements?
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Celine Reply:
March 31st, 2009 at 10:54 pm
I checked with several testers, and they all got 20 medium cookies out of the recipe, be it using metric or cup measurements. don’t know what to tell you, Traci.
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Lacey said,
April 1, 2009 at 4:47 am
oh this makes me so incredibly happy! something i can make with no modifications :) and tahini is deeeeeelicious.
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betty said,
April 1, 2009 at 4:50 am
love the photography on your food blog
hope you dont mind me linking you on my page?? :)
i’m a fan of chewy bikkies
definately bookmarking this recipe!!
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Elyse said,
April 1, 2009 at 5:33 am
I adore tahini! I can’t wait to make these cookies. They look absolutely delightful!
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gine said,
April 1, 2009 at 5:52 am
they look supergreat :-) love the little chocolate chips :-)!
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T said,
April 1, 2009 at 8:45 am
Tahini cookies?! What a brilliant idea… and they’re so cute too!
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kickpleat said,
April 1, 2009 at 9:58 am
These look amazing! I love tahini and I’ve got a fridge full of blood oranges, so I think this recipe will jump the cue. Oh yum.
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Nick said,
April 1, 2009 at 11:38 am
I’m not bored, I’ve just replaced the word “tahini” with “peanut butter” in my mind’s eye =). These Peanut Butter Orange (or Lemon) Cookies look great!
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Julie Hasson said,
April 1, 2009 at 4:11 pm
They look deeelicious!
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Jodye said,
April 1, 2009 at 8:16 pm
Well I, for one, have absolutely no qualms with the tahini-centric recipes, and this one sounds just amazing!
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eliane said,
April 2, 2009 at 5:35 am
do you know what I have? I have frey’s bouquet d’oranges… I also have some “arrope de chañar” I bought because I thought might replace that agave syrup thing, but then I realized I have no idea how does agave taste so… rice syrup would do?
it’s fall finally, and it’s raining.
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Celine Reply:
April 2nd, 2009 at 5:41 am
I’m worried rice syrup might change the texture. let me google that arrope thing…
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Celine Reply:
April 2nd, 2009 at 5:43 am
let me ask you, what does arrope taste like? agave is pretty neutral, more so than maple syrup.
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eliane Reply:
April 2nd, 2009 at 8:02 am
I’m driving you nuts a little here, I’m afraid. I’ve never tasted maple syrup…
but…. this arrope is a syrupy thing they make up north, out of some cactus like plants [like tuna]. it’s sweet, and it reminds me of figs a little.
it also appears to be a little thicker than rice syrup, but I keep it in the fridge so I’m not sure.
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Celine Reply:
April 2nd, 2009 at 11:43 pm
driving me nuts? whatchoo talkin’ about! I was born nuts, so no worries.
I now know that if I ever get the opportunity to try arrope, I really should. sounds delicious.
I would throw caution to the wind, halve or even quarter the recipe, and give it a try using arrope. won’t know if you don’t try, right?
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eliane Reply:
April 3rd, 2009 at 4:59 am
[there's a reply limit apparently]
anyway, I’ll do that, who knows how long this lovely bad weather will last…
and, if you want some arrope, just say the word and I’ll send you some. the least I can do.
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Celine Reply:
April 3rd, 2009 at 6:28 am
we’re being censored! ha.
thank you so much for even considering sending arrope my way, but no way! far too costly, especially in this troubled economy. I appreciate the thought as much as the actual action!
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Alisa - Frugal Foodie said,
April 2, 2009 at 8:56 am
Those cookies look awesome. And in case I didn’t say it before, I just have to mention that the bunny on the top of your site is too cute.
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Celine Reply:
April 2nd, 2009 at 11:44 pm
frippy did it!
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Afsoon said,
April 2, 2009 at 10:18 am
OMG! OMG! OMG! OMG! OMG! OMG! OMG! OMG! OMG! OMG! OMG! OMG! COOKIES!
Yum! These sound so interesting…I need to try this recipe for sure!
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Juliana said,
April 2, 2009 at 3:44 pm
Tahini in cookies? First time…sounds really interesting and yummie.
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Lemon Tahini Cookies | Vegan.com said,
April 3, 2009 at 10:52 am
[...] great photo from one of my newest Facebook friends. And here’s the recipe. Spread the [...]
Tree said,
April 4, 2009 at 3:38 pm
I just made these, and they were amazing. Wondering why I had to use a lower temperature with agave, though.
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Celine Reply:
April 4th, 2009 at 4:45 pm
Agave nectar has a tendency to make baked goods brown up more quickly than other sweeteners, so using a lower temp helps the goods not turn out too tanned.
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Natalie said,
April 4, 2009 at 5:38 pm
If you can make besan flour from whirling up dried chickpeas….do you think you could make rice flour from giving some dried rice for a spin?
(P.S. I made a shoutout to you on my new baby bloggy :])
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Celine Reply:
April 4th, 2009 at 7:41 pm
I’ve never done it, but you can absolutely grind your own flour. the only thing is that you need to have a mill (or a Vita Mix) to grind the grain finely enough so that it can be used as flour.
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marika @ madcap said,
April 5, 2009 at 7:35 pm
Good grief but these look GOOD. Oh my gosh – tahini….love tahini!!! Must make these. Now.
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Cakespy said,
April 6, 2009 at 3:55 pm
OMG! These look amazing! I am obsessed with Tahini, have been ever since I worked at a middle eastern restaurant in college. I’ve got to give these a try!
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Kevin said,
April 7, 2009 at 6:07 pm
Those cookies look good!
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Matt said,
April 9, 2009 at 2:21 am
Hi Celine,
I just stumbled upon your blog. I’ve recently gotten into a bit of a Tahini obsession like you (which I got into from a Date Syrup obsession).
Have you tried Dibis W’rashi?
http://www.whatiatetoday.co.uk/2009/03/31/dibis-wrashi-date-syrup-and-tahini/
Will check out what else you’ve been cooking. Great photos btw.
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Laurel said,
April 9, 2009 at 11:01 am
Celine:
I got this from the RFCJ archive page. I hope it’s all right to copy it. Anyway it doesn’t look as if arrope syrup would be too difficult and probably quite a bit cheaper than agave.
Laurel
I’m wondering tahini/cashew lemon non-buttery buttery cookies?
Laurel
Breakfast: Sephardic Raisin Syrup for Matzah Brei: Arrope – pareve
Posted by : Karen Selwin
Sephardic Raisin Syrup: Arrope
This recipe is from THE SEPHARDIC KITCHEN by Rabbi Robert Sternberg.
Sternberg describes arrope as an alternative to honey or any other syrup
for matzo brei or matzo meal pancakes.
1/2 cup sugar
5 cups cold water
1 pound sweet dark raisins
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
In a saucepan, bring the sugar and water to a boil, stirring
occasionally to dissolve the sugar. Add the raisins and reduce the heat.
Simmer uncovered for 2 hours. The liquid should cook down to half the
original amount.
Using a fine mesh sieve, strain the liquid, pushing as much of the
raisin pulp through as possible. You may have to pour the strained juice
back through the sieve 2 or 3 times. After the process is completed,
discard the raisins.
Return the liquid to the saucepan and stir in the lemon juice. Bring to
a boil and cook until the syrup is thick enough to coat the back of a
spoon. Serve warm with matzo brei or pancakes. Any leftover syrup can be
stored in a glass jar in the refrigerator.
Yield: Makes about 2 1/2 cups
Source: “For Passover, matzo brei makes breakfast”
Julie Riven
BOSTON GLOBE (on-line edition), 4/8/98
Return to RFCJ Archive Page
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Celine Reply:
April 9th, 2009 at 4:41 pm
nifty! I’ll have to give it a try. thanks, Laurel.
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Amanda said,
April 10, 2009 at 8:53 am
These look delicious Celine! I can’t wait to try them. My mom started buying hummus for us in the 70s when I was a little kid..I always loved the stuff that was from the local health food store..somehow it was extra “tahini” tasting..I would get so mad when my mom wouldn’t buy hummus there because other brands “didn’t taste” right! Years, later I finally figured out that it was the tahini that I loved!! do you like halva? It’s like tahini fudge in my mind..a treat just a few times a year otherwise I’d be a very BIG vegan.. he he he!!
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Y said,
April 17, 2009 at 2:30 pm
You can never have enough tahini recipes! :) I need to find some brown rice flour first, and then get cracking on a couple of yummy looking recipes of yours that I’ve been eyeing recently.
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Christina said,
August 24, 2009 at 7:01 am
I was getting worried as I was rolling the dough into cookie forms. The dough seemed bitter and greasy and crumbly. BUT then, they cooked up beautifully. And were amazing. Thanks for the very delicious and very cool recipe. :)
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Celine Reply:
August 24th, 2009 at 8:29 am
nice! but…you didn’t have to roll out the dough, I’m a little confused.
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Christina Reply:
August 24th, 2009 at 9:04 am
I meant in my hands ahaha
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Celine Reply:
August 24th, 2009 at 9:29 am
oh! ah! I’m not quite awake yet, am I?
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Kat said,
October 30, 2009 at 5:43 pm
I made these tonight–and got 16 out of the recipe, although I was making them a bit bigger than I intended. I have to say, it is impossible to eat any less than TWO of these cookies at once. They are fantastic!
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Charlotte said,
November 16, 2009 at 4:27 pm
I just made these with fresh cranberries! They turned out really interesting. I posted here [http://www.charlottelittlehales.com/blog/?p=402] if you’re interested.
I am so excited to get your cookbook (it’s on my x-mas list!)
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