That’s right, these cookies were destined to be! Destined to be in my belly on the God knows what weekend of quarantine we are in. Silver linings though, the weather is getting nicer, the days are getting longer (I know, they already feel like an eternity 🙂 ) and I am going to have to swap out my sweatpants for sweatshorts soon (not sure if that is a good thing)! Any who, these fated cookies are the perfect weekend treat, the subtle tahini flavor coupled with the salted caramel is, well, meant to be. Then just when you thought they couldn’t get any better, they do, with those dark chocolate chunks all enhanced with a sprinkle of sea salt! You’re welcome.
Some states and cities are starting to lift restrictions, Chicago is not one of them. Still no dining, gyms, hair, nails… What we do have is cooking! So many people who have never cooked or baked have really embraced it during all of this. It has proven what I have always felt about food, is that it is comforting, cultural and shows love and brings family and friends together, even while staying apart. Cooking and food are definitely my love language. I think people now are yearning for that feeling and finding out more about their families and traditions through food.
These cookies aren’t a family tradition of mine, but they will be now. They are comforting by eliciting childhood memories, nothing like a warm, soft, freshly baked cookie to make your troubles melt away, even just for a moment. The dough makes a lot of cookies too, so you can roll them out and freeze them and bake as needed! Think of these cookies as your medicinal sugar!
Salt makes everything better, even in your sweets!
Little dough solders, come out all soft and gooey goodness!
Mmm, see those salted caramel swirls baked right into that delectable cookie? Those chocolate chunks are calling my name…Diane…Diane… (the only thing calling my name these days 😉 )Yum!
Channel you inner child. Enjoy with a tall glass of milk…these cookies were made for dunking! You know you want to.
So, pull on your sweatshorts, crack those windows and embrace the weekend. Cook and bake on, whip out old family traditions and create new ones. Starting with these Tahini Salted Caramel Chocolate Chunk Cookies.
Happy Weekending and Cookie Baking It!
Diane
- For the Salted Caramel:
- 1 cup sugar
- ½ cup goat's milk (can sub heavy cream)
- 6 tbsp. grass-fed butter
- 1 tsp. sea salt
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- For the Cookie Dough:
- 2 cups cake flour (can sub all purpose)
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- ¼ tsp. baking soda
- ½ tsp. salt
- 1 stick unsalted grass-fed butter room temp
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1 large egg room temp
- 1 large egg yolk room temp
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- ¾ cup salted caramel
- ½ cup of tahini (mixed and smooth)
- 1 cup chopped dark chocolate (I used 70% cocoa)
- For the Salted Caramel:
- In a large heavy bottomed pot over medium high heat, add the sugar and stir constantly until it is melted and a deep amber, caramel color. Should take about 6 to 10 minutes. Don't walk away.
- Carefully add the milk or cream while stirring, it will bubble up a lot, keep stirring for another minute or two. Remove from heat, add butter, salt and vanilla extract and stir until smooth. Pour into heat proof jar and allow to sit at room temp to cool. Can be made up to 2 weeks ahead of time stored in the fridge.
- For the Cookie Dough:
- In a large mixing bowl, combine all the dry ingredients and set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand-mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the butter and sugars and beat until smooth, lighter and fluffy. Around 5 minutes.
- Add the egg and then the yolk, mixing after each addition. Add the smooth tahini, you may need to pop in the microwave for 30 seconds to loosen, mix to incorporate. Next add the vanilla extract and mix to combine.
- Slowly add half of the dry mixture and combine, then add the rest and combine until all the flour bits are incorporated. Don't over mix. Add the chocolate chunks while the mixer is running on low, to stir in and not break them up too much.
- Remove bowl from stand and stir in the salted caramel by hand using a wooden spoon or spatula. You want to incorporate into the dough, but not completely, you still want to see some swirls of caramel. Cover and chill for at least an hour and half, up to 3 days.
- Bake the Cookies:
- Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees and line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
- Remove the dough from the fridge, if it's too hard to scoop out, let it sit at room temp for about 20 minutes. I used about a tablespoon size ice cream scoop for mine and scoop out the dough and place on the prepared baking sheets, not too close together. Sprinkle with a little sea salt. Pop in the freezer for about 10 minutes. Place in the oven, if baking both sheets at once, halfway through, rotate from top to bottom and front to back. Start checking cookies at 12 minutes, mine took 15. Cookies are done when golden brown. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet on cooling rack. Store cookies in airtight container for up to a week at room temp. You can also freeze the dough balls if not baking the entire batch. Just scoop, roll into balls and place in a airtight freezer bag. Good in the freezer for up to 3 months. When ready to bake from frozen, no need to thaw, just pop right into oven from freezer. May take a minute or two longer.
- Enjoy!
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