Does the world really need another chocolate chip cookie recipe? In the last four years as a full-time recipe developer, I’ve written a handful of cookie recipes—Salted Chocolate & Peppermint Half-and-Half Cookies, Pecan-Doenjang Sandies, Haldi Doodh Snickerdoodles, and Spiced Chocolate-Coconut Cookies, just to name a few—but I’ve never touched the king of all cookies: Chocolate Chip.
But, that changes today. Tahini Raspberry-Chocolate Chip Cookies have entered the chat. The bitter, nuttiness of the tahini tames the sweetness of the cookies, while the freeze-dried raspberries add a burst of ruby zing—like peanut butter and jelly, all grown up—and lots of roughly chopped bittersweet chocolate drive home those good ol’ chocolate chip cookie vibes. Don’t skip the finishing sprinkle of store-bought roasted sesame seeds, which adds a lasting note of toastiness that’ll tempt you back for another cookie.
Tahini Raspberry-Chocolate Chip Cookies
The ruby zing of the freeze-dried raspberries are clutch in these cookies, but other equally bright ‘n’ tart freeze-dried fruit also works wonderfully here, like strawberries and cherries. Save the sweeter varieties, like mango, figs, and apples, for snacking.
Makes 24 cookies
INGREDIENTS
1½ cups (180g) all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ pound (1 stick, 113g) unsalted butter, softened
½ cup (96g) granulated sugar
½ cup (96g) light or dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal or ½ teaspoon Morton’s kosher salt
1 large egg
½ cup (120g) tahini paste, well-stirred
1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
6 ounces (170g) semi or bittersweet chocolate, roughly chopped
1⅓ cups (34g) freeze-dried raspberries
Store-bought roasted sesame seeds, for garnishing
Flaky sea salt, for garnishing
METHOD
Combine 1½ cups (180g) all-purpose flour, ½ teaspoon baking powder, and ½ teaspoon baking soda in a bowl, mix well, and set aside.
Combine ¼ pound (1 stick) softened unsalted butter, ½ cup (96g)granulated sugar, ½ cup (96g) light or dark brown sugar, and 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal or ½ teaspoon Morton’s kosher salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Cream the butter on medium-high speed, scraping down the bowl as needed, until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, add 1 large egg, ½ cup (120g) tahini paste, and 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract, and continue to beat on medium-high until incorporated and emulsified, 1 minute more.
Remove the bowl from the mixer, add the dry ingredients, and fold in by hand until fully incorporated. Add 6 ounces (170g) roughly chopped semi or bittersweet chocolate and 1⅓ cups (34g) freeze-dried raspberries and fold in, gently crushing the raspberries so there are some bigger and smaller pieces. Cover and refrigerate the dough for at least 1 hour, up to overnight.
When you’re ready to bake the cookies, preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets or half sheet pans with parchment paper or baking mats and set aside.
To form the cookies, take about 2 tablespoons of the dough (32 grams, if you’re like me and want to be exact!) and roll it into a ball. Place the cookies on the sheet pan, spacing them about 1½” apart. When you’re finished with one tray, sprinkle the top of each cookie ball with a pinch of store-bought sesame seeds and a few flakes of sea salt. Bake the cookies on the center rack, rotating the pan halfway through, until cooked through and light golden around the edges, 12 to 14 minutes. While one tray bakes, prepare the other tray. If you finish rolling the cookie dough early, refrigerate the tray until ready to bake.
Let the cookies cool for 10 minutes on the pan before transferring to a baking rack to cool completely, or enjoy warm! Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.
Make-Ahead: To freeze the cookie dough, roll into balls, garnish, and then freeze until frozen in a single layer on a parchment-lined sheet pan. Once frozen, transfer to a zip-top freezer bag and store in the freezer up to 6 months. Bake from frozen, adding a 1 to 3 minutes to the baking time.
Turn ‘em into s’mores cookies: Swap in 1¼ cups (57g) mini marshmallows for the freeze-dried raspberries.
YES!!!! THESE COOKIES!!!
They look amazing!