Tahini Oreos

The nutty tahini perfectly balances the super rich chocolate cookies. Dress them up with sprinkles or chopped nuts or whatever you have on hand.

Compared to store-bought Oreos, the biscuit in these ones is a bit chewier, the frosting a bit softer, they have a super rich chocolate taste, and there is tahini. But, it's the same idea: a sandwich cookie. These ones also should be refrigerated to keep the frosting firm (they don't contain any shortening, which, unlike butter, stays good and thick at room temp). You could probably swap out half the butter for shortening if you wanted, but I haven't tried it.  

The trickiest part of this recipe for sure is rolling out the cookies. The dough is fragile and cracks easily; it requires patience. I refrigerated it for about 20 minutes in between rolls but in the future would probably refrigerate the whole batch of dough for a few hours or overnight before rolling. 

Adjustments: dip half of each cookie in melted chocolate for a fancier twist; ditch the tahini frosting and just turn them into ice cream sandwiches; sprinkle the tahini with salt before adding the top cookie; roll the edges in chopped nuts or toasted sesame seeds instead of sprinkles 

Recipe from Molly Yeh

Makes about 18 sandwich cookies

Ingredients

Cookies

2 cups/240 grams all-purpose flour
1 cup/85 grams unsweetened cocoa powder, plus more for dusting*
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 1/4 cup/283 grams unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup/150 grams sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract 

Filling

1/2 cup/113 grams unsalted butter, softened
1/4 cup/35 grams tahini
1 1/2 cups/170 grams powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or extract
pinch of ground cinnamon
pinch of kosher salt

Preparation

Make the cookies: Preheat oven to 325ºf. Line two baking sheets with parchment and set them aside.

In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, and salt.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Mix in the vanilla. Slowly add the dry ingredient mixture and beat until just combined. It will still be a bit crumbly.

Pour the mixture out onto your work surface and give it a few kneads to bring it all together. Dust your surface with cocoa powder and/or powdered sugar, and working swiftly and carefully, roll out your dough and cut out 2-inch circles. Transfer them to your baking sheet, about an inch apart (using a small offset spatula really helps with this step). Re-roll scraps and cut out remaining circles.

This is a super delicate dough, so try not to handle it more than you need to, and if it gets too soft, stick it in the fridge or freezer for a few minutes to firm up. This dough can also be made a day in advance, wrapped tightly, and kept in the fridge.

Bake the cookies for about 20 minutes, or until the tops are no longer shiny. Cool on the pans on a rack for 5 minutes and then remove to the rack to cool completely.

Make the filling: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat together the butter and tahini until creamy. Gradually add the powdered sugar. Add the vanilla, cinnamon, and salt and beat to combine. 

Assemble: Fill a piping bag with the filling and pipe a blob onto the center of half the cookies. Top them with the rest of the cookies to make little sandwiches. Roll edges in sprinkles, if desired. Place them in the fridge for a few minutes to allow the filling to firm up before serving. Store in the fridge.