Dark Chocolate Tahini Thumbprint Cookies

These dark chocolate tahini thumbprint cookies feature a baked buttery cookie bliss, filled in the center with an all natural drippy tahini. They are soft & moist with the perfect amount of chew in them. The filling options for these cookies are truly endless. From a fresh strawberry icing to a thick caramel, feel free to customise them as you’d like. This recipe can be scaled as you need can be made ahead of time for a larger crowd. They are so quick & easy to throw together and are perfect for any occassion. 

Ingredients you’ll need:

• Unsalted butter: It is very important to have your butter at room temperature. You can ensure this by lightly pressing your finger on the block of butter. It should slightly leave an imprint. I also prefer to use unsalted butter because salted butters have varying amounts of salt content in them and it is always a good idea to add it on your own and avoid your bakes from being too salty.
• Brown sugar: You can use either light or dark brown sugar to make this recipe. Brown sugar helps to add moisture and softness to the cookies.
• Granulated sugar: Along with adding sweetness, granulated sugar helps the cookies hold their perfect shape and structure.
• Egg yolk: These cookies are chewy yet so soft and moist. One of the secret to that is this extra egg yolk which adds more moisture to your cookies along with also being a binding agent. Having your eggs at room temperature makes it easier to incorporate them and allow them to mix thoroughly in your cookie dough. A good way of doing this is by letting them sit in a bowl filled with room temperature water for around 10 minutes or until they come down to room temperature.
• Vanilla: I highly recommend that you use a high quality, pure vanilla extract. This helps in giving a rich flavor to your baked goods. Pure vanilla extracts are typically dark brown in color. This enhances the flavor of all ingredients and you should never leave this out.
• All-purpose flour: I highly recommend weighing all your ingredients using a kitchen scale for accurate recipe results. If you’re using cups, don’t scoop your cup into the flour. Spoon the flour into your cup and level it off with the back of a knife.
• Cocoa Powder: A good quality natural and unsweetened cocoa powder is the best (I use Hersheys and I love it). This can make a huge difference in the taste of chocolate in your baked goods. I highly recommend you use a cocoa powder which is natural and unsweetened.
• Espresso Powder: Such small quantities of espresso powder will not add any coffee flavor to your cookies but rather, it will only enhance the flavor of chocolate in them, thus making them even more delicious!
• Tahini: Use a natural & drippy tahini for best results. A brand that lists raw sesame seeds in the ingredients is preferable as compared to one with any other additives as they can alter the flavor of your cookies. 

FAQ

Other Chocolate Recipes you’ll love:

• Chocolate Espresso Babka
• Single Layer Chocolate Ganache Buttermilk Cake
• Hi-Hat Peanut Butter Cupcakes

Some other tips you’ll need:

• If baking in batches, keep the remaining cookies in refrigerator instead of the freezer, until they are ready to bake.
• You can freeze these cookies before baking. Transfer the frozen dough to the refrigerator a night before you want to bake it. You can keep the frozen dough for 3 months. I do not recommend freezing the cookies after baking them.
• To get perfectly round cookies, use a large round cookie or biscuit cutter to round out each cookie immediately after they come out of the oven.
• I highly recommend investing in an oven thermometer and a kitchen scale. Baking at accurate temperatures and weighing your ingredients correctly ensure that you can replicate the recipes perfectly and enjoy the best flavors.

Happy Baking!

Chocolate Tahini Thumbprint Cookies

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• Author: Shambhavi
• Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes (including chilling time)
• Yield: 12 cookies 1x

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Ingredients

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• ½ cup (113g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• ⅓ cup (67g) granulated sugar
• ⅓ cup (73g) light or dark brown sugar
• 1 large egg yolk, at room temperature
• ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup (125g) all-purpose flour
• ¼ cup (25g) natural unsweetened cocoa powder
• ¼ teaspoon espresso powder
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¼ – ½ cup natural drippy tahini, for pouring 

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Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Meanwhile, line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat and set aside.
2. In a large bowl, add the unsalted butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar. Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer, beat on medium speed until creamy, about 2 minutes. Add in the egg yolk and vanilla extract. Beat again until combined. The mixture will now be light and fluffy.
3. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, cocoa powder, espresso powder and salt.
4. Add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients about 4-5 tablespoons at a time and beat on low speed until combined. Repeat until all dry ingredients are added. The cookie dough will be slightly thick.
5. Beat the dough on low speed until it comes together and forms a smooth ball (see photo above). You can use your hands towards the end. However, make sure not to overmix as the butter will start melting.
6. Roll the cookie dough into 1-inch balls to form 12 cookies total. Place them on the lined baking tray or mat spaced 2-inches apart. Press your thumb gently into center of each cookie to form indentation, about 1/2-inch deep. 
7. Allow cookies to chill in the freezer, uncovered for 30 minutes or alternatively in the refrigerator, covered for 2 hours. This is very important to avoid your cookies from over-spreading while baking in the oven.  
8. Bake cookies at 350°F (177°C) for 10-12 minutes or until edges start to brown. Take them out of the oven, they will be soft and moist. To get perfectly round cookies, use a large round cookie or biscuit cutter to round out each cookie immediately after they come out of the oven.
9. Transfer cookies to a wire rack immediately and let them cool completely. These cookies will continue to bake while they cool.
10. Spoon approximately 1/2 to 1 teaspoon tahini into center of each cookie. Refrigerate cookies until icing is just set, about 20 to 30 minutes. 
11. Store these cookies in an airtight container in the refrigerator for upto 1 week. 

Notes

• If baking in batches, keep the remaining cookies in refrigerator instead of the freezer, until they are ready to bake.
• You can freeze these cookies before baking. Transfer the frozen dough to the refrigerator a night before you want to bake it. You can keep the frozen dough for 3 months. I do not recommend freezing the cookies after baking them.  
• To get perfectly round cookies, use a large round cookie or biscuit cutter to round out each cookie immediately after they come out of the oven.

• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Cook Time: 10 minutes
• Category: Cookies, Dessert
• Cuisine: American

Keywords: thumbprints, dark chocolate, tahini, cookies