If you're looking for a new recipe for your holiday cookie repertoire this year, these tahini thumbprint cookies with a date caramel filling and dark chocolate drizzle are the answer!
This post is sponsored by Soom Foods. All opinions are our own.
If you've been following us for a while, you've probably noticed that we really love tahini. We use it in a wide range of savory dishes, including dressing this fall kale salad. We also it in desserts. It adds such a beautiful, nutty flavor that we can't get enough of.
We shared a basic recipe for hazelnut tahini brownies. However, these thumbprint cookies with a date caramel filling are our favorite use of tahini in a dessert so far.
Store-bought tahini can differ widely in texture, consistency and taste. Our favorite brand is Soom, so we're thrilled to be partnering with them to share this recipe!
Soom is a woman-owned, family company with an awesome team - we really can’t say enough good things about them! They also recently launched a new product: Soom Silan. It's a delicious, rich date syrup that we’ve been adding to everything, including these cookies!
You can order Soom products online here and get 10% off your order with our code "crowdedkitchen". (affiliate link) We highly suggest stocking up if you use tahini as much as we do!
The cookie base is buttery, slightly nutty and seriously addictive, and the filling uses just two ingredients. Silan and medjool dates to make a creamy paste that works perfectly as a thumbprint filling.
When forming the thumbprint, be sure to make a deep indentation. The dough tends to spread quite a bit in the oven, so the deeper and narrower the indentation, the better the final product.
This makes quite a large batch (about 3 dozen cookies), so if you're baking for yourself or a small group, you may want to cut in half. Another option is to freeze leftovers!
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Tahini Thumbprint Cookies with Date Caramel Filling
- Total Time: 1 hour 36 minutes
- Yield: 3 dozen 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Slightly nutty and seriously addictive, these tahini shortbread cookies with a date caramel filling are the new cookie recipe you're looking for! (Chocolate drizzle optional, but encouraged)
Ingredients
Cookies:
- 2 cups vegan butter, softened at room temp
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
- ¾ tsp almond extract
- ¼ cup Soom Tahini
- 2 tbsp agave syrup
- 4 cups gluten free all purpose flour
- ⅓ cup arrowroot powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- For rolling: ½ cup sesame seeds
Date Caramel Filling:
- ½ cup Soom Silan
- 10 medjool dates, pitted and soaked in warm water for 15 minutes
Dark chocolate Drizzle:
- 8 oz melted dark chocolate
Instructions
Cookies:
- Using a hand mixer or stand mixer, cream butter, sugar, vanilla and almond extract. Add in tahini and agave and mix until smooth.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together gluten free flour, arrowroot and salt. Slowly incorporate into wet mixture until dough comes together.
- Refrigerate dough for 1 hour (cover bowl with a dish towel to prevent drying). Meanwhile, make date filling (instructions below).
- Preheat oven to 350 F.
- Use a cookie scoop to portion dough into balls. Use your hands to roll into a smooth ball and roll in sesame seeds until evenly coated.
- Press your thumb into the middle of the cookie, forming a deep indentation that goes almost all the way to the bottom of the dough. These cookies tend to spread a bit in the oven, so it's important to create a deep, narrow indentation.
- Repeat until cookie sheet is full, then bake for 14-16 minutes, or until slightly golden brown around the edges. Let cool for at least 20 minutes.
Date filling:
- Pit and soak dates for 15 minutes. Drain well and add to blender with Silan.
- Blend until a very smooth paste forms - you may have to scrape down the sides a few times to fully incorporate.
- Fill cooled cookies with date paste and drizzle lightly with melted chocolate.
Notes
These cookies tend to spread a bit in the oven, so it's important to create a deep, narrow indentation with your thumb.
- Prep Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 16 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Oven
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 Cookie
- Calories: 235
- Sugar: 13.1 g
- Sodium: 80.1 mg
- Fat: 14.1 g
- Saturated Fat: 8.8 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 27.8 g
- Fiber: 2.2 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 0.4 mg
Let us know what you think!