AI-generated image
Tahini cookies
Ugiyot tahini (עוגיות טחינה): crumbly Israeli tahini cookies
Every Israeli bakery and grandmother's biscuit tin has ugiyot tahini, little domed cookies that crumble and melt on the tongue with a deep, toasty sesame flavour. They are baked for Shabbat coffee, for guests dropping by in Haifa or Jerusalem, and as an easy dairy-free sweet to follow a meat meal. This version uses oil rather than butter, so it is vegan. The mistake is baking until they turn golden all over; they firm up as they cool and should leave the oven pale with just-coloured bases. Chef's tip: stir the tahini jar thoroughly first, since the oil separates and a dry spoonful from the bottom makes sandy, dry cookies.
- Total time
- 25 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 20
Ingredients
- 5 ½ oz tahiniwell stirred
- 3 ½ oz sugar
- ¼ cup sunflower oil
- 7 oz plain flour
- ½ tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 pinch salt
- 2 tbsp sesame seeds (optional)
Shop this recipe on Amazon
Links open Amazon in a new tab. As an Amazon Associate, WhatToEat.Today earns from qualifying purchases.
Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Heat the oven to 350°F and line two trays.
Step 2: Beat 5 ½ oz tahini, 3 ½ oz sugar, ¼ cup sunflower oil and 1 tsp vanilla extract until smooth. Add 7 oz plain flour, ½ tsp baking powder and 1 pinch salt and knead briefly into a soft, crumbly dough that holds when squeezed.
Step 3: Roll into walnut-sized balls, set on the trays and flatten slightly with a fork. Press the tops into 2 tbsp sesame seeds if you like.
8 minStep 4: Bake for 12–14 minutes, until the bottoms are lightly golden and the tops are still pale.
14 minStep 5: Cool on the trays for 10 minutes; they are fragile while warm. Store in a tin for up to a week.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 120 kcal
- Protein
- 3 g
- Carbs
- 13 g
- Fat
- 7 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does tahini cookies take?
- About 25 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 15 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 20 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
- What can I use instead of plain flour?
- Self-raising flour, same amount (then leave out the baking powder).
Reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to cook it.
Rate this recipe
Sign in to rate and review this recipe.
You might also like
SalufPuffy flatbread
Saluf is the everyday bread of Yemenite Israelis, slapped onto a hot pan or taboon in Rosh HaAyin and Sha'arayim in Rehovot and eaten with marak temani, hilbe and zhug. It is soft and blistered, thicker than pita and with no pocket, made to tear and dunk. Home cooks often roll it too thin, which gives a cracker; it should be about 1 cm thick so it stays pillowy. Chef's tip: cook it under a lid on a very hot dry pan for the first minute, which traps steam and puffs it the way a taboon does.
Reform tortaWalnut meringue chocolate cake
Belgrade pastry shops have sold reform torta since the early twentieth century, and it is still the cake Serbian families bring out for birthdays, weddings and the slava. Three thin layers of walnut meringue, crisp at the edge and chewy inside, are stacked with a dense chocolate butter cream made with egg yolks cooked over steam until thick. It is very rich, so cut thin slices and serve with strong coffee. The usual slip is beating the butter into a chocolate mixture that is still warm, which melts it and splits the cream; let it cool to room temperature first. Chef's tip: assemble the cake the day before; overnight in the fridge the meringue softens a little and the cake slices cleanly with a hot knife.
Matzah
Matzah is the flat unleavened bread eaten at Passover, recalling the Israelites leaving Egypt in too much haste for their bread to rise, and in Israel and Jewish homes worldwide it is also eaten as a crisp everyday cracker with soups and dips. The dough is only flour and water; by tradition it is mixed, rolled and baked within 18 minutes so it cannot ferment. This home version follows that rhythm but is not certified for Passover use. There is no salt: about 0.0 g salt per sheet. The usual mistake is rolling too thick, which gives a tough, chewy bread; roll until you can almost see the counter through it. Chef's tip: prick the dough all over with a fork before baking so it stays flat and blisters evenly.