Recipes Desserts Cookies Shortbread Cookies Salted Tahini-Chocolate Shortbread 5.0 (1) 1 Review These buttery, nutty, salty shortbread cookies have enough structure to hold together when you pick them up, but when you take a bite, they are meltingly tender. The salt compliments the tanginess of the chocolate, and brings out the nuttiness from the tahini. Marbling the dough creates a striking pattern. Enjoy the cookies with a cup of coffee or tea—they would also make a lovely gift, packaged up in a nice box. By Anna Theoktisto Anna Theoktisto Anna Theoktisto is a recipe tester and developer. Anna has been working in Dotdash Meredith test kitchens since 2017, and her recipes and writing have appeared in over 10 nationally distributed print publications, as well as on various digital platforms. When not in the kitchen, Anna enjoys hiking with her son, husband, and two dogs, and fostering puppies for a local animal rescue group. Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines Updated on August 2, 2023 Tested by Food & Wine Test Kitchen Tested by Food & Wine Test Kitchen Recipes published by Food & Wine are rigorously tested by the culinary professionals at the Dotdash Meredith Food Studios in order to empower home cooks to enjoy being in the kitchen and preparing meals they will love. Our expert culinary team tests and retests each recipe using equipment and ingredients found in home kitchens to ensure that every recipe is delicious and works for cooks at home every single time. Meet the Food & Wine Test Kitchen Rate PRINT Share Active Time: 15 mins Total Time: 2 hrs Servings: 18 Ingredients 1 cup (about 2 ounces) powdered sugar 1 cup tahini, well stirred ½ cup (4 ounces) unsalted butter, softened 1 large egg yolk 1 ¾ cups (about 7 1/2 ounces) all-purpose flour 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder ½ teaspoon flaky sea salt Directions Beat sugar, tahini, butter, and egg yolk with a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment on medium speed until smooth and pale, 4 to 5 minutes, stopping to scrape down sides of bowl as needed. Stir together flour and kosher salt in a medium bowl. With mixer running on low speed, gradually add flour mixture to egg mixture, beating until combined, about 1 minute (mixture will be crumbly but should hold together when squeezed). Transfer half of the dough (about 1 1/2 cups) to a medium bowl; set aside. Add cocoa to remaining dough in bowl, and beat on low speed until combined, about 1 minute. Preheat oven to 325°F. Line bottom of a straight-sided 13- x 9-inch metal pan with parchment paper. Spoon alternating clumps of varying sizes of each dough into bottom of prepared pan to create a marbled pattern. Using a flat-bottomed glass or measuring cup, press dough evenly onto bottom of pan (it should be about 1/4 inch thick). Using a sharp knife, cut the dough all the way through into 18 (about 4 1/2- x 1 1/4-inch) bars. Freeze until firm, about 15 minutes. Sprinkle top with flaky sea salt. Bake in preheated oven until top is light golden and begins to look dry, 30 to 40 minutes, rotating pan 180 degrees on rack every 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer pan to a wire rack. Immediately re-cut the cookies along the lines. Let cool in pan completely, about 1 hour. Store in airtight container at room temperature up to 4 days. Photo by Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Ruth Blackburn / Prop Styling by Christina Daley Rate It Print