A good shortbread cookie is crisp yet tender, with a crumbly texture, buttery flavor and melt-in-your-mouth consistency. But for a truly outstanding shortbread cookie, we love adding tahini. Just a little tahini in the dough gives these shortbread cookies a deep nutty flavor, and the vanilla-tahini glaze and sprinkle of flaky sea salt dress them up just enough, making them perfect for afternoon tea or your next cookie platter.
| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 2 hr 40 min |
| Active: | 30 min |
| Yield: | 26 to 28 cookies |
| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 2 hr 40 min |
| Active: | 30 min |
| Yield: | 26 to 28 cookies |
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting (see Cook’s Note)
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 10 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons well-stirred tahini
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
- 5 tablespoons heavy cream, plus more if needed
- 1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar
- 1/4 cup well-stirred tahini
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
- Flaky sea salt and toasted sesame seeds, for topping
Instructions
- For the cookies: Whisk the flour, cornstarch and kosher salt in a medium bowl. Cream the butter, granulated sugar, tahini and vanilla in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment on medium-high speed until smooth and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes. Reduce the speed to low and slowly add the flour mixture, mixing until well combined. Turn the dough out onto a piece of plastic wrap and form into a disc. Cover with the plastic wrap and refrigerate until chilled, at least 1 hour and up to overnight.
- Arrange oven racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Lightly dust a clean work surface with flour. Roll out the dough into a circle about 1/8 inch thick. Use a 2-inch round fluted biscuit cutter to stamp out cookies; transfer them to the prepared baking sheets. Repeat 2 times with the scraps.
- Bake until the cookies are set and just the slightest golden brown around the bottom, 9 to 11 minutes. Let sit on the baking sheets for 1 minute, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely, about 1 hour.
- For the glaze: Meanwhile, whisk the heavy cream, confectioners’ sugar, tahini and vanilla in a liquid measuring cup or high-sided glass big enough to dip the cookies into. (The glaze with be thick. Add more heavy cream 1 tablespoon at a time to thin out if desired.)
- Dip a cooled cookie into the glaze until half of it is covered. Return to the wire rack and repeat with the remaining cookies and glaze. Sprinkle flaky sea salt and sesame seeds over the glaze. Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 27 servings |
| Calories | 105 |
| Total Fat | 7 g |
| Saturated Fat | 4 g |
| Carbohydrates | 9 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 0 g |
| Sugar | 4 g |
| Protein | 1 g |
| Cholesterol | 14 mg |
| Sodium | 51 mg |
| Serving Size | 1 of 27 servings |
| Calories | 105 |
| Total Fat | 7 g |
| Saturated Fat | 4 g |
| Carbohydrates | 9 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 0 g |
| Sugar | 4 g |
| Protein | 1 g |
| Cholesterol | 14 mg |
| Sodium | 51 mg |