Salted Tahini Brownie Cookies

Edouard Massih
Edouard Massih
Edouard “Edy” Massih is a Brooklyn-based chef, caterer, and owner of the Lebanese pantry and catering company Edy’s Grocer. Being born and raised in Lebanon, Edy’s mission became to spread the joy and awareness of Lebanese food and culture in the city, and to develop a community around it. After catering for several years, it was when he opened Edy’s Grocer during the pandemic in 2020 that his vision to spread Lebanese food came to fruition — when he realized that the best way to share his culture was to make Middle Eastern ingredients accessible and help it become a part of North Brooklyn’s daily lives and pantries at home through a local grocery store setting. Edy now hosts regular events at the grocer, manages an ongoing menu in the kitchen, and continues to cater for private events across the city!
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published Nov 26, 2022
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Salted Tahini Brownie Cookies Recipe

A warm, fudgy brownie cookie drizzled with nutty tahini and sprinkled with sesame seeds.

Makes12 (3-inch) cookies

Prep10 minutes

Cook17 minutes

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salted tahini brownie cookies on a platter on linen
Credit: Photo: Christopher Testani; Food Styling; Jesse Szewczyk; Prop Styling: Sarah Smart

This recipe is a part of Secret Family Cookies — a dozen recipes from our favorite bakers, inspired by the people who make them feel at home. Get all the amazing cookies here.

When I was growing up in Lebanon, I never tasted a brownie. But as soon as I tried one after moving to the United States, I fell in love. It was the first dessert that inspired me to start experimenting with Middle Eastern flavors in American sweets. Because peanut butter and chocolate are a match made in heaven, I figured that tahini’s nutty flavor would pair perfectly with a chocolate brownie — and so the salted tahini brownie was born. The brownies are one of my favorite desserts, and they’re also a fan favorite at Edy’s Grocer, the Lebanese market and deli I founded in Brooklyn’s Greenpoint neighborhood.

Credit: Photo: Christopher Testani; Food Styling; Jesse Szewczyk; Prop Styling: Sarah Smart

I create and adjust my recipes to share with my community and chosen family, so last winter when I was asked to make a holiday cookie to raise money and awareness for the Ali Forney Center — a non-profit that provides shelter and healthcare services to unhoused LGBTQ youth in New York City — I decided to turn the tahini brownie into a cookie. This cookie, which uses boxed brownie mix as a shortcut, is a true reflection of my Lebanese culture combined with my new life as a New Yorker. It reminds me that even when you immigrate and leave most of your family behind in your home country, there is always a new family waiting for you on the other side — no matter how far you go!

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Salted Tahini Brownie Cookies Recipe

A warm, fudgy brownie cookie drizzled with nutty tahini and sprinkled with sesame seeds.

Prep time 10 minutes

Cook time 17 minutes

Makes 12 (3-inch) cookies

Nutritional Info

Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup

    fat-free plain Greek yogurt

  • 1/3 cup

    vegetable oil

  • 1

    large egg

  • 1 teaspoon

    kosher salt

  • 1 (18-ounce) box

    Ghirardelli triple or double chocolate brownie mix

  • 1 cup

    mini dark chocolate chips (about 6 ounces)

  • Cooking spray

  • 1/4 cup

    tahini, at room temperature

  • Sea salt or flaky salt

  • White sesame seeds

Instructions

  1. Place 3/4 cup plain Greek yogurt, 1/3 cup vegetable oil, 1 large egg, and 1 teaspoon kosher salt in a large bowl. Beat with a whisk by hand or with an electric hand mixer on medium speed until well combined, about 1 minute.

  2. While whisking or beating constantly, slowly add 1 (18-ounce) box Ghiradelli brownie mix and mix until well combined. Turn the mixer off. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a flexible spatula. Add 1 cup mini chocolate chips and fold by hand until just combined.

  3. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to overnight.

  4. Arrange 2 racks to divide the oven into thirds and heat the oven to 350ºF. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Coat the papers with cooking spray.

  5. Using a medium ice cream scoop or large spoon, drop the dough in 12 portions (about 3 ounces each) on the baking sheets, spacing them at least 3 inches apart, 6 per sheet.

  6. Using a spoon, drizzle 1/4 cup tahini over the cookies. Using a skewer, swirl the tahini into the dough. Sprinkle with white sesame seeds, and sea or flaky salt.

  7. Bake for 10 minutes. Rotate the baking sheets between racks and from front to bake. Bake until the dough no longer looks shiny and wet, 7 to 8 minutes more. Let cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheets. Transfer the cookies to a wire rack and serve warm or let cool to room temperature.

Recipe Notes

Make ahead: The cookie dough can be scooped and topped, then frozen solid on the baking sheets. Store in a zip top bag in the freezer for up to 2 months. Bake from frozen, adding 4 minutes to the first baking time.

Storage: The cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.

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Cookie
Dessert
pantry
Chocolate
holiday
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