This recipe is inspired by Ana Sortun and Maura Kilpatrick from our favorite Boston bakery, Sofra. The tahini-forward shortbread is heavenly on its own, but we love the festive touch of the gooey chocolate thumbprints and the sparkly flaky salt. Plus, who doesn't love a fun, hands on holiday baking project?

Watch us make them on Youtube and Reels. 

INGREDIENTS
½ c sesame seeds
10 tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature
¾ c confectioners' sugar
1 c Seed + Mill Organic Tahini 
1¾ c all-purpose flour
2 tsp kosher salt
¼ c Chocolate Date Tahini*

STEPS

1. Toast sesame seeds in a nonstick pan over medium-low heat stirring until golden brown, about 4 minutes. Remove from heat and cool.
2. In a large bowl, combine butter, confectioners’ sugar and tahini until smooth. Scrape down the sides, then add flour and salt, mixing until just combined.
3. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Using your hands, roll heaping tablespoons of dough into balls and place on the baking sheets, spacing them about 1½-2 inches apart. Roll the balls in sesame seeds. One by one, press your thumb into the center of each dough ball, creating a well for the filling. Refrigerate the baking sheets of dough for at least 30 minutes or up to overnight.
4. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Scoop about a teaspoon of the chocolate date tahini into the center of the cookies. The filling can be sticky, so you may need to use two spoons: one to scoop and one to scrape. Depending on the temperature of your kitchen, it may help to heat it a bit as well to thin it out.
5. Bake until firm around edges and not colored, 10-14 minutes. Sprinkle with flaky salt as soon as they come out of the oven. Cool and enjoy!

Using your thumb, place a small indent in the center of each cookie and fill with a small dollop of Chocolate Date Tahini.

*If our Chocolate Date Tahini is unavailable (it's a limited edition product), you can make your own with 3 tbs date syrup, 3 tbs tahini and 6 tbs cocoa powder/melted dark chocolate! Adjust ingredients to your taste.