November 28, 2009: Double-double chocolate sesame cookies

This week my knitting crew went on a field trip to Footscray to check out the Big Knit installation, part of the Big West arts festival. We were planning a picnic at Newells Paddock, where we could view the installation and celebratory dancing, share snacks and compare our latest yarn-based projects. Not all went to plan. The weather could only be described as miserable and worse, the installation had been vandalised overnight. Under a wet grey sky, ragged candy-coloured sections of PVC 'knitting' listlessly skimmed the river and bitterly disappointed festival staff revised their plans for the event.

Our picnic was brief but still thoroughly enjoyable. Taking shelter under the Stockbridge, we spread out a blanket and watched and ate and chatted and giggled. There were treats from the Footscray market and spinach pie. Mindful of L's wheat avoidance, I made sundried tomato and rosemary muffins (replacing the small amount of plain flour with a gluten free mix). And I baked these chocolate sesame cookies because they used spelt flour (unfortunately I learned that spelt is a wheat species and still a no-no for L).

Aside from my wheat blunder, these cookies were terrific. They're dark and sweet, with the sesame (seeds and tahini) adding a little something nutty and unexpected to the chocolate. They're meltingly chewy. They're a cinch to prep - the fat comes from tahini and vegetable oil so they can be stirred up quickly by hand and the baking tray probably doesn't even need to be greased. Eating one as I type, it's difficult to imagine why I'd want to make any other cookie recipe again. (I'm sure I'll find a reason... next week.) This one's going straight to our where's the best? honour list.

Double-double chocolate sesame cookies
(based on a recipe at Veggie Meal Plans)

75g spelt flour
75g brown sugar
2 tablespoons cocoa
1 tablespoon arrowroot
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground cumin
pinch of cayenne
1/8 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons tahini
2 tablespoons soy milk
2 tablespoons sunflower oil
2 tablespoons golden syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup chocolate chips
2 tablespoons black sesame seeds

Preheat the oven to 180°C. Line a baking tray or two with paper.

In a medium mixing bowl, mix together the dry ingredients (spelt flour through to salt). In a separate bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients (tahini through to vanilla) until smooth. Sift the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and stir them together until well combined. Fold through the chocolate chips and sesame seeds.

Form teaspoonfuls of the dough into rough balls and space them out on the baking tray. Bake the cookies for about 8 minutes. Cool them for 5 minutes or so on the tray before transferring them to a rack.