Tahini Oatmeal Cookies

These are a not-too-sweet, borderline savory cookie that is perfect for breakfast. You can make these vegan by subbing 2 T water for the egg. The dough may not bind together as well, but will still be quite tasty.

The other great thing about this recipe is the simiplicity (read: short ingredient list with easy-to-find ingredients) and ease with which it can be made (read: can make with the most minimal equipment, so perfect for AirB&B baking and when you have a kitchen that is poorly stocked).

Tahini Oatmeal Cookies

Yield: 20 or so cookies

Ingredients

1 cup rolled oats, processed to oat flour

½ cup rolled oats

½ cup packed light brown sugar

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon cinnamon, optional

½ cup golden raisins

½ cup coconut flakes

½ cup soft dates, snipped

3/4 cup well-stirred tahini

1 egg

Directions

Add the oat flours, oats, brown sugar, salt and cinnamon, if using, to a medium bowl. Use your hands to combine, rubbing the mixture between your palms to break up any sugar lumps, until everything is as homogenous as possible. Add the coconut, dates, and golden raisins; mix well. Add the tahini and egg, and use a spoon to stir until a sticky, cohesive dough forms.

Let dough sit while the oven preheats.

Heat oven to 350°F. Line two sheet pans with parchment or silicone mats.

Scoop the dough in heaping tablespoons onto the sheet tray. You should get about 20 cookies, so 10 on each sheet tray. Use your palm to gently smush each blob into a disc (about 2 inches in diameter). You can also scoop into your hand and roll together into a ball before putting (and smushing) on the tray.

Bake the cookies for about 12 minutes, rotating halfway through, until the edges just start to brown. The cookies will look almost underbaked, but they’ll crisp as they cool. Remove the cookies from the oven, but leave them on the sheet pans for at least 10 minutes, or until they’re sturdy enough to transfer with a spatula to a cooling rack. If you peek at their bottoms, they should be lightly golden-brown.

Cool completely before serving and store any leftovers in an airtight container. These are excellent with tea or coffee. Enjoy!