Yield: 4 dozen cookies or 2 dozen sandwich cookies

Ingredients:

  • 4 oz. /1 stick vegan butter, softened
  • ½ c sugar
  • 2 T maple syrup
  • pinch salt
  • 1 t vanilla extract
  • 1 ¼ c all purpose, gluten free baking flour (such as Bob’s Red Mill)
  • ¼ c Dutch process cocoa, plus extra for rolling
  • 1 T super alkalized black cocoa
  • ½ t baking soda

Tarazi Tahini Filling Ingredients:

  • 1 c powdered sugar
  • ¼ c Tarazi tahini
  • ½ t vanilla extract
  • 1-2 T water, as needed

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line two large cookie sheets with parchment paper and set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the vegan buttery stick, sugar, maple syrup, salt, and vanilla until fluffy. This may take up to 10 minutes. Meanwhile, in a medium sized bowl combine gluten free baking flour, both cocoas, and the baking soda. Use either a whisk or your hands to make sure it is lump free and well combined. Then, when the buttery mixture is fluffy, combine the two together in the stand mixer until they are uniform. The dough will be on the stiff side. Roll out the dough on a cocoa powder dusted surface, using as little as possible, just enough to prevent sticking. Roll it out into approximately a 10”x15” rectangle, 1/4” thick. Cut into 2” rounds with a scalloped edged cookie cutter, if you have one. Re-roll the scraps until all the dough is used. Place the fluted rounds 1” apart on the parchment lined cookie sheets. Bake in the center of the oven for 15 minutes. Let cool before filling.

To make the filling, place the powdered sugar, tahini, and the vanilla extract in a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Turn on the machine to its lowest setting. Mix until the tahini and sugar get lumpy, then drizzle in 1 T water and turn up the speed a little. Ideally, the filling will hold its shape well. Only add enough water to enable the mixture to come together. To fill: Use ½ teaspoon of filling, formed into a ball, and pressed gently between two cookies to form sandwich cookie.