Vegan Cocoa Tahini Shortbread

Vegan, gluten-free

When I left for my first semester of college, I headed off to London. It was an odd start to college, but it was probably the best time ever. I spent most of my time just walking around the city, from the Embankment to South Kensington and over to Camden. I will not tell you how many scones I ate, lathered in clotted cream, but what I constantly snacked on was shortbread. 

This past week was rough. I think that it was rough for everyone (some more than others). I have been doing a lot of walking (masked and socially distanced) and a lot of pacing in my apartment, but really what I am doing to try to distract myself is baking. When I start to feel super anxious and feel like I need to escape, I delve into the library of cookbooks that I have. Johanne Chang, my patron saint of the kitchen, has a recipe for tahini shortbread in her new cookbook and I am pretty sure I kept the book open on my counter, to that recipe, for a full week. 

I adore tahini. I adore shortbread. So, inspired by Joanne, I wanted to make a shortbread that was not only vegan but also just ding-dang good. There may be shortbread traditionalist out there that will say that these are not real shortbread, but these cookies do have the crumbly, short texture that most shortbread have. They are slightly softer (though if you bake them longer, you will get crisper), with a middle that keeps its moisture even after sitting on my counter, uncovered for 24 hours. 

In order to make these shortbread super noms, there are a few ingredients that help deliver. 

Tahini

Yes, it is another recipe with tahini. I know, I have a lot of them, but tahini really does make some of the best baked goods. In these cookies, it helps to bring out more of the earthy flavor of the cocoa powder and balance the sweetness from the sugar. Also, the runny consistency of tahini is very important because that means that it mixed very easily with the coconut oil, without seizing up. 

Do you need to use tahini? Technically, no. If you have a very runny nut butter (and I mean very runny), you can certainly use that as well. 

Coconut Oil 

While shortbread is known for containing a lot of butter, these ones do not contain butter. Coconut oil is a great replacement for butter, perhaps even better, because it helps these cookies keep their moisture during baking and after. I use organic, refined coconut oil since I do not love the coconut flavor. An important thing when working with coconut oil is to make sure that it is soft, but not melted. If the coconut oil is cold, it will be harder to cream and you may end up with chunks of coconut oil in your cookies. 

If you do not have coconut oil, you can use a vegan butter. If you love you some dairy, you can use butter. If you use either vegan or dairy butter, use one 1/2 cup stick plus 1 tablespoon of softened butter. 

Aquafaba 

I love how there are very fancy names for very simple things. Case in point, aquafaba. Essentially, aquafaba is chickpea juice. If you have a can of unsalted chickpeas, give it a good shake, put a sieve over a bowl, open the can and drain the chickpeas. The liquid that you catch in the bowl is aquafaba. 

This simple liquid is actually one of the best replacements for eggs. Since chickpeas are starchy and rich in protein, they work much more like eggs than a flax egg would. Aquafaba is so similar to eggs that you can even make meringue out it. We are not going to do that in this recipe, but we are going to use 3 tablespoons to mimic an egg. 

If you do not have an issue with eggs, you can certainly use one egg. If you do not have a can of chickpeas, then try using a flax egg.  Just be careful, flax eggs tend to make tahini seize up a little bit. If that happens you may need to add a little extra liquid to loosen it up. 

Teff Flour 

As my friends tell me often, I have a lot of random flours and ingredients in my pantry. Teff is one of them. I happen to love Teff flour because of its nutty flavor and nutritious qualities. It is packed with protein, fiber, amino acids and other nutrients. It also happens to be a great gluten-free flour. Teff gives these cookies that great tight crumb, but also nutty flavor that plays well with tahini.

I know that not every one has tahini in their pantry. If you do not and don’t want to go buy it, then you can use buckwheat flour, brown rice flour, or a gluten-free flour mixture. If you do not have an issue with gluten, use regular old wheat flour. Just note: I have only made these with Teff or buckwheat flours. I would not recommend using almond flour, but you can give it a try! 

And I am done—let’s bake! Let me know when you make these by tagging me, @yespleasebakes. 

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RECIPE

120g (4.2oz/about 1/2 cup) solid, but soft coconut oil (butter is great too)

90g (3.2oz) tahini 

124g (3/4 cup) maple or cane sugar 

37g (3 tbsp) aquafaba 

186g (1 cup) Teff flour (see notes above for substitutions)

32g (1/4 cup) cocoa powder

1 tsp salt 

Plus for coating:

Cane sugar 

Sesame seeds

Aquafaba 

In a small bowl, sift the cocoa powder. Add the teff flour and salt and whisk to combine. Set aside. 

In the bowl of a stand mixer (or a bowl with a hand mixer), cream together the coconut oil, tahini and sugar. Beat on medium-high speed for about 3-4 minutes. You want everything nice and combined, the coconut oil broken down and incorporated. 

Add the cocoa-flour mixture to the coconut-tahini mixture and beat on low speed to get the flour all mixed in. You want the dough to hold its shape, so, while not the most appetizing comparison, it should feel like play-doh. 

Take the dough out, shape it into a log/sausage form that is about 2.5 inches and tightly wrap it in plastic wrap or parchment paper. Put it in the fridge. 

While the dough is chilling, preheat your oven to 350F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Get out a large plate, cover the plate with sugar (for me, it took about 3 tbsp) and sesame seeds. 

Once your oven is preheated, get the dough log out of the oven. Brush the exterior of the log with aquafaba (I did this with a pastry brush, but you can use your clean fingers). Roll the log in the sugar and sesame seeds, smushing the sugar onto the dough where you need to. 

Use a sharp knife to slice the dough, placing each resulting round of dough on the baking sheet, with 1.5 inches between each. 

Bake for 12-14 minutes. These will not really turn golden brown, but there is no egg in here, so after 15 minutes (tops), they are done. Let cool for 15 minutes before enjoying with some crazy whipped coffee or just as it is.