Tahini, Sweetie

I have an aversion to baking most of the time. I love to cook, fancy myself a good cook, and get a lot of pleasure from it. Baking? Not so much. I'm not one for precise measurements and using yeast doesn't work for me because I'm too impatient. But sometimes I just get in the mood to bake. This is exactly what happened the other day. I was a girl on a mission to bake, but I had no cool mix-ins, cocoa, or any of my usual favorites. So, I created something with what I had on hand, and they turned out pretty darn fantastic.


Tahini, Sweetie cookies
Makes 12-16 cookies
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup tahini
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup agave nectar

- 1/2 cup flour (I used whole wheat)
- 1/2 cup oats
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- Slivered almonds, for garnish (optional)

Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325.
- In a large bowl, combine wet ingredients. In a separate bowl, combine dry ingredients.
- Slowly stir dry ingredients into wet until thoroughly mixed. Don't overmix or the cookies will get tough.
- Using a tablespoon measure, roll into balls and place on a greased cookie sheet.
- If desired, use a fork to flatten and create a "criss-cross" pattern. Otherwise just press down with your fingers.
- Garnish with almond slivers.
- Bake for 12-15 minutes or until edges are golden brown and the house smells vaguely like a peanut butter cookie.


I wasn't sure how these would turn out because 1) I rarely bake, 2) I've never used tahini before and 3) I wasn't sure if they'd be sweet enough. However, they were just sweet enough and the tahini added a lovely flavor. They're reminiscent of peanut butter cookies but have a toastier, warmer flavor to them.




I actually had to hide these from my dad because he liked them so much that I knew he would eat all of them if left alone. Vegan tested, father approved.


PS: Don't tell anyone, but I really enjoyed baking this time. Maybe I'll do it more often.