Tahini Treats for Ramadan: Dalia Dogmoch Soubra Shares Three Easy Recipes to Break Your Fast
Break your fast with one of these three sweet treats
Tahini Chocolate Cookies
Makes ~ 16 cookies
¾ cup butter, softened
½ cup caster sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp lemon zest
11/3 cup flour (adjust a little more or less if needed)
½ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt
1/3 cup preferred chocolate chips (dark, milk or white)
¼ cup tahini and more to drizzle
Sesame seeds for sprinkling
1. Preheat the oven to 180°C
2. With an electric mixer, combine the butter, sugars, egg and lemon zest until smooth.
3. Combine the flour, soda and salt. Add in two parts, adjusting the quantity slightly if it is too dry or too wet. Gently fold in the chocolate and tahini at the end.
4. Roll the dough into a cylinder and cut 16 equal portions.
5. Place on a baking tray lined with parchment paper, making sure to leave a little space between the cookies.
6. Bake the cookies for 12 minutes or until golden.
7. Cool on a rack, then drizzle with more tahini and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
Tahini & Berry Panna Cotta
Makes ~ 8 portions
2 cups heavy cream
2 cups milk
1/3 cup caster sugar
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
¼ cup tahini and more to drizzle
2 ¼ oz packets gelatine powder (about 4 ½ teaspoons)
¼ cup cold water
1 cup mixed berries
Sesame seeds to garnish
1. Combine the heavy cream, milk and sugar in a medium saucepan.
2. Scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean into the saucepan, add the bean, seeds and the tahini to the pot as well.
3. Heat the mixture over a low heat until the sugar is dissolved.
4. Cover and let the mixture sit for 15 minutes.
5. In a small bowl, sprinkle the gelatine over the cold water, and set it aside for 10 minutes.
6. Remove the vanilla bean from the cream mixture, then add the gelatine and stir until it completely dissolves.
7. In a blender or simply with a fork, mash the berries into a puree. Set in the fridge to cool.
8. Pour the panna cotta into serving glasses or ramekins, and let it set in the fridge for at least 3 hours.
9. Before you serve, add a little berry purée and garnish with sesame seeds.
Tahini Truffles
Makes ~ 30 truffles
1 cup (200g) semi-sweet chocolate
1 cup cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup heavy cream
¼ cup tahini
¼ cup icing sugar
2 tbsp cocoa powder
¼ tsp vanilla essence
¼ cup cocoa powder
1. Place the chocolate pieces in the top pan of a double boiler over hot, but not boiling, water. You can also use a glass or metal mixing bowl on top of a saucepan half-full of water. Allow chocolate to melt, stirring occasionally.
2. Pour the chocolate into a bowl, and whisk together with the cream cheese, cream, tahini, cocoa and vanilla essence.
3. Place the mixture in the fridge for 30 minutes.
4. Meanwhile place cocoa powder in a shallow container for rolling.
5. Once cooled, spoon out little truffle balls, and roll them in the dusting mixture.
6. Line a tray with parchment paper and place the finished truffles on the tray.
7. Cool in the fridge for at least one hour before serving and keep stored in the fridge.
Photography: Efraim Evidor. Styling: Hajir Zaidan. Dalia wears: Dress, Johanna Oritz. Shoes, Max & Co
From Harper’s Bazaar Arabia’s April 2022 issue.