Chocolate Sesame Cookies ...inspired by Just Desserts for Food 'n Flix

Our chosen flick for the month over at Food 'n Flix for September was the Hallmark film Just Desserts.  An unlikely partnership is formed between Grace, an uptight, classically trained restaurant pastry chef and Marco, a seemingly rough-around-the-edges (but also classically trained) baker.   In an effort to save his family's bakery, Marco woos Grace with the promise of a partnership that consists of "just desserts" in order to win the Golden Whisk Competition, which is considered the "Olympics of Desserts" and the $250,000 prize that goes with it.

Practice sessions, butting of heads, and ultimately attraction ensue on their quest to victory.  While they are confident in their ability and their passion to win, they do contemplate using their "secret ingredient" given to them by Marco's uncle.  But, as life in the kitchen usually goes, the secret ingredient turns out to be love...because "true love has true flavor".  I'll be honest, this movie was pretty bad.  Bad acting, cheesy predictable plot (and I'm a lover of chick flicks).  But I'm not one to let a less than stellar flick dissuade me from baking up something tasty.  While cookies probably wouldn't win any pastry competitions...okay, they wouldn't (no probably about it)...I think the amazing chocolate and sesame combination in these cookies are worth raving about.  Different, yet familiar.  Nutty and seedy and super rich and fudgy.  I bet they'd even make watching this movie a little more enjoyable.

Chocolate Sesame Cookies

adapted from Better Homes & Gardens

yield: ~2 dozen cookies

8 oz. 60% Bittersweet Chocolate, chopped

1 oz. (2 Tbs.) unsalted butter

1.5 oz. (3 Tbs./42 g.) tahini (sesame seed paste)

2/3 c. (3 oz./85 g.) all-purpose flour

½ tsp. (3 g.) baking powder

½ tsp. (3 g.) fine sea salt
2 large eggs

¾ c. (6.3 oz./179 g.) packed dark brown sugar

1 tsp. (5 ml) pure vanilla extract

½ c. (2.8 oz./80 g.) sesame seeds, toasted

Bring a small saucepan of water to boil.  Set a small bowl over (to make a double-boiler), then add chocolate and butter, stirring often, until melted and smooth.  Remove from heat and stir in tahini.  Set aside.

Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in a small bowl and set aside.  Beat eggs in a large bowl until light and frothy.  Add dark brown sugar and vanilla and beat until mixture is again light and frothy.  Pour in slightly cooled chocolate mixture and mix.  Add reserved dry ingredients and beat until just combined.  Cover bowl with plastic wrap.  Refrigerate 30 minutes, or up to overnight.

Preheat oven to 350° F.  Place toasted sesame seeds in a bowl.

Scoop dough out in ~1 Tbs. portions.  Roll between your hands quickly to form a ball.  Roll in sesame seeds and place 1½-2" apart on a lined cookie sheet.  

Slide into oven and bake for ~12 minutes, or until the cookies have puffed and begun to "crack" in spots, and the bottoms are set.  Let sit for a couple minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling.  Cookies will be moist, chewy, and deliciously fudgy.

 "Do you really think dessert can bring two people together?"

I'm sending this over to Tina at Life in the Slow Lane at Squirrel Head Manor who is hosting Food 'n Flix this month with her chosen film, Just Desserts.  Next month's pick is Ratatouille, so start thinking of what you want to make now!

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