whole grain scones with tahini (yossy arefi)

My dad used to buy chunks of halva (a dense sesame candy) from the middle eastern market in our neighborhood and I always turned my nose up at the sight of it. I wasn't a kid who shied away from strong flavors (hello, pickled garlic), but the flavor of halva was too much for my little palate to handle and I shied away from pretty much anything containing sesame seeds for a long time. Thankfully, I grew out of whatever bothered me about their flavor and now I am a huge sesame and tahini fan.These hearty and wholesome tahini-enhanced scones contain a bit of sugar to balance all of the whole grain seediness and the slight bitter edge of the sesame paste, but it's not enough to make them truly sweet. I liked them best on the day they were baked slathered with butter and the tiniest drizzle of honey.

p.s. that cool cactus tea towel is by Amelie Mancini

Seeded Whole Grain Scones with Tahini

yield 12, 2-inch scones

The brand of tahini I used was quite liquid, if your tahini is closer to the texture of peanut or almond butter, add a couple of extra tablespoons of buttermilk. The dough should be soft but hold together after all of the liquid has been incorporated. It should also be said that these 100% whole grain scones are quite dense. If you prefer a lighter scone, substitute 1 cup of all purpose flour for either of the whole grain flours.

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour

1 cup rye flour

4 tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

6 tablespoons assorted seeds (sesame, chia, flax, pepitas, whatever you like)

2 tablespoons non-hydrogenated shortening

4 tablespoons butter, chilled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces

1 cup buttermilk

1/4 cup tahini, room temperature

Preheat oven to 375º and line a sheet pan with parchment paper

Combine the flours, sugar, salt, baking powder, baking soda and 4 tablespoons of the seeds in a large bowl. Use your fingers or a pastry blender to cut the butter and shortening into the dry ingredients. Combine the buttermilk and tahini in a measuring cup and whisk well to combine. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients, then pour in the buttermilk mixture. Stir gently until just combined. If the mixture seems dry, add more buttermilk, 1 tablespoon at a time until the dough holds together. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and pat it out until it is about 1 1/2-inches thick then use a floured 2-inch biscuit cutter to cut as many rounds as possible and set them on the baking sheet. Gather the scraps, pat them together, and cut as many rounds as possible. Brush the tops of the scones with water or milk and sprinkle with the remaining 2 tablespoons of seeds. Press gently to make sure the seeds adhere to the scones. Bake until golden brown 20-25 minutes. Serve warm and fresh with butter and honey.

If you've been reading this blog for a little while, I'm sure you've gathered that I am a huge fan of Tartine's cookbook collection. When the recipe for these cookies was released in anticipation the release of the third book in the Tartine series (Tartine No.3) I knew I had to make them, even though I was a bit holiday-cookied out. It is a simple recipe, with only a few ingredients that you may have in your house already (if you're like me and keep a stock of rye flour at the ready), but man, they are tasty. They are brownie like in texture, rich and salty with a bit of sour tang from the dark rye flour. I liked these cookies so much that broke my self-imposed cookbook moratorium to add Tartine No.3 to my collection and I can't wait to dive deeper into baking bread with the addition of heirloom and sprouted grains and porridges.

Tartine's Salted Chocolate Rye Cookies

yield, about 4 dozen cookies

from

Tartine No.3

These cookies hit all of my baking sweet spots: whole grain flour, salt, and they are easy to put together. They have definitely earned a permanent spot in my holiday rotation of sweets.

1 pound bittersweet chocolate, chopped

4 Tablespoons unsalted butter

3/4 cup dark rye flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon fine salt

4 large eggs, room temperature

1 1/2 cups muscovado sugar (or dark brown sugar)

1 Tablespoon vanilla extract

Maldon or other flaky salt for sprinkling

1. Place a saucepan filled with one inch of water over medium heat and bring to a simmer. Set a heatproof bowl over the simmering water, taking care that the bottom of the bowl is not touching the water, and melt the chocolate and butter together, stirring occasionally. Once melted, remove from the heat and let the mixture cool slightly.

2. In a small bowl, whisk together the rye flour, baking powder, and salt.

3. Place the eggs in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Whip on medium-high, adding the sugar a few tablespoons at a time, until all the sugar is incorporated. Turn the mixer to high and whip until the eggs have tripled in volume and turned very light yellow and fluffy, about 6 minutes.

4. Reduce the mixer to low and add the melted chocolate mixture followed by the vanilla. Mix to combine, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed, then add in the flour mixture and stir until just combined. The dough will be very soft.

5. Refrigerate dough until it just firm to the touch, about 30 minutes. If cooled too long, the dough will be hard to scoop.

6. Preheat oven to 350º . Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats. Remove the dough from the fridge and scoop with a rounded tablespoon onto the baking sheets, shaping the balls of dough into rounds and spacing them 2 inches apart. Top each mound of dough with a few flakes of sea salt, pressing gently so it adheres.

7. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until the cookies have puffed up and have a smooth bottom and rounded top with a few small cracks. Remove the baking sheets from the oven and cool slightly then transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely. The cookies with keep up to 3 days in an airtight container.