Tahini and Rye Chocolate Chip Cookies Inspired by Mokonuts in Paris

For many people, me included, Paris is the best city in the world when it comes to pastry, it’s an undeniable fact that some of the pastry chefs in the world are in Paris. But you know what you cant find in the city, a good cookie. Now I’m not talking sables, sure the French can pull of wonderful cookies like that, but when it comes to American style cookies, those in the realm of the chocolate chip cookie, well the less said the better. I remember when a ‘US style’ bakery opened in the Marais with the promise of a warm chocolate chip cookie enticing me to the bakery. Sadly I couldn’t be enticed past the door as the cookies in the window were a truly sad example of a cookie. Thankfully there is one bakery that is changing this in a very big way, so on those rare occasions nothing else than a warm gooey cookie will do I have a place to go. 

Mokonuts is a bakery and restaurant a little out of the tourist mainstay, but well worth a detour, in the 11th arrondisement. Its a small hole in the wall spot turning out some absolutely wonderful food but more importantly for todays purposes amazing cookies. These cookies are from a hidden gem these days, they’ve been featured everywhere from the New York Times to Saveur Magazine. The reason I am so late to the game is I simply refused to believe the hype, surely no bakery in Paris is worth visiting for cookies when there is so much amazing patisserie on offer? I bow my head in pastry shame because these cookies are truly phenomenal, using ingredients not commonly found in cookies. They’re using everything from buckwheat to tahini, miso to black olive, and every single cookie I have tried has been a delight with a wonderful chewy texture hiding a treasure trove of additions, the sort of cookies that demand you buy at least one extra as their is no way they’ll all make it home. With my current obsession with all things tahini it was the sesame seed studded cookie that caught my eye, that and the multigrain chocolate chip cookie I absolutely must order every single time I’m there. 

I wanted to make a cookie inspired by the flavours found in this fabulous spot and I think I’ve done them proud. The flavour of my tahini and rye chocolate chip cookie is my idea of heaven, a perfect pairing of slightly bitter dark chocolate, nutty rye flour and of course the tahini paste which gives an almost savoury nutty back note. I have made these multiple times now and never once have I been able to eat only one, these things are addictive. 

Tahini and Rye Chocolate Chip Cookies
Makes 15

125g wholemeal rye flour
100g wholemeal plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
100g unsalted butter, room temperature
75g tahini
200g light brown sugar
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1 tsp vanilla extract
250g chocolate (65-75% cocoa solids), roughly chopped
Sesame seeds, to coat

To make the cookie dough place the flours, baking powder, baking soda and salt into a large bowl and mix together to combine, set aside.

Place the butter, tahini and sugar into a large bowl and using an electric mixer beat together until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the egg, yolk and vanilla and beat until combined. Add the dry ingredients and mix until combined, then add the chocolate and mix until evenly distributed. Scoop the dough into a bowl, cover with clingfilm and refrigerate for about 4 hours until firm. I often make these in the evening and bake off the dough the next day.

Scoop the cookie dough into pieces about 60g in size. Roll into balls and then coat in sesame seeds, you’re not looking to completely cover the cookie just a nice even coating over all the cookie. 

Place onto parchment lined baking trays, a couple inches apart, and then bake in an oven preheated to 190C (170C fan) for about 10-11 minutes. This temperate is a little higher than normal to help set the cookies earlier so they don’t spread as much. After they’ve been in the oven for about 7 minutes remove the trays from the oven and give them a firm tap on the surface before placing back in the oven for the remaining time until browned around the edges. Allow the cookie to cool on the baking tray for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. 

These cookies will keep in a sealed container for about 3-4 days. 

Spelt Sourdough Cinnamon Buns

Post is sponsored by Doves Farm

Did you know it’s #RealBreadWeek? A week celebrating bread made the old fashioned way, nothing but flour, water, salt and yeast, no funny chemicals or mass commercial processes. Unsurprisingly, I can happily get behind this. As a guy who has tried and failed on far too many occasions to successfully work with sourdough the last couple months have been a revelation, as I committed myself to conquering this week spot in my baking arsenal. I am now regularly turning out loaves of bread I am childishly excited about. I would love to say I am joking but I have performed an actual happy dance when I pull from the oven, a blistered loaf of sourdough that looks like it has come from the shelves of one of the many amazing bakeries London has to offer. I do know however that I will never bake loaves of bread more than once a week and so the question is, what else to make with the starter that is happily hibernating in my fridge right now? The answer is clearly cinnamon buns, it’s the very obvious, very delicious choice. To celebrate all things bread we also have to talk flour and for that I turned to Doves Farm, one of the UK’s best organic flour companies. I am currently working with them to show you a whole world of alternative grains, specifically ‘ancient' grains. 

Now the term ancient grain might not be one you’re accustomed to hearing but it has a fairly simple definition. It is a form of grain that has been cultivated for food for over millennia and one that hasn’t been changed much through selective breading like modern cereal varieties like rice, corn and the wheat varieties we use more widely (the stuff found in regular flours). This means grains like buckwheat, KAMUT®  khorasan and spelt. The bigger question might be why use ancient grains when regular wheat is so readily available. The answer I am most interested in is flavour. Those of you that have tried something that pairs the flavours of rye and chocolate together understand what I mean, these grains have their own unique flavours and ones that can enhance your recipes. 

For today’s recipe I am using spelt. Spelt is one of the ancient grains we are maybe more accustomed to, you’ve been able to buy it supermarkets for years and it’s one of the easiest to use. You can generally substitute in at least 50% spelt flour without any changes to the recipe and in some cases you can use even more. The spelt lends a more complex flavour and has an inherent touch of sweetness. For this bread dough I used 100% spelt except for the starter which I maintain with regular white bread flour. If you need a guide to starting a sourdough starter, Doves Farm have a handy little guide.

Spelt Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls

Spelt Dough
200g sourdough starter (100% hydration)
200ml milk
50g light brown sugar
450ml Doves Farm Organic White Spelt Flour  
1 tsp salt
75g unsalted butter, room temperature
1 large egg

Cinnamon Filling
200g light brown sugar
1 heaped tbsp ground cinnamon
100g unsalted butter, very soft

Cream Cheese Glaze
50g unsalted butter, very soft
65g full fat cream cheese
100g icing sugar
1 tsp vanilla bean paste

To make the dough place all of the ingredients, except the butter, in the bowl of an electric stand mixer and on low speed, with the dough hook attached, knead the dough for about 10 minutes or until the dough is smooth and elastic. With the mixer still running add the butter a piece at a time. Once all of the butter has been incorporated knead for a further 10 minutes or until the dough is smooth, elastic and pulling away from the sides of the bowl.

Spelt makes for a dough with incredible extensibility, that is to say a stretchiness you won’t find with regular wheat dough, so I’ve added an extra step that helps make the dough more manageable which might be a little unusual if you’re not used to working with sourdough.

Cover the bowl with clingfilm and set aside at room temperature for two hours. During this period we are going to give the dough a set of ‘folds’ to build strength in the dough. Basically use a wet hand to scoop up the dough from the side, lifting about 20-30cm high and folding it over to the opposite side. Do this at the north, east, south and west side of the bowl. Do this after an hour’s rest and then again after the two hours have passed, making sure to keep the bowl covered between each set. After the two hours are up set the dough aside for 4-6 hours or until the dough has risen by about 50%. Place the bowl into the refrigerator overnight, up to 24 hours. 

Prepare a 9x13 brownie pan by lightly greasing with butter and lining the base with parchment paper. Take the dough from the fridge and tip it out onto a lightly floured work surface. Roll the dough into a rectangle that is roughly 40cm x 50cm. Spread the butter over the entire piece of dough. Mix together the cinnamon and sugar and sprinkle in an even layer over the butter. Roll the dough up into a tight sausage and cut into 12 equal sized pieces (I find unflavoured dental floss to be the absolute best thing for this as it doesn't squash the layers together, this dough is also fairly soft so you’d need to be delicate if using a serrated knife). Place the buns into the prepared pan and cover with clingfilm. Set the buns aside for about 1-2 hours or until risen and puffy, the buns will not double in size but they should be touching at this point. Whilst the buns are proving preheat the oven to 190C (170C Fan).

Bake the buns in the preheated oven for 25 minutes or until golden brown. Allow to cool in the pan before serving. If making the glaze mix all of the ingredients together until smooth. Spread over the cooled buns and serve. 

Once the dough is refrigerated you can leave it there for up to three days but once baked they are best served on the day made. 

Blood Orange White Chocolate Pound Cake

Oh blood oranges, you really do brighten up a miserable wet London day. Every winter when I effectively become a hermit, locking myself away in the kitchen making bread…and pies…and cookies…and anything else that makes me feel that the cold is bearable and that a life somewhere sunny isn’t more desirable, there are a couple bright spots in a world of grey. I am obviously talking blood oranges and rhubarb. They are the joy of the season and I relish every week they still make an appearance at the market. Over the years I have managed to squeeze blood orange into as many different recipes as I can convince myself they’ll work in, todays recipe is a little more classic, back to basics, easy to make. A slight twist on a classic pound cake, it is flavoured with the zest of the oranges and a little helping of white chocolate. It is a double cream pound cake meaning it is wonderfully tender and moist, keeping fresh for about 3-4 days.

For the decoration I went back on forth on a couple different styles, trying to make it cleaner, more elegant, I tried to make it more striking, more graphic but in the end I went right back to my original version. I embraced the imperfection and the rustic nature of the cake, and ignored my boyfriend’s suggestion about cleaning up the sides, slightly messy and haphazard works fine for me. 

If you are reading this out of season and you cant find blood oranges, fear not you can happily whip this up with regular oranges but obviously the colour will be different. Regular oranges just don’t have the vibrance to create as dramatic a design so you might want to help the orange glaze a little with some colouring or if you want to replicate the pink hue, a little splash of pomegranate juice will give a very similar look. 

Blood Orange White Chocolate Pound Cake
Serves 10

215g caster sugar
100g unsalted butter, room temperature
Zest of two blood oranges
2 large eggs
150g plain flour
65g ground almonds
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
65g white chocolate, melted and cooled
125ml double cream

Syrup
120ml blood orange juice
120g caster sugar

Glaze
2 tbsp blood orange juice
2 tbsp milk
1 tsp vanilla bean paste
400-500g icing sugar

Lightly grease, and line with parchment, a deep 9-inch round cake pan. Preheat the oven to 180C / 160C Fan.

Place the butter, sugar and zest into a large bowl and using an electric mixer beat together until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the eggs a little at a time, beating in until fully combined before adding more. Mix in the cooled white chocolate until evenly combined. In another bowl mix together the flour, almonds, baking powder and salt. Starting and finishing with the flour mixture, add in three additions, alternating with the cream.  

Scrape the finished batter into the prepared cake pan and gently smooth into an even layer. Bake in the preheated oven for about 45-50 minutes or until golden brown and a skewer inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean. Pop the pan on a wire rack and allow the cake to cool for 10 minutes before turning out onto the rack to cool completely. 

Whilst the cake is still warm make a syrup by heating the blood orange juice and sugar together in a small pan until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture just comes to a simmer. Brush the syrup all over the cake, doing so whilst the cake is still warm allows it to full soak into the cake. 

Once the cake is fully cooled make the glaze. In one bowl mix together the blood orange juice and half the sugar mixing to form a thick but just pourable glaze. Do the same with the milk, vanilla and remaining sugar. You want the glazes to be thick enough that they will hold some definition when piped but loose enough that will spread together to form a uniform glaze. If you need a visual guide check out the video of the recipe on my Youtube channel. 

Place each glaze into a piping bag and snip off the ends with a pair of scissors. Pipe alternate stripes of the glaze over the cake, allowing a little excess to drip down the sides. Set the cake aside for a couple hours to allow the glaze to set before serving. 

Salted Peanut Butter Cookies

There are few things with more inherent comfort for me than a cookie, be that a chocolate chip, an oatmeal raisin, a gingersnap, I don’t discriminate, all cookies are welcome in my kitchen. Maybe it’s a nostalgic thing, a throw back to childhood. Maybe it’s simply because they’re sweet. Or maybe it’s just because I love them so much that each one is a little bit of joy. I’m a fan of tricky recipes, I like the challenge, but sometimes simpler is better and with this recipe I cant think how you could dial it back any further, it really is a ridiculously easy recipe and it delivers way more in terms of flavour and texture than it should considering its merger ingredients and distinct lack of technique. 

The recipe for these salted peanut butter cookies comes from the Brooklyn based bakery Ovenly, which I am sad to say I haven’t actually haven’t managed to visit yet. But these cookies have a life outside the bakery. On one of my recent trips to NYC, randomly filming an advert for Yahoo which somehow involved me talking to a cgi flamingo, I was wandering through the West Village and popped into Toby’s Estate for a coffee. At the counter they had this domed, crackly looking peanut butter cookie and in the moment it seemed like the exact thing I was craving without even realising it. It turned out to be the version from Ovenly and it was good, so good I bought a second and nibbled on it as I walked around the village in a jet lagged haze. When I looked into the recipe I found it hard to believe it was based on the classic three ingredient peanut butter cookie, made with just peanut butter, egg and sugar. That classic recipe is fine if a little boring and to be quite honest im not a complete lover of the texture.

The guys at Ovenly took that idea, played with the ratios a little and added two little extras, vanilla and sea salt. Their version is so much better, with a chewy outside and an almost blondie like centre. But I forgot about the recipe until late last year when a box arrived at my door packed full of cookies from the team at the bakery. The cookies somehow survived a transatlantic journey and didn’t seem stale, or any worse for ware at all. I tried very hard to make the cookies last but between myself and my boyfriend they disappeared quick. And that’s how, with the dread of doing my taxes hanging over my head, I found myself making a big batch of them. Call it procrastibaking (can we be done with that awful saying already) or just a craving for comfort and cookies during a stressful week, these ridiculously easy cookies were exactly what the doctor, and maybe my accountant, ordered. 

Note about the salt. I posted a picture of some cookies recently and someone complained that they were sick of seeing cookies sprinkled with a little sea salt, calling it pretentious and without merit. Let me say this. Do Not Skip The Salt. Peanuts and salt are made to be together and the salt makes a big difference in the flavour. Think of eating blanched peanuts versus roasted salted ones. We all know which is better, so just add the salt. 

Ovenly Salted Peanut Butter Cookies
Ever so slightly adapted from the ‘Ovenly’, by Agatha Kulaga & Erin Patinkin

Makes 12 

335g (1 3/4 packed cup) light brown sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
450g (1 3/4 cups) smooth peanut butter 
Flaked sea salt, for garnish

Preheat the oven to 180C and line a baking tray with parchment paper.

In a bowl vigorously whisk together the sugar and eggs until incorporated. Add the vanilla and whisk to combine. Switch to a wooden spoon and mix in the peanut butter until no streaks are visible. At this point I divert from the recipe in the book just a little. They suggest chilling the dough in the freezer after forming to help the cookie hold its shape. I find doing this step before scooping the cookies is better, because the dough firms up a little when cold and you’ll get that distinct look of the Ovenly cookie much easier when the dough is firmer. I tend to leave the dough in the fridge for an hour but I know Deb from Smitten Kitchen says a rest in the freezer for 15 mins works fine too (my freezer is tiny so the fridge is just more convenient for me). I have also made this dough and left in the fridge for a couple days and this works great too if you want to prepare ahead but bake the cookies fresh. 

Use an ice cream scoop of spoons to form the dough into roughly 2 inch balls (using the scoop is how I do it and how you replicate the look of the bakery versions, you want a 2 ounce scoop) and place the cookies onto the prepared baking tray, about an inch or so apart from one another. They spread but just a little so they can be closer than regular cookies. Sprinkle each cookie with a little flaked sea salt.

Bake in the preheated oven for about 20-22 minutes, or until the cookies are golden brown around the edges but still a teensy bit paler in the centre. Transfer to a wire rack rack to cool completely before serving. 

These cookies also keep incredibly well, I have had them up to five days after baking and they were still great.