Healthy Recipe, Chickpea-Tahini Chocolate Chip Cookies

After an intense workout, you’ve earned a little indulgence. That reward need not come in the form of empty calories, however. Consider these rich-tasting, just-sweet-enough cookies adapted from “The Miller’s Daughter: Unusual Flours & Heritage Grains”  by Emma Zimmerman ($29.99).

Chickpea flour, now available in most supermarkets, replaces most of the refined wheat flour here, adding a layer of mildly sweet, nutty flavor and significantly boosting their nutritional value in several ways.

Made by grinding chickpeas (also called garbanzo beans) into a powder, chickpea flour contains ample fiber and protein, along with a host of minerals such as iron and magnesium. Tahini, the sesame paste used in hummus, amps up the flavor and protein even more.

Dark chocolate chips are lower in sugar than the sweeter varieties and can also contribute small amounts of B12 and other nutrients to your diet if eaten in moderation.

These cookies will be good for several days if stored airtight, but best warm out of the oven. To help you resist overindulging, you can freeze the frozen dough after scooping it into balls on a cookie sheet, transfer the balls to plastic zip-top bags, and remove a few at a time to bake whenever a craving strikes. Makes about 2 dozen. RECIPE HERE. – Susan Puckett

Ingredients

• 1 ½ cups chickpea flour
• ½ cup all-purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 ½ cookies packed light or dark brown sugar
• ¼ cup granulated sugar
• ½ cup tahini (if it’s a little dry, stir in a splash of warm water to make it the consistency of honey)
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1 cup dark chocolate chips
• Flaky sea salt for sprinkling

Instructions

1. Adjust a rack to the middle of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line two large cookie sheets with parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the chickpea flour, all-purpose flour, salt, and baking soda.
3. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the softened butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar and blend on high speed until creamy.
4. Turn off the mixer and add the tahini, egg, vanilla, and water. Return the speed to the high setting until the mixture is pale and fluffy.
5. Reduce the speed to low and slowly add the flour mixture, blending just until well combined.
6. Stir in the chocolate chips. Scoop out balls of dough the prepared cookie sheets, about 12 per sheet, setting them at least 2 inches apart.
7. Chill in the freezer 5 minutes to reduce spreading in baking.
8. Place one of the cookie sheets on the middle rack of the oven and bake for 15 minutes, or until lightly browned around the edges and puffed in the center.
9. Remove the cookies from the oven and give the sheet a tap on the countertop to flatten them. Sprinkle lightly with the flaky sea salt while warm, let cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.
10. While the first batch of cookies cools, place second batch in the oven and repeat.
11. Store cookies in an airtight container for up to 3 days.