Recipe: Date, Halvah, and Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Everybody is crazy about choc chunk cookies, but very few care to go beyond that. Adding the sweetness and silky texture of halvah and mixing it with the tangy feel of chopped dates really takes these to a different level.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 1/2 c (180 g) all purpose flour
• 3/4 c (~140 g) light brown sugar, lightly packed
• 1/4 c (50 g) sugar
• 2 tsp (10 g) baking soda
• 9 medjool dates
• 1 stick of unsalted butter (8 tbsp/4 oz/115 g), room temperature
• 1 egg
• 1 tbsp (15 ml) vanilla extract
• 1 bittersweet or milk chocolate bar (80 g), roughly chopped
• ~ 120g halvah, roughly chopped
• Flakey sea salt for topping

INSTRUCTIONS

1. In a small bowl, add 4 of the medjool dates (pitted) and cover them in hot water. Let stand for 5 minutes to soften.
2. In large bowl or stand mixer (or even a blender), mix the sugar, butter and dates (removed from the water). Once the butter and sugar are roughly combined, add the egg and vanilla, and combine.
3. In a separate bowl combine the flour, baking soda, and a tiny dash of salt. Slowly add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until combined. Start by adding 3/4 of the dry ingredients and then gradually adding the rest.
4. Once you have the batter, add the chocolate, halvah and the remaining dates (chopped), and gently combine.
5. Line a plate or baking sheet that you can fit in your refrigerator with parchment paper. Use a spoon to scoop up medium-sized cookies. You can roll them in your hand to form a ball just a bit larger than a golf ball, probably about 1/3 to 1/2 c (~60+ g) worth of dough. Once all the cookies are formed, cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator to chill for at least 20 minutes while you preheat the oven to 350 F/180 C.
6. Place the chilled cookies about 2 inches apart. Be sure your baking rack is on the lower rack. Bake for about 15 – 18 minutes or until golden brown and when you can smell fresh cookies awaiting. You can always toothpick test the center but these are chewy not cakey cookies, so it’s ok if the center is a tiny bit underdone.

Source: Records In The Den