Social Media Cookies

For the last ten weeks, I've been in a Social Media Marketing class as part of my Marketing MBA at CLU. It's been the most interesting class I've had yet and I'm sad to end the course. Shout out to my wonderful professor, Teri Thompson, for a fun semester! Thanks, Teri! Now, go buy her book. 

Anywho, my classmates have been aware of the fact that I like to cook and after holding out on my kitchen creations all semester, I chose to reward them for their patience with cookies. But not any old cookie!

I have a tin of tahini that I haven't found a great use for, so I figured I could use it like peanut butter in cookies. It's a seed butter, so that's kind of like a nut butter. Tahini has a nutty, slightly bitter taste and it pairs beautifully with sweet and spicy ginger and smooth and rich chocolate. Add in oats for health factor and sesame seeds for pizazz and you've got Social Media cookies!

Tahini Ginger Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies AKA "Social Media" Cookies
15 cookies


1 c. old fashion rolled oats
1/2 c. whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 c. tahini
2 tbsp butter, softened
2/3 c. brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 egg, or equivalent of egg subsitute
1 tbsp sesame seeds
2/3 c. semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips
1/3 c. chopped candied ginger (not crystallized - visit Trader Joe's)

 Preheat oven to 350F.

In one bowl, combine flour, oats, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt.

In another bowl, mix tahini and butter together until smooth.

Add sugar, vanilla extract, and egg and mix until smooth.

Stir in dry ingredients.

Add then stir in the goodies!

Drop by heaping spoonfuls onto a cookie sheet and bake for 11 minutes.

When done baking remove sheet from oven and let cookies sit on sheet for 2 minutes, then carefully transfer to a cooling rack.

The cookies will finish setting up as they cool - about 10 minutes.

Try to resist the screaming hot melty chocolate.

But you don't have to resist too long.

Knowledge never tasted so good.

Obedience Training

Somethings require me to exercise more self control than I know that I possess. This problem runs in the family. If my dad is presented with a box of cookies, it is a personal challenge for him to finish off the box before the sun rises. He alway prevails. This is why I do not bake. It's nearly impossible to resist something so delectable. I know another family member who can relate:

"leave it!"

It's not that self control can't be taught.... It can. See:

Sometime you just have to look away from that delicious treat on the floor ...er... kitchen counter.... Whatever.

But come on, I've been good, I've been patient. Can't I please have just one?!?! Pretty please??!?

puppy eyes!

I'll be self-restrained. I'll be good. Promise.

I promise to be good afterwards. Just one treat, then i'll pack em up and give em away.  I'll even shake on it. 

Well then, okay.

This is why I don't bake for myself. But I will gladly bake for others. It's a good thing the world has Jessica from the most entertaining cooking blog on the web, How Sweet It Is. Otherwise, the world would never see this ridonculous cookie recipe. This recipe is made special by two techniques: melted salted butter and the stacking method. To form the cookies, roll a 2 tbsp lump into a ball, rip the ball in half, and stack the pieces on the baking sheet like a deformed snowman. And do not, do not, do not overcook.

 Instead of m&m's, I filled my cookies with white chocolate chips and mini peanut butter cups from trader joe's, which PS are excellent frozen and even more excellent not within my reach.

get out of my house

I baked these treasures for a kind and wonderful coworker, er, ex-coworker, since I have now re-established unemployment. More on that another time, maybe.

 And yes, folks, I used self-restraint and only ate ONE. And it was awesome.