Salted Saffron, Pistachio & Tahini Cookies
I’ve been focused on saffron lately. Don't let the notion that it is the "world's most expensive spice" deter you... hear me out on two things. First, a little goes a long way with saffron. It's not like you're scooping heaping tablespoons into recipes, just a small pinch of several threads brings a lot of flavor.
Also, Saffron is becoming more commonly used as a supplement because of its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant benefits, AND it is said to be beneficial for mental and brain health... plus a lot more, but I'm not going to make any claims here, so look it up.
All that said, I don't use potent enough amounts of saffron in my cooking to compare to the amount consumed in a supplement, but I do enjoy incorporating pinches into recipes for both flavor and a little nutritional boost.
For this recipe, I was just playing around with ingredients and honestly surprised myself with how delicious the resulting cookies turned out.
Saffron and pistachio create the base flavor for these crunchy cookies and maple tahini holds them all together. Extra maple tahini is spooned on top to create a caramel-y, chewy morsel nestled in the center. Finished with a little flaky sea salt and they are yumyumyum…
Makes 12 cookies
YOU WILL NEED
1/2 cup warm melted ghee or coconut oil
2 pinches saffron, ground or crushed
1 1/4 cup raw, unsalted pistachios blended into a flour
3/4 cup cassava flour
1/2 cup date sugar or coconut sugar
2 tablespoons ground flaxseed
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup tahini
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup roasted, unsalted pistachios, roughly chopped
Flaky sea salt
TO MAKE
Preheat oven to 350F.
In a small bowl, stir together the warm melted ghee and saffron. Set aside to steep.
In a high-powered blender or food processor, add the raw pistachios and blend, pulsing as needed, into a course flour, making sure to not blend for too long which would result in a nut butter.
Pour the pistachio flour into a large bowl. Add the cassava flour, date sugar, ground flaxseed, baking soda, and fine sea salt. Whisk together until well incorporated.
Whisk in the saffron ghee and vanilla extract. A moist crumble should form.
In a separate small bowl, whisk together the tahini and maple syrup. Pour half of this mixture (1/2 cup) into the pistachio batter. Add in the roasted pistachios. Stir together until a batter is formed that hold together without easily crumbling.
Using your hands, make a dozen palm sized cookies. Press them into about 1/2” thick cookies and arrange them on a lined baking sheet. Using your fingers or a spoon, make an indentation in the center of each cookie. Pour the remaining maple tahini mixture into each indentation. Bake until golden with crispy edges.
Remove from the oven and sprinkle with flaky sea salt.
Serve warm or at room temperature.