Tahini Chocolate Chip Cookies

Cream butter and sugar: Add the butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, tahini to a large bowl and beat with a hand mixer on medium speed until very light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl once halfway through with a rubber spatula. You can also do this in a stand mixer. Scrape the sides of the bowl once more, and add the egg and vanilla. Beat until combined, 1 minute.

Add dry ingredients: Add the flour, salt, and baking soda to the wet ingredients, and mix on low speed just until no dry spots remain. Add the chocolate chips and stir with a rubber spatula until combined.

Chill the dough: Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill the dough in the fridge for at least 2 hours or overnight. Letting the dough rest is an important step to achieving the proper flavor and texture, but if you like thinner, crisper-edged cookies, you can skip the resting and bake them right away.

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and set it aside.

Scoop and bake the cookies: Use an ice cream scoop or a spoon to scoop and roll the chilled cookie dough into golf ball-sized portions (2 to 3 tablespoons). Place them on the prepared baking sheet, with at least 2 inches of space between each cookie. If the dough is too firm to scoop, let it rest at room temperature for 10 minutes to soften, then try again. Gently press the top of each ball of dough with the palm of your hand so the top is flat but the cookies are still about an inch thick.

Bake: Bake the cookies for 10 to 11 minutes. They should be golden around the bottom edges, but still pale and barely set in the middle. Remove them from the oven and immediately sprinkle the tops with flaky sea salt, if desired. Let them cool for at least 10 minutes before serving. The cookies will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.