Tehina shortbread cookies Image by MICHAEL PERSICO

Makes about 30 cookies

It may come as a surprise, but tehina is perfect in desserts because, in addition to adding nutty flavor, it helps modulate sweetness and leaves you wanting more. For me, there’s nothing as comforting as these shortbread cookies enriched with tehina. They are ridiculously easy to make and extremely satisfying. Because the tehina replaces some of the butter in a traditional shortbread, they are actually quite light. (Or at least that’s how I rationalize eating ten of them in one sitting.) I love to crumble them on Turkish Coffee Ice Cream (page 354) or layer them with Tehina Semifreddo (page 72) to make the ultimate ice cream sandwich. But these cookies are perfectly delicious simply dusted with confectioners’ sugar and served with coffee.

1¾ sticks (7 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature

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1 cup sugar

1 cup tehina

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

Pinch kosher salt

1) Combine the butter and sugar in a stand mixer on medium speed or in a large bowl with a hand mixer and mix until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the tehina and continuing mixing until well incorporated.

2) Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt in a mixing bowl and whisk together. Transfer to the tehina mixture and beat until just incorporated. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or overnight. (The dough keeps well in the freezer for a few months.)

3) Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Drop the batter by heaping tablespoons onto the prepared baking sheets. Bake until the cookies are light brown around the edges and set, about 15 minutes. Let cool on the baking sheets for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. The cookies can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for 1 week.

TEHINA SHORTBREAD COOKIES is excerpted from ZAHAV by MICHAEL SOLOMONOV and STEVEN COOK. Copyright © 2015 by MICHAEL SOLOMONOV and STEVEN COOK. Photos by MICHAEL PERSICO. Used by permission of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.

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