Tahini Shortbread Cookies

I was in the library last night attempting to write my essay on autism and male and female brains but my mind was on Masterchef and these cookies.  It was late, and it was all so depressing, and that dead silence was suddenly broken by a flock of screeching seagulls.

I f*ckng hate seagulls.  I love animals, I really do love animals, but I f*cking hate seagulls.  In this seaside town they're just everywhere, breaking up bin bags on the road, roaming around like they're better than everyone.  I mean just look at them, there's that air of arrogant indifference, with their hooked beaks and their small eyes. They're not as pleasant as Little Mermaid paints them to be.

So I took a library break to go back home and make these cookies.  Very simple straightforward shortbread cookies: you cream the butter, tahini and sugar together, then you mix in the flour.  Form the dough into a log, roll in sesame seeds and let it chill.  Then I went back to the library and read up on the differences in mathematical abilities between men and women.

And this morning I woke up early and popped them into the oven.  I woke up really early.  I miss sleep.  The Time just published more articles reinforcing how important sleep is and I refuse to read them.  I'll sleep when all the seagulls die.  It's quite haunting, that squawk, that obnoxious, high-pitched cry.  It is bone-chilling, especially at night and definitely not a good sound to  wake up to.

I f*cking hate seagulls.  These cookies are amazing though, I burnt my tongue eating 5 of them as my pre-breakfast already.  Pre-breakfast because I'm going to this lovely farmhouse for breakfast in ten minutes with a friend.  They make the most amazing things.

 
Recipe from Food and Wine
Makes about 100 cookies 
Ingredients
1 stick + 2 tbsp (140g) butter
1 cup tahini
3/4 cup icing sugar
2 tsp sea salt
1 3/4 cup flour
1/2 cup sesame seeds

Method
Put the butter, tahini, sugar and salt in a bowl.  Using an electric mixer, beat until smooth, about 3 minutes.  Stir in the flour until it just comes together as a dough.  Form into two long logs.  Roll each log in the sesame seeds.  Wrap in cling film and leave to rest in the fridge for at least 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 160C/325F.  Slice the logs into 1/4inch slices (about the thickness of a £1 coin).  Place them spaced apart on a greased and lined baking sheet. Bake for about 25 minutes or until golden.