Open Sesame Halvah is the secret to these craveable cookies from 2022 F&W Best New Chef Warda Bouguettaya.

I LOVE CHOCOLATE AND SESAME SEEDS TOGETHER. One of the first cookies I made growing up in Algeria was a batch of old-fashioned no-bake cookies with toasted sesame, which I rolled into balls and dipped in chocolate.

- WARDA BOUGUETTAYA

When I opened my Detroit bakery, Warda Pâtisserie, I wanted something a little more special to add to the classic chocolate chip cookie. I reached again for sesame, this time in the form of halvah. Halvah is a crumbly sesame confection that is popular in the Middle East and North Africa where, depending on the country, it is also called halwah and halawa. (It is not to be confused with South Asian halwa, which is a semolina pudding.) For these cookies, I like using Al Kanater brand sesame halvah (labeled halawa), from Lebanon, which I break into bitesize pieces and then gently fold by hand into the cookie dough to ensure well-dispersed pockets of melty, smooth halvah in each cookie. The cookies come out with a chewy center, crisp edges, and just the right amount of gooeyness.

Chocolate Chunk Halwah Cookies

ACTIVE 20 MIN; TOTAL 2 HR 10 MIN MAKES 20 COOKIES