Chocolate Chunk Cookies with Halvah

Every pastry chef has their secret for creating the ultimate chocolate chip cookie, and for 2022 F&W Best New Chef Warda Bouguettaya, it’s nutty, rich crumbles of halvah (which the chef calls halwah) folded into the dough. While halvah can be enjoyed as a standalone dessert, here, it gives the nostalgic chocolate chip cookie a toasty and earthy twist.

“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,” says 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.”

For these cookies, Bouguettaya breaks halvah into bite-size pieces, and then gently folds it into the cookie dough by hand 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.

Frequently asked questions

What is 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 halva, halwah, or halawa. (Not to be confused with South Asian halwa, which is a semolina pudding.) It has a distinct fudge-like texture. 

Where can I buy halvah?

You can purchase halvah at most Middle Eastern grocery stores or online at Persian Basket or Yekta Market. Bouguettaya likes to use sesame halvah (labeled “Halawa”) from the Lebanese company Al Kanater, which is made from tahini, sugar, marshmallow extract, and vanilla.

Notes from the Food & Wine Test Kitchen

When you're breaking up and measuring halvah, remember to leave the pieces fairly large in order to get a nice dispersion throughout each cookie. After folding the pieces into the dough and scooping out the cookies, they will continue to break into smaller pieces. 

Chocolate fèves, also called discs, will dramatically spread as they bake, creating melty puddles; a roughly chopped chocolate bar will form smaller but equally decadent pools.