Name: Sesame Chocolate Rye Breakfast Cookies
Yield: Makes 16 cookies
Ingredients: 1½ cups (213 g) all-purpose flour; 1 cup (130 g) rye flour; ¾ cup (68 g) old-fashioned rolled oats; ¼ cup (36 g) whole-wheat flour; 3 Tbsp. white sesame seeds, plus more for sprinkling; 2 Tbsp. flaxseed; 2 tsp. baking powder; 1 tsp. baking soda; 1 cup (2 sticks or 227 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature; 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar; 1 cup (200 g) brown sugar; 1 tsp. salt; 2 large eggs, at room temperature; 1 Tbsp. pure vanilla extract; 4 oz (113 g) semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped; ½ cup (70 g) King Arthur Orange Jammy Bits or dried cranberries or cherries; ½ cup (60 g) toasted pecans, chopped into bite-size pieces; ⅓ cup (45 g) poppy seeds; Black sesame seeds, for sprinkling; Flaky sea salt, for sprinkling (optional)

These cookies are inspired by the rye-cranberry chocolate chunk cookies in Dorie Greenspan’s excellent book Baking with Dorie. Her cookie recipe is from Moko Hirayama, who serves them in her popular Paris restaurant, Mokonuts. I am obsessed with this cookie (it is perfect). It’s known for its signature indentation on the top, which I’ve reproduced here, as well as its great flavor. But I couldn’t resist putting my own spin on it in the form of a breakfast cookie. I use oats and whole-wheat flour, in addition to rye flour, cut out some of the butter, and use all my favorite add-ins: sesame seeds, pecans, orange pieces, poppy seeds, and, of course, chocolate. I would eat these every single morning if I could.

This recipe was excerpted from '100 Morning Treats' by Sarah Kieffer. Buy the full book on Amazon. See more of our favorite Sarah Kieffer recipes →

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What you’ll need

Food Processor
$300 At Amazon
Rye Flour
$10 At Amazon
White Sesame Seeds
$8 $7 At Amazon
King Arthur Orange Jammy Bits
$17 At King Arthur Baking
Flaxseed
$8 $6 At Amazon

Ingredients

Makes 16 cookies

1½ cups (213 g) all-purpose flour

1 cup (130 g) rye flour

¾ cup (68 g) old-fashioned rolled oats

¼ cup (36 g) whole-wheat flour

3 Tbsp. white sesame seeds, plus more for sprinkling

2 Tbsp. flaxseed

2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

1 cup (2 sticks or 227 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar

1 cup (200 g) brown sugar

1 tsp. salt

2 large eggs, at room temperature

1 Tbsp. pure vanilla extract

4 oz (113 g) semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

½ cup (70 g) King Arthur Orange Jammy Bits or dried cranberries or cherries

½ cup (60 g) toasted pecans, chopped into bite-size pieces

⅓ cup (45 g) poppy seeds

Black sesame seeds, for sprinkling

Flaky sea salt, for sprinkling (optional)

Step 1
Position an oven rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 425°F. Line two sheet pans with parchment paper. Grease sixteen 3½ by 1 in English muffin rings (see Note) and place eight on each sheet pan.
Step 2
In the bowl of a food processor, process the all-purpose flour, rye flour, rolled oats, whole-wheat flour, sesame seeds, flaxseed, baking powder, and baking soda until the rolled oats are broken down, about ten pulses.
Step 3
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle, beat the butter on medium speed until creamy, about 1 minute. Add the granulated and brown sugars and the salt, and continue beating until light and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat until incorporated, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add the flour mixture on low speed, beating until incorporated. Add the chocolate, orange pieces, pecans, and poppy seeds and mix until completely incorporated.
Step 4
Form the dough into sixteen 3 oz (85 g) balls (about ¼ cup each), and place the balls in the center of the English muffin rings; there will be a little space between the dough and the rings. Sprinkle with the white and black sesame seeds and flaky sea salt, if using. Bake the cookies until the tops are golden brown and the dough has spread out into an even layer, 10 to 11 minutes. Transfer to a wire cooling rack.
Step 5
Use an oven mitt or a pair of tongs to remove the English muffin rings from around the cookies. With the back of a spoon, tap the center of each cookie so it deflates and retains a slight indentation. It will look like the center isn’t fully baked, but the centers will set as the cookies cool. Let the cookies cool on the sheet pans for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling.
Step 6
The cookies are best the day they are made, but they can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days. On the first day the cookies will have a crisp top and bottom shell, but they will soften with time. They are delicious both ways.

Cooks' Note

With the English muffin rings, the cookies bake up in perfect circles. If you don’t have them, bake your cookies free-form instead. They will be ready 1 minute sooner, and will spread a little more.

Reprinted from 100 Morning Treats: With Muffins, Rolls, Biscuits, Sweet and Savory Breakfast Breads, and More by Sarah Kieffer, with permission by Chronicle Books, 2023. Photographs © Sarah Kieffer. Buy the full book from Amazon or Chronicle Books.

Leave a Review

Reviews (3)

can you please provide nutrition facts? thanks.
- Anonymous
- Portsmouth NH
- 5/18/2023
I did not ask for this recipe! If this is how you app works- sign me OUT!! I only want recipes I CHOOSE!
- Anonymous
- Pittsburgh pa
- 5/21/2023