Tahini (sesame paste) elevates these beyond the average cookie. I don’t think it’s necessary to use an expensive chocolate with a high percentage of cocoa in cookies. A slightly sweeter plain chocolate is fine and I like to leave the chunks quite large.
I also use strong white bread flour in my cookies as it has a higher gluten content and gives a slightly chewier finish, but if you only have plain (all-purpose) flour they’ll work just fine, too. Method: Recipe adapted from California (Hardie Grant) First published in the JC November 1 2019.