Add the roasted sesame seeds to your food processor with the sugar and salt. Mix until the oils have released and it becomes a wet mixture that clumps together. This is important otherwise you risk the cookies becoming dry if the oils aren't released from the seeds. Stop and scrape down the sides as needed. Depending on the strength of your food processor this takes roughly between 3-5 minutes.
Then add butter and vanilla. Mix until it becomes creamy.
Next you need to add in the flour, and pulse until just combined. Don't overmix otherwise your cookies won't be nice and soft.
Place the cookie dough in the fridge for about 30 minutes.
Scoop 18 cookie dough balls.
Preheat the oven to 175℃ and prepare two baking sheets.
Form a little well in the cookie with tall sides so you can easily seal the cookie at the top. Spoon about 1 tsp of date caramel into the middle of each cookie dough ball. Then seal them so the caramel doesn't ooze out. I found sometimes it was helpful to take a little bit of the cookie dough balls and form a flat 'lid' to then place on top of the caramel well to seal the cookies.
Once all the cookies are filled with caramel and sealed, dip them in the white and black sesame seeds. This adds really lovely decoration but also a whole lot of delicious flavour because the seeds roast so nicely as the cookies bake!
Bake the cookies for approximately 15 minutes depending on your oven. They are done when the edges have set and are a slight golden brown, but don't bake them too long or they'll become a bit crispy!
Let them cool before tasting as the date caramel can be quite hot.
I keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge because they have dates in them.
Enjoy!!
