italian dessert recipes

Sesame Seed Cookies

"Easy traditional drop cookie"




sesame seed cookies 01
Sesame Seed Cookies are on of those traditional Italian cookie recipes. We had 'em sitting around and served so much when I was growing up, I never touched them. They were too normal to me. But mostly I avoided them because they reminded me of old people, like the grandpa on Prizzi's Honor.

Fast forward 40 some odd years - I'm the one in charge of the kitchen! I tweaked this drop cookie recipe to get the texture I always wanted. No more crusty old people taste - now I really like these!



The sesame seed cookies have a slight zap from the anise flavoring and they flake inside almost like a shortbread. Now if you hate anise - there's plenty of substitutions! See the substitutions section below the recipe.




Sesame Seed Cookies

YIELD - Makes 3 - 4 dozen sesame cookies

Ingredients:

* 1/2 cup butter

* 1/4 cup white sugar

* 1/4 cup packed brown sugar

* 2 eggs

* 1 teaspoon anise extract

* 2 cups all-purpose flour

* 1 teaspoons baking powder

* 1/4 teaspoon salt

* 1/4 cup milk

* 1/3 cup scant sesame seeds

Procedure

 Preheat oven 350 degrees F (175 degrees C)

1. Cream butter, sugar and brown sugar. Add eggs and vanilla, blend well.

2. Stir together flour, baking powder and salt. Add gradually to the creamed mixture, blending well.

3. Break off a small piece of dough and delicately mold into a smooth ball in your hand.

4. Dip the top of the ball in milk and dip in sesame seeds.

5. Place on the greased cookie sheet. Repeat with the remaining dough.

6. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 15 minutes or until golden. Remove to wire racks to cool.






Can I substitute anything for the butter?



Nope! Were you really wanting to use shortening? Hmmph. Very few Italian dessert recipes use shortening. But I have a couple on this site that use it. You may want to check these out OR better yet - buy some butter:

Italian Dessert Recipes that use shortening:





Can I leave out the anise?



Yep! Anise has a very unique flavor. I'm NOT a big fan of anise. *Gasp*! How UN Italian of me. But, you will still be making an Italian cookie by substituting any of these:

  • almond extract


  • vanilla extract


  • lemon zest


  • orange zest




    • Can I toast the sesame seeds?



    I don't see why not! Good idea! Just take into consideration the time the seeds will be on the cookie while baking. Toasting always brings out the natural oils in a spice or nut. I think I will toast mine next time I make a batch of sesame seed cookies!


    More Italian Cookie Recipes


    lisa gianotti I love sugar and I eat dessert EVERYDAY! Ok, not MASSIVE amounts. But I do have to finish off the evening meal with a little sweet something.

    When I was a kid my health conscience mother would ration my Halloween candy. Her mantra was, "white sugar will kill you". But my Italian grandma always told me, "Everybody needs a little bit of sugar." :-) So, to get my October Halloween sugar fix I will make the traditional Italian cookie recipe, Venetian Bones of the Dead. Italians make these for the Day of the Dead on November 2nd. So - hey, our holiday in America - Halloween is the closest.

    So - while the neighborhood is slamming down a bunch of gross mass produced candy on October 31st, I'll have a real goodie. Oh yeah, I'll have to post it too! (Eventually!) You know how it is. Work. Kids. Clean. Cook.



    I'll see if Bones Of The Dead is in my grandma's first recipe file she started when she married in 1932. Most of the recipes on my site came from her influence. If they aren't in her file - then I got them from her friends. And the remainder I experimented with adapting her style.

    I hope she looks down and smiles this Halloween.

    Lisa


    Would you like to share this page? You know how to do it! Thanks for sharing the sugar love!




    Back to the Sesame Seed Cookies

    easy italian dessert
    Italian Dessert
    Recipes
    Enjoy This Site?
    Keep checking back!
    I update at least once a week.

    Recipes on this site are from family cookbooks, family traditions, or intentional adaptations from traditional recipes to add an Italian flair. If a recipe was adapted or used from another cook - it is mentioned on the recipe page and the recipe author is given credit.