SESAME COOKIES - COOKIES AU SÉSAME

Today, I've decided to talk about another remarkable recipe which I found in Chef Markus Samuelsson's "The Soul Of A New Cuisine: A Discovery Of The Foods And Flavors Of Africa"...

This cookbook is such a goldmine that I cannot stop going through it and finding new dishes to test! All the recipes I have prepared so far have been very successful and highly satisfying. And as summer has started, I'm pretty sure that I will try many more scrumptious African recipes!

So, after having made "Peanut Bread" (see recipe), "Ethiopian Berbere" (see recipe) and "Ginger Bananas & Honey Ice Cream", my attention was caught by a "Sesame Seed Cookies" recipe which I very much fancied as I love those unique seeds and their mouthwatering as well as captivating and complex flavor.

Those delightful and addictive "Sesame Seed Cookies" made with a very little flour, a small amount of butter and an immense quantity of white roasted sesame seeds are absolutely fantastic! The dough being quite wet and sticky, those wonderful cookies tend to spread a lot while baking, thus being similar to the American "Benne Wafers" (see info & recipe) as, like them, they are extremely fragile, scrumptiously crispy, but slightly lacey and chewy at the same time. In fact, I would say that they are African "Benne Wafers" (in Nigerian "benne" means "sesame"), the ancestor of the reknown Carolina cookies...

Taste-wise, they are incomparable. The sesame seeds confer them a strong, smoky, distinctive, nutty, rich and intense, yet delicate fragrance which reminds me of Tahini Paste or Halvah. Those "Sesame Seed Cookies" also have an intoxicating hint of butter and vanilla which makes them even more luscious.

If you make those marvelous "Sesame Seed Cookies", I can guarantee that you'll not stop reaching for the cookie box until it's empty as they are very tempting, lip-smacking and heavenly little toasty goodnesses!!!

~ Sesame Cookies ~
Recipe taken from "The Soul Of A New Cuisine" written by Marcus Samuelsson and slightly adapted by Rosa @ Rosa's Yummy Yums.

Makes 3 dozen cookies.

Ingredients:
1/2 Cup (64g) + 2 Tbs Plain white flour
1/2 Tsp Baking powder
1/2 Tsp Salt
4 Tbs (1/2 stick/60g) Unsalted butter
1 Cup (240g) Light brown sugar, packed
1 Large egg (~60g)
1/2 Tsp Vanilla extract or paste
1 Tsp Fresh lemon juice
1 Cup (150g) Sesame seeds, toasted

Method:
1. Combine the (sieved) flour, baking powder and salt in a small bowl. Set aside.
2. Using an electric stand mixer, hand mixer or spatula (by hand), cream the butter and brown sugar in a large bowl until light and fluffy.
3. Add the egg, vanilla and lemon juice and beat until thouroughly blended, about 30 seconds.
4. On low speed, slowly add the flour mixture and mix just until incorporated.
5. Beat in/incorporate the sesame seeds.

6. Allow the dough to rest, covered, in the refrigerator for 1 hour.
7. Preheat the oven to 180° C (350° F).
8. Line two baking pans/sheets with parchment paper.
9. Drop the dough by heaping teaspoons onto the baking sheets/pans, leaving about 7cm (2.8 inches) between the cookies.
10. Bake the cookies until golden, about 7-9 minutes, turning the baking sheets around midway through baking.
11. Remove delicately from the baking sheets/pans and cool on a wire rack.

Remarks:
I used vanilla paste to make those cookies.
I recommend you to bake those cookies one baking sheet/pan at a time and to keep the dough in the fridge in the meantime.
Those cookies tend to spread a lot, so give them a lot of space (one batch = 12 cookies).

Serving suggestions:
Those cookies can be eaten at any time.
They are particularly delicious with a good cup of tea or coffee or as accompaniment to homemade ice cream (vanilla or honey) and a seasonal fruit salad.

***************

~ Cookies Au Sésame ~
Recette tirée du livre "The Soul Of A New Cuisine" de Marcus Samuelsson et adaptée par Rosa @ Rosa's Yummy Yums.

Pour environ 36 cookies.

Ingrédients:
1/2 Tasse (64g) + 2 CS de Farine blanche/fleur
1/2 CC de Poudre à lever
1/2 CC de Sel
4 CS (60g) de Beurre non-salé
1 Tasse (240g) de Sucre brun clair, tassé
1 Oeuf large (~60g)
1/2 CC d'Extrait de vanille ou de pâte de vanille
1 CC de Jus de citron
1 Tasse (150g) de Graines de sésame clair

Méthode:
1. Dans un petit bol, mélanger ensemble la farine (tamisée), la poudre à lever et le sel. Mettre de côté.
2. A l'aide d'un mixer ou d'une spatule (à la main), fouetter le beurre et le sucre brun en pommade jusqu'à ce qu'elle deviennent légère et pâle.
3. Ajouter l'oeuf, l'extrait de vanille et le jus de citron, puis fouetter pendant 30 secondes, jusqu'à ce que le mélange soit homogène.
4. A basse vitesse, ajouter lentement le mélange farine/poudre à lever/sel et mélanger jusqu'à ce qu'il soit bien incorporé (sans battre).

5. Incorporer les graines de sésame.
6. Laisser reposer la pâte pendant 1 heure au frigo.
7. Préchauffer le four à 180° C (350° F).
8. Recouvrir deux plaques de feuille de papier sulfurisé
9. Déposer des petits tas (1 CC) de pâte sur les plaques, en laissant un espace d'environ 7cm (2.8 inches) entre les cookies.
10. Cuire jusqu'à ce que les cookies soient dorés, pendant environ 7 à 9 minutes et tourner les plaques en milieu de cuisson.
11. Déposer les cookies (délicatement) sur une grille et laisser refroidir.

Remarques:
J'ai utilisé de la pâte de vanille pour faire ces cookies.
Je vous recommande de cuire ces cookies une plaque à la fois et de garder le reste de pâte au frais lors de la cuisson.
Ces cookies ont tendance à s'étendre lors de la cuisson, alors faites bien attention de les espacer suffisemment (une plaque = 12 cookies).

Idées de présentation:
Ces cookies sont délicieux à toute heure de la journée.
Ils sont particulièrement bons avec une bonne tasse de thé ou de café, ou une boule de glace maison (vanille ou miel) et une salade de fruits de saison.