Sesame Cookies,

Sesame cookies: buttery, delicate, melt in the mouth delights. No wonder some Italian sites call them "biscotti della regina," the "queen's cookies." For me, sesame cookies are at the top of the Italian Christmas cookie tradition. As with many other Italian recipes, sesame cookies have many cousins all around the Mediterranean.

History

Sesame seeds are the oldest known oil seed product and provided essential nutrients from the earliest times,
If you have ever traveled in countries of the Eastern Mediterranean you will have seen breads and cakes covered with sesame seeds.

Sesame Seeds

While I have not been able to find any historical records of sesame in Italy, I would think that these cookies may date to the time when the Arabs ruled Southern Italy and Sicily.
Sesame seeds in the grocery store can be expensive. If you have an Asian community in your area, you can find several varieties of sesame seeds, even black sesame. Asian stores sell them in larger quantities and at reasonable prices.
I have never found sesame cookies in bakeries to be very good, Bakery cookies tend to be heavy and hard.The recipe here is from my mother.

More Italian Christmas Cookies

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Getting started - what you need

Equipment
Cookie trays
Parchment paper or a "Silpat"
Spatula
Mixer or bowl and wooden spoon
if working by hand.

Ingredients
In order of use:

1 cup butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
4 cups flour combined with
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 tablespoon baking soda
1/2 cup milk
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Flavoring:

The traditional flavoring is anisette ( licorice liqueur) but you may also use lemon, orange or even a simple vanilla extract.
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Roll in
Sesame seeds.

Creaming

Cream butter and sugar and eggs.

Flour and milk

Mix the flour, salt baking powder and baking soda.
Slowly add flour mixture and milk.
Alternate about 1/3 cup of flour with a drizzle of the milk.

Anisette

Add 1/4 cup of Sambucca or other anisette.Otherwise use a few drops of Anise extract.
Variations: any other flavorings that you prefer such as orange, lemon, almond or vanilla.
Blend well but do not overbeat.

Shaping and seeding

Roll the dough into cigar shapes. Don't let them get too big. They will enlarge when baked.
Roll the cookies in the sesame seeds.
Bake for about 18 minutes or until brown around the edges.