Classic Sesame Seed Cookies (Biscotti Regina)
You might know these cookies as Biscotti Regina or classic Sicilian sesame seed cookies and both names are the same and correct! Pair these nutty and sweet tasting biscuits with coffee, tea, wine, or espresso!
Ingredients
- 3/4 C Sugar
- 1 Large Egg
- 2 Tablespoons of Butter room temperature not MELTED
- 1/8 Teaspoon of Salt
- 2 Tablespoons of Shortening
- 1 A teaspoon of Vanilla)
- 1/4 Milk 2% or Whole (110° F)
- *Optional Zest of Lemon or Orange
- 2 C All-purpose flour
- 1 Tsp Baking Powder
- Heavy Cream 4 tablespoons *Optional you REALLY Don't need this ingredient no worries
- 1/4 C Sesame Seeds not toasted
- Basting Brush
- 2 Small Bowls will only need ONE if you opt-out of heavy cream!
- Basting Brush
- Silicone Mats or Parchment paper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 ° F
- Prep 2 baking pans with silicone baking mats or parchment paper.
For Mixing Stand or Hand Mixer Do the Following:
- Combine egg and sugar.
- Mix very well.
- Next, add in the butter and the shortening and salt.
- Now add vanilla and milk.
- Allow the mixer to combine ingredients.
- Place baking powder into mixing bowl and then add in flour, 1/2 Cup a time.
- Once all the flour is combined with the wet mixture, remove the bowl from mixing stand.
- Use a spatula to scrape the sides to gather all the dough spatter.
- Cut batter spatter into the main batter and bring it all together into one large mound.
- Transfer the mound of batter, onto a lightly floured (dusting) workspace.
- You can either roll these by the teaspoon or divide the dough into shaped logs and cut.
- Alternatively, you can take rolled balls and turn them into mini logs.
- The options are endless for formation!
- Pour heavy whipping cream into one small bowl and sesame seeds into another bowl.
- Once each ball (log, triangle, whatever you form your batter into) is formed)
- Next, place them on a baking tray.
- *Optional Step here >, brush it with heavy whipping cream or don't. I did not.
- Just add the sesame seeds, either way, it works well!
- Adding sesame seeds can be done with your fingers or by holding a cookie inverted in your hand and pressing into the seeds in the bowl.
- Bake in the oven for about 15 minutes (differs for each like balls is 15 minutes, logs are 18, etc)
- Once they are golden brown on the bottom, remove from oven and allow them to rest on the tray for about 10 minutes.
- Then, transfer to a cooling rack.
- Serve fresh from the oven, or package in an air-tight container for up to 2 weeks.
Notes
Perhaps one of the grandest things about a Sicilian Sesame Seed cookie is that it can be shaped in so many ways.
One thing is for sure, no matter what shape you create for your Biscotti Regina, they will taste great and the taste does not change with the shape!
I've divided the dough before and made logs out of balls, but my favorite shape hands down are balls.
Ask me what I prefer?
The ball-shaped bookie for the demi-size when wanting a dessert.
I alternate coating my cookies with heavy cream and not.
Heavy cream is messy, but when you brush it on and use small kitchen bowls, you have a contained mess.
Additionally, I work on parchment paper and use a basting brush, "it ain't no big thang!"
In fact, if you are baking, in my mind, you are either all-in or you should not be baking.
That said, if you don't want to use heavy cream (and admittedly when I don't have it on hand, I don't either) you won't miss a thing.
Want to know something?
Opt to go without the heavy cream because the intensity of the sesame seed flavor will increase and it will just send your tastebuds soaring!
Yes, you can just coat this incredible batter without brushing and the Sesame Seeds will stick!
Don't toast your sesame seeds ahead.
Also, no need to overload a Biscotti Regina with tons of seeds.
If you are a person who loves to 'taste' the seeds but not have them by the mouthful, decrease how much you spread on them.