Biscotti Regina (Sesame Seed Cookies)

katie in the UP's Note:

Originated in Sicily...now a popular cookie all over Italy. Recipe source Italian Food Forever!

• Total Time: 1 hrs 10 mins
• Prep Time: 45 mins
• Cook Time: 25 mins

Ingredients:

Yield: 4 dozen

• 4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 dash salt
• 1/2 lb unsalted butter, Softened
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon orange zest, Finely Chopped
• 1 1/2 cups fresh sesame seeds

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
2. Butter two baking sheets, or place silicon baking sheets on them.
3. In a large bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.
4. With an electric mixer on low speed, add the butter until blended.
5. Whisk together the eggs, zest and vanilla, and add this to the flour mixture, and continue beating on low until you have a smooth dough.
6. Pinch off a small piece of dough about the size of a small golf ball and roll it into a log about 2 inches long.
7. Roll the log into the sesame seeds, pressing them so seeds stay on.
8. Place the cookie on the prepared baking sheets keeping the cookies two inches apart.
9. Bake for 25 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool, and store in airtight containers. (or cookies freezer very well!).

Reviews

[Franci]

This is a wonderful cookie! What sets this recipe apart from the other sesame cookie recipes is the orange zest, this gives the cookie a little hint of citrus. The problems I had with this recipe was the dryness of the dough and getting the seeds to stick to the cookes. The dough has to be kneaded by hand to get it to stick together and the cookies need to be dipped in milk before rollig in the sesame seeds. This cookie is now one of my favorites and is often requested by friends and family.