Sesame seed biscuits (sesame cookies)

Sesame seed biscuits, aka sesame seed cookies are deliciously crunchy biscuits packed with the flavours of toasted sesame seeds and honey. They are a variation on my popular recipe, crunchy oat biscuits and are just as simple to make. Sesame biscuits are perfect for lunchboxes, picnics or simply to enjoy at home with a cup of tea or coffee. The quantities in this biscuit recipe are sufficient to make around 26 biscuits if using a 6.5cm (about 2.5 inch) biscuit cutter but of course you can make them any size you wish.

Ingredients

• 150g butter at room temperature, either salted or unsalted
• 150g Demerara sugar
• 150g wholemeal flour
• 1 dessertspoon runny honey
• 1 teaspoon vanilla essence
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 100g oats
• 125g toasted sesame seeds

Equipment needed

• Large bowl
• Wooden spoon
• Kitchen scales
• 1 dessertspoon (10ml)
• 3 teaspoons (5 ml)
• Baking tray
• Non-stick baking parchment
• Biscuit cutter
• Wire cooling rack
• Large spatula to transfer the baked biscuits

Before starting this recipe

• Before you start to make sesame biscuits the butter should be taken out of the fridge so that it reaches room temperature and softens and becomes a similar consistency to margarine. This will make it easier to cream the butter and sugar together. Alternatively, the butter can be softened in a microwave using the appropriate setting but be careful not to melt the butter.
• Preheat the oven to 180^oC, 350^oF, gas mark 4.

How to make sesame seed biscuits

Place 150g softened (but not melted) butter in a large bowl and add 150g Demerara sugar. Mix together using a wooden spoon until it is the consistency of buttercream.

Add 150g wholemeal flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 100g oats, 125g toasted sesame seeds, 1 dessertspoon (10ml) runny honey and 1 teaspoon (5 ml) vanilla essence and mix all the ingredients together.

Place a non-stick baking sheet on a metal baking tray and place the biscuit cutter on it. Using a teaspoon, spoon some of the biscuit dough into the biscuit cutter and flatten down using the back of the spoon.

Use enough biscuit dough so that the unbaked biscuit measures around 7mm thick (roughly a quarter of an inch thick). Leave a gap of around 2cm to 3cm or so (roughly 1") between each biscuit to allow for expansion when they are in the oven.

How to bake sesame biscuits

Bake the sesame cookies in batches in the centre of the oven at 180^oC, 350^oF, gas mark 4 for around 8 minutes. The baking time will vary from one oven to another so I suggest checking after about 5 minutes and then every minute or two afterwards to make sure they are not overcooked. Turn the tray around after 5 minutes so they cook evenly. The biscuits will be ready when they are just starting to turn a golden colour at the edges. They will still be soft at this point but will set after they are taken out of the oven.

Leave the biscuits on the baking tray for about 5 minutes after they are taken out of the oven. Transfer to a wire cooling rack to cool using a large spatula.

Tips

1. You can toast the sesame seeds yourself by placing in a pan over a low heat (without oil) for a couple of minutes, but take care as it is difficult to cook them evenly and they can easily burn. Alternatively, you can buy ready toasted sesame seeds which obviously make things easier but they tend to be a little more expensive.
2. If you wish to make vegan sesame seed biscuits you can substitute a plant based margarine for the butter and use maple syrup instead of honey.
3. The quantities in this recipe can easily be increased or decreased to make whatever quantity you require.
4. The biscuits will keep well in an airtight container for a couple of days.
5. Sesame seed biscuits are perfect for bulk baking and freezing so that you have a good supply for the weeks ahead.