SKAGGS Blog

Around here we have all been enjoying the nice fall-like weather and the break from extreme summer heat. I don’t know about anyone else but when fall and winter roll around there is only one thing that I want to do and that is cook.

During fall especially I love to bake and last week I made a special office treat for everyone. I made Regina Cookies, which are an Italian sesame seed cookie. They are crisp, not too sweet, and perfect for dunking in a hot cup of coffee. The aroma that these create is so wonderful because of the orange zest. The recipe following is from an Italian cookbook and came out perfectly.

Regina Cookies

1/2 cup of milk
2 cups unhulled sesame seeds
4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
3 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp grated orange zest

Preheat oven to 375˚F. Butter and flour two large baking sheets.

Pour the milk into a shallow bowl. Spread the sesame seeds on a piece of wax paper and set aside.

In a large bowl stir together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Beat in butter with a mixer a little at a time. (You can also use a pastry cutter.)

In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs, vanilla, and orange zest. Stir the egg mixture into the dry ingredients until well blended. (I did this with my hands, it was much easier to do this way. You may think there is not enough liquid but it will eventually mix together.)

Pinch off a piece of dough the size of a golf ball and shape into a log 2 1/2 inches long an 3/4 inch thick.

Dip the log in the milk, then roll it in the sesame seeds. Place on a prepared baking sheet and flatten slightly. Continue with the remaining dough, placing the cookies about 1 inch apart.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until well browned. Let cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes, then transfer the cookies to a rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container.