Sicilian Sesame Seed Cookies

A classic Italian treat! Covered with sesame seeds, these easy-to-make ‘Sicilian Sesame Seed Cookies‘ will surely become one of your favorites!

These authentic Italian cookies are so easy to make.  Biscotti Regina as they’re originally called, Sicilian sesame seed cookies are great for snack, dessert or with a shot of espresso for breakfast.

Although, I’ve never really seen the Sicilians have them for breakfast… But whatever works for you right?

Here in Stockholm, I like having them with my morning coffee. (I wonder if the place makes a difference? 🙂 ).

HOW TO MAKE BISCOTTI REGINA

CAN I CHANGE THE SHAPE OF THESE SICILIAN COOKIES?

Don’t worry about the shape, when you make these Italian sesame cookies. You can shape them any way you want.  The first one I had in Taormina had round corners and almost oblong in shape – and then I saw them in small rectangular shape in Palermo.

For me, this is how I want them to look like — and then they’re crunchy on the outside and soft in the inside. Yep, EXACTLY how I like them.

CAN I ADD OTHER FLAVORINGS IN THESE ITALIAN SESAME COOKIES?

A teaspoon of vanilla extract (or any liquor), if you want. I prefer to just use lemon zest – I like the simplicity of the whole thing, the subtleness of the lemon inside the cookie and the crunch and aroma of the sesame seeds outside.

HOW LONG CAN I STORE THESE SICILIAN COOKIES?

They can be stored for a couple of weeks.  So, if you’re like me, make twice this recipe and store them in a tight container.  Now that I think of it, why do I even bother? They are so easy to make anyway! 🙂

HELPFUL TIPS ON MAKING BISCOTTI REGINA:

• Make sure your butter is chilled. You need it to get that ‘sandy’ texture for the dough.
• If you have a sweet tooth, adjust the sugar from ¼ cup to 1/3 cup. (Sorry, I just prefer them not to be too sweet.)
• You do not need a food processor to do this. The base of these cookies is what’s known as ‘Pasta Frolla’ in Italian cuisine, so using a fork will be just fine.

WHAT TO SERVE WITH ITALIAN SESAME COOKIES?

We like having them with coffee, tea or wine (for dessert). But to be honest, I think it would be great with any beverage.  Try them yourself! 🙂

FOR OTHER SICILIAN RECIPES, CHECK OUT MY OTHER POSTS –

• Sicilian Brioche
• Panelle (Chickpea Fritters)
• Pasta alla Norma
• Arancini Siciliani
• Watermelon Jelly (Gelo di Anguria)

VIDEO ON HOW TO MAKE SICILIAN SESAME SEED COOKIES

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Sicilian Sesame Seeds Cookies

Prep Time

30 mins

Cook Time

30 mins

Total Time

1 hr

 

Also known as 'Biscotti Regina', these Italian cookies are so easy to make! Great with coffee, tea or even with your favorite wine! (VIDEO ABOVE)

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Italian

Servings: 16

Calories: 218 kcal

Author: Neriz

Ingredients

• 350 grams flour, about 2 & 1/3 cups
• 75 grams sugar, about 1/4 cup
• 1 stick butter, (113 grams), unsalted, chilled & cut into cubes
• 3 eggs, separated
• 2 tbsp milk
• 1 tbsp honey
• 1/2 lemon, grated zest
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 cup sesame seeds

Instructions

1. Combine flour, sugar and butter either by hand or by using a food processor. Mix until it resembles the texture of sand.

2. Add egg yolks, milk, honey, lemon zest and salt. Mix thoroughly.

3. Form dough into a ball, cover with plastic and chill in the refrigerator for 30 to 60 minutes.

4. Preheat oven to 180 degrees-C (350 degrees-F).

5. Divide dough into four equal parts. Further divide each part into three small bits. Flatten each bit and form an almost rectangular shape of 1-cm thick. (I usually make mine about 1 ½ inch wide and 2-inches long.)

6. Add four tbsp. of water to the egg whites and mix.  

7. Dip each piece of formed cookie into the egg white mix and then roll them in the sesame seeds.

8. Place in a baking pan lined with a baking sheet.

9. Bake in the oven for 25 to 30 minutes. Set aside to cool.

10. Serve.

Recipe Notes

NOTE:  This recipe yields 16-regular sized cookies.  However, since I prefer them slightly bigger (as you can see in the images and video), I normally make 10 cookies from this same recipe.

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Last Updated on January 2, 2019