Palestinian Sesame Tea Cookies have the authentic Middle Eastern bakery taste in each bite. They are the perfect match for your tea or coffee cup! Made with ingredients that make these cookies unique and original compared to other cookies. Some of the ingredients include anise, fennel, and sesame seeds! You will be delighted with the mixture of those flavors and the delicious fragrance!
What if I tell you that most cookies use baker’s ammonia to make a nice snap cookie, crispy on the outside while the inside is light and airy? However, with this recipe, you will learn how to substitute it with a slight texture change.
My Palestinian Sesame Tea Cookies are super easy to prepare. This is also a quick recipe because we know time is gold 🤓 and they are not expensive at all! So let’s get started!
Tea Time!
Coffee or Tea?
During the cold weather, a cup of hot tea or coffee is lovely! Now, imagine some Palestinian Sesame Tea Cookies as a companion to that hot drink. These cookies are not too sweet, so it’s the perfect balance of flavors for your evening break, your snack, during a movie, or just to have fun with your friends or family.
The best news about these Palestinian Sesame Tea cookies is that they are homemade and easy! That means way cheaper! Don’t forget how therapeutic baking can be. Admit it! Mixing dough is fun, not just for the little ones! Preparing the shape of the cookie and the sense of accomplishment after it’s done is amazing!
Perfect Mixture of Flavors
These are not the common cookies you find anywhere. With my Palestinian Sesame Tea Cookies, you will pamper yourself with the perfect combination of flavors to the point that you won’t have enough with one cookie. Spoiler alert 😉, you might end up eating the entire jar and baking some more! The texture is light inside and slightly crunchy on the outside.
Sesame seeds (simsim) give this recipe a mild, sweet and nutty touch adding a yummy crunch while eating. When we bake or toast the sesame seeds, an almond-like flavor is boosted and tastes glorious! On the other hand, fennel is a very popular ingredient in Mediterranean cuisine; it has a very delicate anise taste and it’s slightly sweet. Last but not least, anise my friends is the secret ingredient that will turn this recipe upside down with natural sugariness.
Bake The World a Better Place
Why Do Palestinian Sesame Tea Cookies Rock?
They are super easy to prepare! You don’t need to be a professional baker here!
They are the perfect snack for any time of the day or night!
Palestinian Sesame Tea cookies are a time saver!
Ideal combination with your tea or coffee.
Kids and grownups love the Palestinian Sesame Tea Cookies.
Frequently Asked Questions
Not at all, they couldn’t be more different. Fennel is less sweet than anise with a milden flavor, while anise have much power sweet taste.
Store them in an airtight container for up to two weeks.
You can substitute baker’s ammonia with baking soda.
Ghee is a clarified butter. It has a yummy nutty taste, and it’s known for boosting flavors and textures.
Tips and Tricks
You can substitute baker ammonia with baking soda.
For the best shape, flatten the top of your cookie before placing it in the sesame mixture.
Always preheat the oven to 350 degrees F for best results.
Mix the dry ingredients before adding the wet ones.
Let the cookie dough rest for a good 20 minutes before you start shaping them.
Ingredients
Flour, the king of the castle!
Ghee, that amazing nutty flavor!
Vegetable oil, to give you a moist texture.
Powdered sugar, to make an extra tender and chewy cookie.
Baking powder, so your dough spreads like it should!
Bakers ammonia, (or baking soda) for the extra crisp that you want.
Ground anise, secret sweet ingredient.
Ground fennel, slightly sweet.
Vanilla, to enhance all the other ingredients.
Salt, to add strength to the flour.
Sesame seeds, amazing almond-like flavor.
Simple syrup or honey, to mix with the sesame seeds. Superb!
Water: to mix everything together
Quick Prep
First, sift the flour, baking powder, fennel, anise, salt, and baker’s ammonia together.
Second, add the soft ghee and oil together and mix well until crumbly.
Third, add the powdered sugar, water, and vanilla into a bowl and mix well until the powdered sugar is dissolved.
Then, add the mixture to the dry ingredients and mix well until dough forms.
After that, cover the dough and let it rest for 20 minutes.
Once done, cut it into 15 pieces and shape them.
Right after that, mix the toasted sesame seeds with syrup or honey together.
Then, dip the cookies in the mixture as much or as little as you like.
Last, place the cookies on a lined baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees F for 20 to 24 minutes or until the bottom is golden.
Finally, let them rest for 10 minutes before touching.
One Cookie Won’t Be Enough!
Must Try Recipes:
Mushabak Halabi (Middle Eastern Churros)
Qatayef Asafiri (Middle Eastern Cream-Filled Pancakes)
If you’ve tried this recipe, don’t forget to rate it and leave a comment below! I would love to hear about your experience. You can follow me on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.
Palestinian Sesame Tea Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 cups flour
- ¼ ghee soft, not melted
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon bakers ammonia or ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground anise
- ½ cup water
Instructions
- Sift the flour, baking powder, fennel, anise, salt, and bakers ammonia together.
- Add the soft ghee and oil together and mix well until crumbly.
- Add the powdered sugar, water, and vanilla into a bowl and mix well until powdered sugar is dissolved.
- Add the mixture to the dry ingredients and mix well until dough forms.
- Cover and let it rest for 20 minutes.
- Once done, cut into 15 pieces and shape.
- Mix the toasted sesame seeds with syrup or honey together.
- Dip the cookies in the mixture as much or as little as you like.
- Place the cookies on a lined baking sheet and bake at 350℉ for 20 to 24 minutes, or until the bottom is golden.
- Let them rest for 10 minutes before touching.
My fav snack all the time
Hello, I don’t see the amount of water to add. Please let me know. Thank you
hello, its 1/2 cup