Sesame Barazek Cookies (Syrian Sesame and Pistachio Cookies)

Name: Sesame Barazek Cookies (Syrian Sesame and Pistachio Cookies)
Prep time: 40 min
Cook time: 18 min
Total time: 58 min
Yield: 14 servings
Cuisine: Syrian
Ingredients: 2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour, spooned into the cup and leveled; 1 tsp (4 g) baking powder; ¼ tsp (1½ g) fine salt; 8 tbsp (1 stick) (115 g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature; ⅓ cup (70 g) granulated sugar; 3 tbsp (45 ml) whole milk, at room temperature; 1 tsp (5 ml) pure vanilla extract; ⅓ cup (75 g) granulated sugar; 5 tbsp (75 ml) water; 1 tsp (5 ml) fresh lemon juice; 1 tsp (5 ml) orange blossom water (optional); ¾ cup (120 g) raw hulled white sesame seeds, to be toasted; ⅓ cup (50 g) raw unsalted shelled pistachios, coarsely chopped into pieces about the size of a rice grain

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

Thin, crisp Syrian butter cookies brushed with light sugar syrup, pressed into toasted sesame seeds and studded with pistachios. They snap when you bite them and taste nutty, buttery and lightly sweet. Serve them with strong coffee or mint tea.

Prep: 40 min
Cook: 18 min
Wait: 45 min
Total: 1 hr 43 min
Makes: About 28 cookies (each about 3 inches / 7.5 cm long)

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Ingredients

14 servings

For the dough
2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour, spooned into the cup and leveled
1 tsp (4 g) baking powder
¼ tsp (1.5 g) fine salt
8 tbsp (1 stick) (115 g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
⅓ cup (70 g) granulated sugar
3 tbsp (45 ml) whole milk, at room temperature
1 tsp (5 ml) pure vanilla extract
For the syrup
⅓ cup (75 g) granulated sugar
5 tbsp (75 ml) water
1 tsp (5 ml) fresh lemon juice
1 tsp (5 ml) orange blossom water (optional)
For the coating
¾ cup (120 g) raw hulled white sesame seeds, to be toasted
⅓ cup (50 g) raw unsalted shelled pistachios, coarsely chopped into pieces about the size of a rice grain

Equipment (9)

2 large rimmed baking sheets (about 13×18 inches / 33×46 cm)
Parchment paper
Large mixing bowl
Hand mixer or sturdy wooden spoon
Small saucepan (1 quart / 1 litre)
Large dry skillet (10-inch / 25 cm)
Shallow plate or pie dish for the sesame seeds
Pastry brush
Kitchen scale

Steps

Before you start

Soften the butter for about 1 hour at room temperature. It should dent easily under your finger but not be greasy or melted.
Plan on about 1 hour 45 minutes in total. The dough rests for 30 minutes, and the syrup cools and the sesame seeds toast while it rests.
Line two large rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.
Use raw, hulled white sesame seeds for toasting. Pre-toasted seeds can turn bitter in the oven.

1
Toast the sesame
- Put the 120 g (¾ cup) sesame seeds in a large dry skillet over medium heat.
- Stir constantly with a spatula for 3 to 4 minutes.
- Tip them onto a shallow plate or pie dish and spread them out to cool.
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Ready when: Seeds are light golden and smell nutty, with a few starting to pop.
Tip: Move the seeds out of the hot pan right away. They keep browning from the pan's heat and can turn bitter.
2
Simmer the syrup
- In a small saucepan, stir together 75 g (⅓ cup) sugar, 75 ml (5 tbsp) water and 1 tsp lemon juice.
- Bring to a boil over medium heat, then reduce to medium-low and simmer for 5 minutes without stirring.
- Remove from the heat and stir in the orange blossom water, if using.
- Set aside to cool completely.
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Ready when: Syrup is clear and slightly thickened, and it coats the back of a spoon lightly.
Tip: The syrup should be thin enough to brush on. It thickens as it cools.
3
Whisk the dry ingredients
- In a medium bowl, whisk together 250 g (2 cups) flour, 1 tsp baking powder and ¼ tsp salt until evenly combined.
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Ready when: No streaks of baking powder remain.
4
Cream butter and sugar
- In a large bowl, beat the 115 g (8 tbsp) softened butter and 70 g (⅓ cup) sugar with a hand mixer on medium speed for 2 to 3 minutes.
- Scrape the bowl once.
- Beat in the milk and vanilla until combined.
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Ready when: Mixture is pale, fluffy and creamy. It may look slightly curdled after the milk goes in, which is fine.
Tip: Cold butter won't cream properly and will leave the dough lumpy.
5
Form the dough
- Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture.
- Mix on low speed, or with a wooden spoon, until a soft dough forms.
- Knead 3 or 4 times in the bowl to bring it together.
- Cover the bowl with a plate or plastic wrap.
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Ready when: Dough is smooth and soft and holds together when squeezed. It should not stick to your hands.
Tip: Don't over-knead. Extra mixing makes the cookies tough instead of crisp and tender.
6
Rest the doughOven 350°F / 175°C
- Leave the covered dough at room temperature for 30 minutes.
- Use this time to let the syrup cool completely.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) with a rack in the middle, and line two baking sheets with parchment.
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Ready when: Dough feels relaxed and slightly softer.
7
Portion the dough
- Divide the dough into about 28 pieces of 17 g (a scant tablespoon) each.
- Roll each piece into a smooth ball and put them on a tray.
- Chop the pistachios into small pieces and keep them in a small bowl next to the sesame seeds.
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Ready when: Balls are all about the same size and smooth, with no cracks.
Tip: Weigh the first few pieces on a scale so the rest are even and bake at the same rate.
8
Coat and shape
- Flatten a ball slightly in your palm.
- Brush one side lightly with cooled syrup.
- Press the syrup side firmly into the sesame seeds so they coat it fully.
- Set it sesame side up on the parchment.
- Gently press and stretch it with your fingertips into a thin oval about 3 inches (7.5 cm) long and ⅛ inch (3 mm) thick.
- Scatter a pinch of chopped pistachios on top and press them in lightly.
- Repeat with the rest, leaving 1½ inches (4 cm) between cookies, about 14 per sheet.
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Ready when: Each oval is evenly thin, fully covered with seeds, and has no thick center.
Tip: Brush on only a thin layer of syrup. Too much makes the cookies soggy and the seeds slide off.
9
Bake the cookiesOven 350°F / 175°C
- Bake both sheets at 350°F (175°C) for 16 to 18 minutes.
- Swap the sheets between racks and rotate them front to back halfway through, at about 9 minutes.
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Ready when: Edges and sesame seeds are deep golden brown, and the cookie bottoms are golden.
Tip: Thin cookies go from golden to burnt quickly, so check at 15 minutes.
10
Cool until crisp
- Leave the cookies on the baking sheets for 5 minutes.
- Then move them to a wire rack with a spatula and cool completely, about 10 more minutes.
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Ready when: Cookies snap cleanly when bent and feel crisp, not soft.
Tip: They are soft when hot. Don't move them before the 5-minute rest or they will bend and break.

Good to know

Tips

Roll the dough thin. Cookies thicker than ⅛ inch (3 mm) bake up chewy in the center instead of snappy.
Press the sesame seeds in firmly. Seeds that are only lightly pressed fall off when the cookies cool.
Bake cookies of the same thickness together. Thin ones brown faster and can burn while thicker ones finish.
Keep leftover sesame seeds for another batch. Store them airtight for up to 1 week.

Make ahead

"The dough can be made up to 2 days ahead. Wrap it tightly and refrigerate it, then let it sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before shaping. The syrup keeps in a covered jar in the fridge for up to 1 week. Toasted sesame seeds keep in an airtight container for 1 day."

Storage & reheating

"Room temperature: store in an airtight tin, layered with parchment, for up to 2 weeks. Fridge: not recommended, because it can soften the cookies. Freezer: freeze baked cookies in a rigid airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature for 30 minutes. To re-crisp any cookies that have softened, warm them on a baking sheet at 300°F (150°C) for 5 minutes, then cool."

Substitutions

unsalted butter → ghee, same weight (115 g). This is the traditional choice. The cookies taste richer and more nutty, and they bake a little crisper.
raw unsalted shelled pistachios → blanched slivered almonds or pine nuts. Use the same amount, chopped. The flavor is different but the texture is just as good.
orange blossom water → rose water, or leave it out. Use ½ tsp rose water, as it is stronger. If omitting, add an extra ½ tsp lemon juice.
whole milk → plant-based milk, such as unsweetened almond or oat milk. Use the same amount. Choose unsweetened and unflavored.