Italian Sesame Cookies

Reasons to Love This Recipe

• It's straightforward. Basic ingredients and steps combine to produce a dough that's reliably easy to work with.
• Amplified flavor. Pre-toasting the sesame seeds accentuates their flavor for a nice sweet and savory balance.
• No fussy dipping. There's no need to dip each cookie in egg or milk for the sesame seeds to stick. The dough is just the right texture and is all you need.
• Reginelle make great Italian Christmas cookies. Their intentionally crisp texture means they have a lengthy shelf life. And while a few sesame seeds will inevitably come loose, they're a sturdy cookie and a good choice for mailing around the holidays.

Recipe Ingredients

• Sesame Seeds: While you can buy pre-toasted sesame seeds, they take just a few minutes to toast on the stovetop. It's also cheaper to do it yourself.
• Flour: Two cups (250 grams) of all-purpose flour are used. Because Italian sesame cookies are crisp and slightly crumbly in the first place, you want to measure correctly so excess flour doesn't accidentally make its way into the dough. I recommend weighing it for the most precision.
• Butter: This should be softened enough to be worked into the dry ingredients to form small crumbs.
• Milk: You'll need between 1-2 tablespoons to help the dough come together and form a ball. Any kind works.
• Vanilla Extract: This balances the savory sesame flavor wonderfully. If you like, substitute up to one-half teaspoon with anise extract.
• Orange Zest: While optional, fresh orange zest is another delicious variation that complements these flavors. I wouldn't go much higher than one teaspoon as the citrus flavor can begin to overwhelm and you want the sesame notes to shine through.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Prep-Ahead Step: toasting the sesame seeds. While not entirely necessary, toasting the sesame seeds brings out the depth in their flavor and really enhances this cookie.

Tip: If you haven't toasted the sesame seeds before starting this recipe, you'll have plenty of time during the dough's one hour chill to do so.

1. Whisk together the dry ingredients.
2. Add the softened butter and work it into the flour mixture with the stand mixer paddle attachment or a pastry blender. Continue until the butter is in small pieces around the size of a pea or smaller.

3. Add the egg, milk, vanilla extract, and orange zest and beat in until a ball of dough forms, hand kneading it briefly towards the end. It should have a smooth and very slightly tacky feel to it - not sticky.
4. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least one hour. This helps prevent the cookies from spreading too much as they bake.

5. Once chilled, slice the dough into six equal sections. Roll each section into a log about one-inch thick, then cut the dough into pieces about two inches long.

6. Roll pieces in sesame seeds until all sides are well-coated.
7. Place cookies on a parchment-lined baking sheet around 1 ½ inches apart from one another.

8. Bake Italian sesame cookies at 375°F for 20 or so minutes, or until golden. Immediately transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.

Recipe Variations

There are different ways you can tweak regina cookies depending upon family tradition and preference. The most basic features vanilla extract, which allows for a bolder sesame flavor to shine. I have a soft spot for this way as it was how my grandma and great aunts made them.

Other versions of Italian sesame cookies are flavored with anise and/or orange zest. I've tested this recipe with both of those flavorings (what work!) and find them just as delicious, too. The recipe card includes all options.

Tips and Tricks

• When toasting sesame seeds, stay close by to the pan as they can go from fragrant and lightly golden to the verge of burnt very quickly.
• Don't worry about the sesame seeds becoming too toasty if you pre-toast them. They don't continue to toast during the cookie bake time.
• If your dough is too sticky, work in additional flour a sprinkle at a time until it handles easier. If your dough is crumbly and not coming together, add additional milk one teaspoon at a time until it is more manageable.

Storage and Freezing Instructions

• Storage: Once completely cooled, store Italian sesame cookies in an air-tight container at room temperature. They should stay just fine for 1-2 weeks.
• Freezing: These cookies can be frozen in various stages.
  • Dough: Prepare the dough through step #3 of the instructions below, wrapping the ball snugly in plastic wrap. Place wrapped dough in a zip-top freezer bag and seal with all excess air pressed out. Freeze for up to 3-4 months, thawing in the refrigerator before shaping, rolling, and baking.
  • Unbaked Cookies: Slice the chilled dough into logs and roll in sesame seeds. Place shaped cookies next to one another on a parchment paper-lined sheet pan and freeze in a single layer. Once firm you can then transfer the cookies to a zip-top freezer bag for up to several months before thawing in the fridge and baking.
  • Baked Cookies: Add cooled cookies to an air-tight container or freezer bag with all excess air pressed out for up to 3 months for freshest results. Thaw at room temperature for 20 minutes before enjoying, or long enough to take the chill off.