Bazarek Cookies
Barazek Cookies are like shortbread but are slightly chewy. These nutty treats are coated with toasted sesame seeds soaked in orange blossom-flavored sugar syrup on one side and pistachios on the other. Enjoy these buttery cookies with hot tea or for dessert with your favorite flavor of ice cream!
Equipment
- stand mixer, oven
Ingredients
For the cookies:
- 9 oz butter unsalted
- ¾ cup powdered sugar
- 1½ cup all-purpose flour +1 tbsp
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1½ tsp yeast active dry
- ¼ cup milk whole
- ¼ tsp ground mahaleb optional
- ⅓ cup sesame seeds white, toasted
- 1 cup unsalted pistachios toasted, chopped
For the syrup:
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- ¼ cup water
- ½ tsp orange blossom water
- ¼ tsp lemon juice
- ½ tbsp butter melted
Instructions
How to make the syrup:
- Heat a small saucepot with sugar and water. Thicken the syrup by simmering it on medium heat for 4-5 minutes. Turn off the heat and add the orange blossom water and lemon juice.
- Once the syrup has cooled, add the melted butter to it.
- Add the toasted sesame seeds to the syrup and mix well.
How to make the cookies:
- Prepare the ingredients by weight or cup measurements.
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the butter with the powdered sugar until light and creamy.
- Add a third of the flour sifted with salt at a time. Add the remaining flour, ground mahleb, and the yeast and stir until combined.
- Add half the milk and mix until combined.
- Slowly drizzle more milk if needed until a thick dough-like consistency is reached. Cover with cling film and refrigerate for 15 minutes.
- Lightly grease a baking tray or use silicone mats. Take a small scoop of the dough (size of large walnuts) and make balls with your palms. Flatten the balls to 1/4 thickness or even thinner depending on your preference. Place the cookie in the sesame-syrup mixture on one side. remove and dip the other side in the coarsely chopped pistachios. Press lightly to make sure that the nuts stick to the cookie.
- Bake for 12-15 minutes or until light golden brown color. Serve with hot tea or coffee.
Notes
- Chop the pistachios instead of using whole nuts.
- The sesame seeds soaked in the sugar syrup helps the sesame stick easily to the cookies. The other way of doing it would be to brush the cookies with the syrup and roll on sesame seeds.
- If the cookies are flattened to less than 1/4 inch, then they will be crunchier.
- Place each cookie slightly apart from one another on the baking tray.
Nutrition
Calories: 107kcalCarbohydrates: 20gProtein: 4gFat: 5gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 2mgSodium: 50mgPotassium: 129mgFiber: 2gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 58IUVitamin C: 0.4mgCalcium: 57mgIron: 1mg
