Barazek (Syrian Sesame Cookies)
Description
Ingredients
To make the thick syrup:
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/3 cup water
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon orange blossom water
To make the dough
- 250 grams/ 9 oz all purpose flour
- 125 grams/ 4.5 oz animal ghee plus 1 tablespoon
- 1 teaspoon full cream milk powder, optional
- 5 grams sugar vanilla, optional
For the sesame seeds:
- 250 grams ready toasted sesame seeds or white sesame seeds to be toasted
- 1 tablespoon sugar syrup
- 1 teaspoon sugar to be added to the sesame seeds
- 1 teaspoon water
(To be added later to the dough) called in Arabic tablee3a
- 50 ml cold water
- 125 grams /4.5 oz sugar
- 2 tablespoons sugar syrup
- 1 cup roughly crushed raw shelled pistachios
Instructions
- You need to start making the sugar syrup: This step can be made 2 weeks ahead and kept in the fridge until you decide to make barazek.
- To make the thick sugar syrup: Place the sugar, water and lemon juice in a saucepan over high heat, stir the mixture with a wooden spoon. Once it boils, reduce heat to very low and simmer for 5 minutes, uncovered. Add the orange blossom water, remove from heat and set aside to cool down, refrigerate.
- Mix together the flour and ghee, powdered milk (if used) and vanilla, and know knead well with both hands until you obtain a cohesive ball of one texture, this may take like 3 to 4 minutes, knead one more time, to obtain a malleable dough, transfer to a bowl, cover up and refrigerate for a minimum 1 hour or overnight.
- Meantime prepare the sesame seeds: In the Middle East, you can easily purchase ready toasted sesame for barazek, which is ideal to work with since the seeds are toasted equally to a golden color. If you can't find it ready toasted, toast your white sesame seeds to a golden color on the stovetop in a frying pan over medium heat (without adding oil), stirring until toasted, remove from heat and leave to cool down.
- Spread the sesame seeds on a countertop and add 1 tablespoon sugar syrup and 1 teaspoon of granulated sugar; infuse with the sesame seeds, then knead the sesame , using your both hands (watch the detailed video tutorial) for about 4 minutes, this step is crucial sesame should be kneaded well and sugar syrup should reach every sesame seed, keep on kneading until the smell of the toasted sesame seeds come out. Add a teaspoon of water and mix one more time for 1 minute. A good sign is when the sesame seeds start sticking on your hands, that means they will stick on the cookies easily.
- To be added to the dough (the tablee3a): Mix together the 50ml cold water with 125 grams sugar and 2 tablespoons of sugar syrup.
- Remove the dough from the refrigerator and you will notice that it solidified, knead it with your hands until it comes back togther to a malleable dough, note that it will take for about 2 minutes. Add the tablee3a and mix well, here at this stage ovoid kneading, just mix allowing the dough absorbing the liquid, the more you mix the better the result. You will notice that it is too sticky no worries, return it back to the fridge for 15 minutes and you will notice the dough has firmed up and ready to use.
- Sprinkle some flour on a countertop, divide the dough to two equal portions, and take one portion at a time and roll it back and forth until you have a long rope like dough. In order to get the right bite-sized barazek divide the rop-like to equal small portions, something like 1 inch long logs. Watch the video below. Roll the bite sized dough.
- Preheat the oven to 160°C/ 320°F.
- On the counter prepare the sesame seeds in a shallow bowl and another bowl of roughly crushed pistachios. Take one round dough at a time, press one side of the dough in the crushed pistachios exert some pressure, allowing it to coat this side of the cookie; turn over the dough and press it gently onto the sesame seeds with as many seeds as possible coating the dough, the dough should be thin to achieve the crispy texture of barazek, repeat with the rest of the dough. Watch the video tutorial.
- Line an oven sheet with parchment paper and delicately distribute the barazek, leaving just a bit of space between one piece and another.
- Bake in the oven for about 15 minutes until golden on both sides, ovens are different, so keep an eye on your barazek. Remove from oven, leave it to cool down completely, don't be tempted to taste them while they are still warm. The crunch will be created after the cookies have totally cooled down. Enjoy with a cup of coffee or tea.
Video
Notes
Note: To keep the crunch of barazek, put them in a plastic bag, then in an airtight container. If you follow the instructions carefully, barazek can be kept for 3 weeks fresh and crispy.
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