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Anise and Sesame Seed Cookies

These are lovely cookies whose ingredients are quite compatible with a wide-range of allergies--no dairy, no tree nuts (if you skip the almonds to decorate the tops, which I nearly always do), but they do have wheat.   This is adapted from a recipe I clipped from a newspaper years ago, but I don't know which one.   They are also known as 'Koulourakis me Glikaniso' according to the clipping.

Sheets ungreased         Oven 375 degrees F       Time 12-15'


3/4 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon anise seeds*
1 tablespoon sesame seeds

1 cup sugar
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 teaspoon orange zest

4 1/2 cups sifted all-purpose unbleached flour*
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon*

Sliced almonds for topping (optional)
Cinnamon-sugar for toppping
 

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Heat olive oil together with aniseeds and sesame seeds for about 5 minutes over medium heat, and let cool (you can skip this step if you're using ground anise seeds, which will spread the anise flavor through the dough without the olive oil steeping step).  

Beat in the sugar,  zests, and lemon juice.

Whisk or sift the cinnamon and flour together.  Stir into the oil mixture in several additions and mix gently until smooth.  Let rest 30 minutes at room temperature.

Roll out on a lightly floured surface to 1/4 inch thick and cut as you prefer--traditionally with a round cookie or biscuit cutter, but you can also just slice the dough into strips and squares or diamonds.   Place on cookie sheets and decorate with almonds (if using) and cinnamon sugar.  Press the almonds lightly into the dough so they'll stick after baking.  

Bake about 12-15 minutes.


*I make these with fresh-milled flour
    400grams soft wheat berries
    200grams hard wheat berries
    75grams short-grain brown rice
milled with
    1 tablespoon whole anise seeds
    2 teaspoons cinnamon, broken into bits

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