1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon cider vinegar
1 3/4 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 egg white
3/4 teaspoon white vinegar
1/2 cup pistachios, chopped
1/2 cup untoasted sesame seeds
Preparation:
In a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or with a hand-held mixer, cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the egg, vanilla and cider vinegar. Stir in the flour, baking powder and salt. Mix until combined. Turn out the dough, form into a ball, wrap with plastic film; refrigerate for 30 minutes.
In a bowl, mix the egg white, white vinegar and 1 tablespoon water and set aside. Place the chopped pistachios and sesame seeds in a wide dish or pie pan and set aside.
Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Divide dough in half; keep half reserved until ready to use. Measure 1 rounded teaspoon of dough, roll into a ball and flatten to form it into a 2-inch (by 1/8 -inch) circle. Lightly press one side of each cookie into the pistachios; turn the cookie over, brush the other side with egg wash and dip it in the sesame seeds to coat the other side. Place the cookies on a cookie sheet and bake pistachio-side down until the sesame seeds are lightly toasted and golden, 15 to 18 minutes.
From “Seductive Flavors of the Levant” by Nada Saleh. At Armenian bakeries you also find these crisp wafers exploding with sesame flavor.
For this story, see: https://www.latimes.com/recipe/sesame-pistachio-cookies-barazek
Yield: About 4 1/2 dozen cookies
“Barazek or barazeq (in Arabic barāzeq) is a classic Syrian-Palestinian cookie whose main ingredient is sesame (also called simsim and baksum in Arabic) and often also contains pieces of pistachio. Barazek is a typically Syrian culinary specialty, rooted in Damascus, the country’s capital. These cookies are popular in Homs or in Aleppo, a city located in the north-west of Syria and famous for its production of tasty pistachios. Although the barazek is originally a Syrian pastry, the recipe has spread widely throughout the Middle East, including Lebanon and Jordan. It is now common to find the famous sesame biscuits throughout the Levantine area (Lebanon, Israel, Jordan, Palestine and Syria) and beyond. It is one of the more traditional Palestinian desserts and it is easy to find stalls selling barazek on the streets of Jerusalem. Make it as big or as small as you want, crunchy or chewy depends on the thickness you form them, so these cookies can easily be tailored to your liking. For many Syrians, barazek is a sweet treat synonymous with exchange, conviviality and community spirit. They can be enjoyed throughout the year, accompanied by a cup of mint tea, black tea (preferably full-bodied) or Armenian coffee.”
Sesame seed is one of the oldest oilseed crops known, domesticated well over 3,000 years ago. Sesamum has many other species, most being wild and native to sub-Saharan Africa. Bob’s Red Mill adds: “The most apparent difference between these two seeds is their color. Black sesame seeds have a deeper color and almost always have the hull on. White sesame seeds have their hulls removed and reveal the inner white part of the seed. Removing the hull not only changes the color it also changes the nutritional value.”
References:
https://www.latimes.com/archives/blogs/daily-dish/story/2008-04-30/the-talented-mr-perry
https://www.apartamentomagazine.com/stories/charles-perry/
https://silkroadrecipes.com/barazek-sesame-seed-cookies/
https://sourandsweets.com/baksam-middle-eastern-sesame-seed-cookies/
https://streamofflavors.com/recipes/barazek-cookies/
https://amiraspantry.com/syrian-barazek-cookies/
https://ilovearabicfood.com/recipes/barazek-sesame-pistachio-cookies/
https://www.fufuskitchen.com/barazek-sesame-seed-cookies/
https://foodgps.com/marals-pastry-van-nuys/
https://la.eater.com/2017/3/10/14787576/best-house-made-baklava-los-angeles
https://www.discoverlosangeles.com/eat-drink/the-best-cookies-in-los-angeles
https://passionfruitgarden.com/2013/08/11/barazek-sesame-seed-cookies-or-in-need-of-a-lebanese-aunt/
