Taaralikus Sephardic Cookies Recipes

TAHINI COOKIES

Steps:

• Place racks in upper and lower thirds of oven and preheat to 350°F. Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat butter, sugar, and honey in a large bowl until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in tahini, then add dry ingredients in 2 batches, beating after each addition until fully combined. Dough will be slightly sticky.
• Place sesame seeds in a small bowl. Scoop out heaping tablespoons of dough (about 1 oz.) and roll into balls. Dip tops of balls in sesame seeds, pressing to adhere, and place, sesame side up, on 2 parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing about 2" apart. Bake cookies, rotating baking sheets halfway through, until golden brown, 13-15 minutes. Let cool on baking sheets (cookies will firm as they cool).

TAARALIKUS SEPHARDIC COOKIES

Steps:

• Beat eggs and margarine until foamy.
• Add sugar slowly while beating. Add oil, lemon and vanilla while beating.
• Add baking powder to 2 cups of flour, and add the flour to the batter gradually (1/2 cup at a time).
• When the dough holds together in a soft ball, you have added enough flour. Cover the bowl full of dough, and refrigerate for an hour.
• To form a cookie, roll out a little dough at a time, roll into a log, and fold into a ribbon shaped cookie.
• Place cookies on baking sheets lined with parchment paper.
• Bake at 350 F (180 C) for 15-20 minutes, or longer if you like them brown.

SESAME RINGS (SPAIN)

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with silicone mats or parchment, or coat them with nonstick cooking spray.
• Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt together in a medium bowl.
• Beat the eggs and yolks with the sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer until very light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the tahini, oil and vanilla. Stir in the flour mixture until combined to make a soft dough. Cover the dough and set aside for 5 minutes before forming into rings.
• Pinch off a walnut-sized piece of dough and roll it into a rope that is about 5 inches long and 3/8-inch thick. (Dust your hands and the parchment lightly with flour if the dough is sticky.) Pinch the ends of the rope together to form a ring. Repeat until all the dough has been formed into rings.
• To glaze the cookies: Put the sesame seeds on a small plate. Whisk the egg white and honey together, and then brush each ring with the mixture. Then immediately dip the ring into the sesame seeds. Place the rings seeds side up, on the prepared baking sheet at least 1 inch apart.
• Bake rings until lightly browned, about 15 to 20 minutes. Transfer from baking sheet and cool on wire racks. Serve.

LEMON CORNMEAL COOKIES (COOKING LIGHT)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup, and level with a knife. Combine flour and the next 4 ingredients (through ground ginger); stir with a whisk. Combine sugar and butter in a large bowl, and beat with a mixer at medium speed until light and fluffy (about 5 minutes). Scrape sides of the bowl occasionally. Add egg; beat well. Beat in grated lemon rind. Add flour mixture to butter mixture, and beat at medium-low speed just until blended.
• Spoon about 1 1/2 teaspoons batter 2 inches apart onto 2 parchment-lined baking sheets. Bake at 350°F for 12 minutes or until lightly browned and almost firm. Remove from oven. Cool on pans for 2 minutes or until firm. Remove from pans. Cool completely on a wire rack.