A traditional Syrian cookie similar to shortbread. They’re buttery, filled with pistachios and studded with sesame seeds – their crispy, light texture goes perfectly with a hot cup of coffee or tea.
Usually made with mahlab, ground pits from a wild cherry, the almond extract and ground anise/star anise/fennel will get you pretty close to the flavor.
You can make honey syrup to help sesame seeds stick to the dough, just pressing dough into sesame seeds is enough to make them stick but you might like the extra sweetness.
Ingredients
- ½ cup plus 2 Tbsp ghee, room temperature
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- ½ tsp baking powder
- 1 egg
- 1 ½ cup flour
- 1 tsp white vinegar
- 1/8 tsp almond extract
- ¼ tsp vanilla extract
- ½ tsp ground star anise, anise or fennel seeds (listed in order of best flavor fit)
- Pinch of salt
- 1 cup toasted white sesame seeds
- 1 cup pistachios, ideally unsalted, coarsely chopped
- Optional: 5 Tbsp honey and ¼ cup water
Directions
- Make optional honey syrup: In a small saucepan, mix honey and water. Simmer/stir over medium heat until honey dissolves – about 3 minutes. Remove from heat.
- Cream ghee, add sugar and mix well.
- Mix in egg, vinegar, almond and vanilla extracts and ground spice.
- Add flour, baking powder and salt. Refrigerate 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 350°. Scoop a generous tablespoon of dough, flatten into a disc about ¼ inch thick. Thinner = crunchier.
- If using honey syrup, pour into a large deep plate and add sesame seeds. Press one side of cookie into a bowl of pistachio pieces and then turn cookie over and dip in honey syrup/sesame mixture.
- Otherwise, press one side into a bowl of toasted sesame seeds and then the other side into chopped pistachios.
- Place on parchment-lined baking sheet, sesame-side-up.
- Bake about 20 minutes until bottom is golden brown. Leave on baking sheet about 5 minutes and then move to a rack to cool completely.
- Store in an airtight container.