Sesame seed sweets

[mkfradin]

Yes, I ordered 25# of cookie crumbs and got sesame seeds instead. I didn't catch the error in time to reject, b/c the vendor pasted the right label on the wrong box, and hasn't been by since Sept. to pick up. So I'm stuck with a ton of sesame seeds that I basically forgot about until yesterday.

Are they still good? What can I do with them? I'm guessing that someone somewhere has a sesame seed cookie/muffin/ scone/ something recipe that tastes good. Our area is also very health conscious and I get a lot of yoga people in talking about spelt flour and rice syrup. Is there something I can do with these seeds to appeal to them? Or am I better off taking them home and making hummous (or just throwing them out).

BTW, the vendor hasn't gotten any business from me since then.

Thanks for your suggestions.

Marjorie

[fou de Bassan]

Have they been refrigerated since September? Taste a few and see if they have a bitter or rancid taste. You can do tons with sesame seeds, but with 25 lbs.-- make halvah. Or halwah. It is a middle eastern confection of sesame seeds and honey. Maybe post on the middle eastern foods board for a recipe?

In the new Gourmet cookbook there is a recipe for sesame honey cookies that are very good and you use 1 cup of sesame seeds per batch.

Or you could make gomasio, a Japanese condiment consisting of sesame seeds and salt.

There are others more knowledgeable than I who should pipe up here.

Good Luck

[niobe]

i would be concerned about their freshness- they can go rancid fairly quickly depending upon storage conditions. Refrigeraton is best. Before using, lightly toast them to bring out their flavor.

I dont see them for scones or muffins- their texture and oily quality dont fit

But Benne wafers- and honey sesame cookies- definitely!

There is also a delicious "healthy " candy bark i have had- made from sesame seeds, honey, pepitas- wish i knew what else

[yellowmnm81]

yes, i was going to suggest benne seed wafers too.

for a simple sesame cookie.. this is a recipe from a japanese cookbook of mine.. (so sorry that it is in grams and cm, and also the lack of instructions. also it would probably be easier to double the recipe since it calls for 1/2 an egg.......)

Sesame Cookies

Makes 40 cookies

100 g flour, sifted

80 g unsalted butter, softened

40 g sugar

1/2 egg, lightly beaten

1 tsp vanilla extract

50g sesame seeds

Preheat oven to 170ºC (340ºF). Cream the butter and sugar. Add the egg and vanilla and beat together. Add sesame seeds and flour and stir to combine. Put in pastry bag (they say 1 cm tip....) and pipe out 1.5 cm diameter cookies. Bake for 15-20 min.

as for your health conscious clients.. try these health-food cookies from maida heatter. i haven't made them before.... but you can't go wrong with maida!

Health-Food Cookies from Maida Heatter's Book of Great Desserts

Makes 36 cookies

1 cup unsifted all-purpose whole-wheat flour

1 tsp baking powder

3/4 tsp salt

1 tbsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp powdered ginger

7 1/2 ounces (1 1/2 cups) raisins

4 ounces walnuts, coarsely broken or cut

4 ounces pecans, coarsely broken or cut

3 ounces pine nuts

4 ounces peanuts, salted or not

2 1/2 ounces sunflower seeds

2 1/2 ounces sesame seeds

1/2 cup wheat germ

1 cup rolled or quick-cooking oatmeal

1/2 pound butter

1/2 cup peanut butter (or any other nut butter)

1 1/4 cups firmly packed dark brown sugar

2 eggs

1/4 cup milk

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Sift the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and ginger. Add the raisins and toss until coated with the dry ingredients. Add in everything up until the butter and mix.

Beat the butter and nut butter together. Beat in sugar and then the eggs and milk. Add in the flour-nut mixture and stir until the dry ingredients are completely absorbed.

Scoop heaping tablespoonfuls 2 1/2 to 3 inches apart on sheets and flatten with back of spoon to about 3/4-inch thickness.

Bake 18 min. until lightly browned and semifirm to the touch.

[torakris]

sesame seed brittle

[chefcyn]

You can also grease the laof pans for any breads like banana bread, zucchini bread, etc, and pour in a half cup of seeds and roll them around to coat the sides of the pan before you put the batter in(as you might do with flour). It adds a nice crunchy flavorful crustiness to the outside of the loaves.

The Fanny Farmer Baking Book has a recipe for Honey Whole Wheat Sesame Bread that is out of this world. If you can't find a copy (it's out of print I think) I can send you a copy of the recipe)

Edited January 12, 2005 by chefcyn (log)

[andiesenji]

Try this sesame seed and honey candy

Greek sesame and honey candy.

It is virtually foolproof and very, very good.

[M. Lucia]

Benne wafers. Or bazarak (middle eastern sesame cookie).

They are also great sprinkled on top of llots of things. Persian naan comes to mind, and they have worked wonders for the appearance of fast food buns.

Also on the outside of multigrain bread.

[artisanbaker]

yes, a kind of nougatine is made frequently in france with sesames that can be quite good.

[mkfradin]

THanks for the suggestions.

Someone suggested halvah to me before I opened. I never thought anyone ever bought that stuff. It's like Israeli fruitcake, if you know what i mean.

Anything with "health" in the name is always a big draw (regardless of how much butter or sugar it contains), so I will do some experimenting--after I taste the seeds, of course.

Into the freezer they go.

Marjorie

[Swisskaese]

THanks for the suggestions. 

Someone suggested halvah to me before I opened.  I never thought anyone ever bought that stuff.  It's like Israeli fruitcake, if you know what i mean. 

Anything with "health" in the name is always a big draw (regardless of how much butter or sugar it contains), so I will do some experimenting--after I taste the seeds, of course.

Into the freezer they go.

Marjorie

←

Good Halvah is definitely not the "Israeli fruitcake". I though halvah was disgusting until someone brought me some from a small store in Jerusalem. It was amazing. It is hard to describe, but it is nothing like the preservative ridden type you can get in the States.