How to make sesame seed cookies

Sesame, (Sesamum indicum), erect annual plant of the family

Pedaliaceae, grown since antiquity for its seeds, which are used as food

and flavouring and from which a prized oil is extracted. Widely

cultivated, the sesame plant is found in most of the tropical, subtropical,

and southern temperate areas of the world. The aroma and taste of sesame

seed are mild and nutlike. The chief constituent of the seed is its fixed oil,

which usually amounts to about 44 to 60 percent. Noted for its stability,

the oil resists oxidative rancidity. The seeds are also high in protein and

are rich in thiamin and vitamin B6.

Sesame seed biscuits, aka sesame seed cookies are deliciously crunchy

biscuits packed with the flavours of toasted sesame seeds and honey.

They are a variation on my popular recipe, crunchy oat biscuits and are

just as simple to make. Sesame biscuits are perfect for lunchboxes,

picnics or simply to enjoy at home with a cup of tea or coffee. The

quantities in this biscuit recipe are sufficient to make around 26 biscuits if

using a 6.5cm (about 2.5 inch) biscuit cutter but of course you can make

them any size you wish.

History and uses

The sesame plant likely originated in Asia or East Africa, and ancient

Egyptians are known to have used the ground seed as grain flour. The

seeds were used by the Chinese at least 5,000 years ago, and for centuries

they have burned the oil to make soot for the finest Chinese ink blocks.

The Romans ground sesame seeds with cumin to make a pasty spread for

bread. Once it was thought to have mystical powers, and sesame still

retains a magical quality, as shown in the expression “open sesame,” from

the Arabian Nights tale of “Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves.”