Time for something savory to serve with your next Gin and Tonic, French 75, sparkling rosé, or, your favorite aperitivo. This easy recipe for Savory Black and White Sesame Cocktail Biscuits has been making regular appearances in our house lately. It is not a recipe I developed, nor is it a recipe I make myself.
This recipe comes from Dorie Greenspan and an article in “Food & Wine” magazine a while back about her favorite cocktail nibbles. My husband has been making them enthusiastically for sometime now and we all like them so much that I thought it was about time I shared the recipe with you.
In the picture you see there are three different kinds of cocktail biscuits (or cookies, as Dorie calls them). The Savory Black and White Sesame cookies, Apricot-Tarragon cookies, and, Chocolate-Cayenne cookies. Each one is like a small cookie–rather than a cracker–and each offers interesting and savory flavor combinations.
Our absolutely favorites, however (and the ones to which we have become almost addicted), are those luscious, buttery, black and white sesame cocktail biscuits. The recipe couldn’t be easier and it needs just a handful of ingredients you probably already have at home.
As we slowly enter a new phase that will finally allow for some social interaction, I hope you do whip up a batch to share with your friends and serve with drinks on the patio. Neither you nor your guests will be disappointed!
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup almond meal or ground almonds
- ⅓ cup sugar
- 1 tsp. fine sea salt
- 4 oz. cold butter, cut into ½-inch dice
- 1 large egg, beaten
- --- Black & white sesame seeds, for sprinkling
- In a food processor, pulse the flour, almond meal, sugar and salt until combined. Add the cold butter and pulse until the mixture forms large clumps. Turn the dough out onto a clean work surface and knead gently until it comes together. Divide the dough in half and press each half into a disk. Roll out each disk between 2 sheets of wax paper to ¼-inch thick. Slide the wax paper–covered disks onto a baking sheet and freeze for at least 1 hour, until firm.
- Preheat the oven to 350° and line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Working with one piece of dough at a time, peel off the top sheet of wax paper. Using a 1½-inch round cookie cutter, stamp out the cookies as close together as possible. Arrange the cookies 1 inch apart on the prepared baking sheets. Lightly brush the cookies with the beaten egg and sprinkle with the black and white sesame seeds.
- Bake the sesame cookies for 17 to 20 minutes, until they are lightly browned; shift the baking sheets from top to bottom and front to back halfway through. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for 3 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack and let them cool completely.
Usually we make the whole recipe, but only bake half of it at a time. You can wrap the rolled-out frozen dough in plastic and keep it frozen for up to 2 weeks; thaw the dough slightly before using. The baked cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days and in the refrigerator for a few more days.
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These look delicious. I love sesame seeds, I even put them in my oatmeal! Thanks Marilena, David, and Dorie.
I know you are going to love these, Kathe! I hope you try them – they are so easy to make!
All of the flavors sound wonderful! Sounds like a delightful indulgence for a summer afternoon.
Thank you so much Heather – these little savory cookies are delicious!!
Amazing! I love savoury cookies, thank you so much for sharing!
You are very welcome, Michiel! I love savory cookies too, such a perfect pairing with cocktails or just a quick snack at anytime of the day!
The dough for me turned out too soft so I had to re-form them. I put the flattened dough in the freezer and maybe let it defrost too long? I didn’t put too much butter…but I did use almond flour rather than meal. Any insight?
Hmmmm, if you measured the flour correctly (which I am sure you did), the dough shouldn’t be that soft. Generally, cold dough is easier to form, so do not let it come to room temperature. I would suggest adding a little more flour to help with the consistency of the dough – it will not affect the flavor. I hope this helps!
how do you make the chocolate looking cookie?
These are the Chocolate-Cayenne cookies by Dorie Greenspan!