Regina cookies (Sicilian Sesame Cookies)

Sesame cooking with fresh zest and juice of oranges

Sesame Cookies - Regina Cookies 

4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 pinch salt
2 sticks unsalted butter, softened at room temperature

1 cup sugar

2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
zest 2 oranges

Juice of 1 – 1 ½ oranges

2 cups raw sesame seeds

Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Dry ingredients: In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt.

Wet ingredients: In another large bowl, add the butter and sugar; blend well with an electric mixer until creamy. Add the eggs, zest, vanilla, and juice of 1 orange; blend again. Add the dry ingredients in three to four batches;  continue beating on low speed until the dough is fairly smooth.  If the dough is a little dry, add a little more juice of orange, a little at a time and mix well. Pinch off a piece of dough and see if it forms a ball easily. Make small golf size balls first, then roll into an oblong shape, about 1 ½ inches long. (The dough should be coming together well, it should not be too soft to the touch)

Rolling the cookies in the sesame seeds

Place the sesame seeds in a plate and roll the cookies into the sesame seeds, pressing them so the seeds stay on. Place the cookies on the baking sheets keeping the cookies 1- 1 ½ inches apart. Bake 20-25 minutes or until lightly browned at the bottom. Cool, and store in airtight containers. Baking time depends on size of cookies.  The sesame seeds on cookie should be slightly golden.  Makes about 2 dozen depending on size.

Baking the sesame cookies 

I have made these cookies before by following a traditional recipe that my mom used to make....they turned out a little too dry for me.  So, I experimented with orange zest and juice instead of adding more butter or eggs and they were simply delicious, beautifully scented!

These are great dunkers! Growing up my dad would dunk these cookies in red wine, while I would dunk them in my mother’s freshly made lemonade. I still prefer the lemonade.