Sesame Cookies

Total Time: 40 mins

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup toasted sesame seeds
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 1/2 cups vegetable shortening

Recipe

• 1 mix the egg yolk with 1 teaspoon of water.
• 2 preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• 3 line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper.
• 4 prepare sesame seeds.
• 5 reserve 1/4 cup to garnish cookies, coarsely grind remaining seeds.
• 6 combine ground sesame seeds, sifted flour, baking powder and baking soda in a bowl.
• 7 in a mixing bowl, cream shortening and sugar until fluffy.
• 8 add eggs one at a time and beat until smooth after each addition.
• 9 add vanilla and stir to combine.
• 10 add dry ingredients to creamed mixture a little at a time and mix until well combined.
• 11 dough will be moist and pull away from sides of the bowl.
• 12 dust a work surface with about 1/4 cup flour.
• 13 knead the dough to form a smooth ball.
• 14 to shape each cookie, roll 1 tablespoon of dough into a ball.
• 15 press lightly with palm of your hand on cookie sheet.
• 16 place cookies 3 inches apart on cookie sheets; freeze for 20 minutes.
• 17 brush cookies with egg wash.
• 18 press reserved sesame seeds into dough.
• 19 bake for 15 - 20 minutes or until lightly browned.
• 20 remove and allow to cool.
• 21 store in airtight cookie tin for up to 2 weeks.