Palestinian Sesame Cookies

3 Tablespoons white sugar

3 Tablespoons boiling water

2 cups + 2 Tablespoons all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon ground anise​ or ground fennel seeds or ground cardamom seeds

¼ tsp salt

¼ cup vegetable oil

¼ cup very soft butter, not melted

½ cup water

⅔ cup icing sugar (confectioners’ sugar)

1 teaspoon vanilla

½ cup sesame seeds (a 150 gram package contains more than 1 cup)

First make a simple syrup: put 3 Tablespoons white sugar in a very small bowl and pour in 3 Tablespoons boiling water. Stir until dissolved. Set aside.

For the cookies: Place flour, baking powder, baking soda, the spice you are using, and salt in a large bowl and stir until combined.

Add oil and very soft butter and mix well with a pastry cutter or fork.

In a small bowl, combine ½ cup water, icing sugar,  and vanilla, and stir until the icing sugar dissolves. Add to the dry ingredients and mix well until a soft dough forms.

Cover with a plate and refrigerate for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, toast the sesame seeds by spreading on a large, rimmed cookie sheet and baking at 350°F for 4 minutes until golden and fragrant. Watch carefully.

Place the sesame seeds in a bowl or on a large plate and stir in the simple syrup.

Pinch off  Tablespoon-sized pieces of dough and roll into smooth balls.

Roll the balls in the sesame seed and syrup mixture.

Place on an oiled cookie sheet, flatten to a uniform thickness of 1 centimetre with your hand. Bake at 350℉ for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the bottoms are golden brown. Remove from the cookie sheets immediately.

Yield: 30 cookies

Other spices that could be used include cinnamon, allspice, or nutmeg which are also widely used in Palestinian kitchens.