Black Sesame Seed Cookies Recipes

BLACK AND WHITE SESAME SEED COOKIES

Steps:

• Cookies:
• Whisk baking powder, salt, and 3 cups cake flour in a small bowl to combine. Using an electric mixer on high speed, beat butter and sugar in a medium bowl until well combined (butter does not need to be fluffy), about 3 minutes. Add egg and egg yolk and beat just to combine. Reduce speed to low and gradually mix in dry ingredients. Divide dough in half and form into 3/4"-thick disks. Wrap in plastic and chill until firm, about 2 hours.
• Place racks in upper and lower thirds of oven and preheat to 325°F. Let 1 disk of dough sit at room temperature until slightly softened, about 5 minutes.
• Roll out dough on a lightly floured sheet of parchment paper, shifting often on sheet and dusting with more flour as needed to keep from sticking, until about 1/4" thick. Punch out rounds with cookie cutter and transfer to parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing 1 1/2" apart. Pat scraps into a 3/4"-thick disk. Chill 15 minutes.
• Bake cookies, rotating baking sheets halfway through, until edges are golden brown, 12-15 minutes. Transfer cookies to wire racks and let cool. Cut out and bake scraps, then repeat process with remaining disk of dough.
• Do Ahead
• Dough can be made 1 month ahead; freeze. Cookies can be baked 2 weeks ahead; wrap tightly and freeze. Thaw before decorating. Frosting and Assembly Toss black sesame seeds and oil in a medium shallow bowl to coat seeds (this will keep them jet-black and shiny). Place white sesame seeds in another medium shallow bowl.
• Frosting and assembly:
• Whisk powdered sugar, lemon juice, salt, and 1/3 cup water in a large bowl until smooth. Place half of the icing in a pastry bag fitted with a 1/8" tip. (Or use a large resealable plastic bag and cut a small opening in 1 corner.)
• Working with 1 cookie at a time, pipe down center and then around the edge of half of the cookie to create a semicircle. Pipe icing inside border to fill, then use a small offset spatula to evenly spread over half of the cookie. Working quickly so icing is still wet, dip frosted part of cookie into white sesame seeds, patting gently to adhere, then letting excess fall back into bowl. Let sit 15 minutes for icing to set.
• Repeat process on the other half of the cookie, dipping into black sesame seeds, and let sit at least 20 minutes before serving
• Do Ahead
• Cookies can be frosted and decorated 1 day ahead. Store airtight at room temperature.

BLACK SESAME LACE COOKIES

Steps:

• Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or a handheld mixer or a wooden spoon), cream the butter until creamy and light, about 2 minutes. Add the granulated sugar and brown sugar and continue to beat on medium speed for about 1 minute, or until combined. Turn the speed down to low and add the flour and mix until well combined. Slowly drizzle in the orange juice and mix for about 30 seconds; the mixture will look a little broken, which is okay. Mix in the sesame seeds.
• Transfer the batter to an airtight container and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or for up to 1 week.
• When ready to bake cookies, position a rack in the center of the oven, and heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a very flat baking sheet with parchment paper. (This batter spreads like crazy, so you have to use an extremely flat baking sheet in order for the cookies to bake in circles and not amoeba-like shapes.)
• Pinch off rounded tablespoon-size balls of dough and place on the prepared baking sheet, spacing them at least 3 inches apart to allow for spreading.
• Bake for 16 to 18 minutes, or until the cookies are completely golden brown throughout. Let cool completely (they must be firm to the touch) on the baking sheet on a wire rack. Gently remove the cookies from the parchment.
• The cookies can be stored, in layers separated with sheets of parchment paper or waxed paper, in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.