For one of my Chinese lady friends who had a birthday on March 11th which we celebrated during our Mahjongg get-together, I made a new type of cake featuring black sesame powder which had been gifted to me awhile ago. I will do a post on that cake in a few days. Meanwhile, it’s Eid Al-Fitr, the celebration of the end of Ramadan, the Muslim month of fasting, and every year I like to wish those who celebrate “Eid Mubarak” which means Happy Eid. The Eid this year coincides with the Spring Equinox and thus with Nowruz, which is the Persian new year, thus New Year’s Day for many people. I wish joy for all people on this special day.
This isn’t the first cookie I’ve made with sesame seeds or tahini, but it is the first butter cookie I’ve ever experimented with using both black sesame powder and black sesame tahini. I had no idea how it would turn out but since the birthday cake was delicious and I liked the nutty flavor, I used my basic Mini Teacake recipe as a starting point as well as my experience as a life-long cookie baker. Since I didn’t have raw black sesame seeds, I added some regular sesame seeds, toasted, to the batter. I brought only the plain cookies to Mahjongg yesterday since my Chinese lady friends, like many Chinese people, prefer less sugar. For myself, the tests were to see check whether the Mini or the Crystal-sugar-topped cookies could be added to those varieties. They each are a success, holding them to my strict standards.
The ladies loved the basic cookie, commenting on the inspired addition of toasted sesame seeds to the black sesame butter cookie, making it delightfully nutty and savory. I didn’t share the other two types with them this time, but I will make the Minis in future and share those. The sugar-topped are pretty and will appeal to those who like the flavor and texture. I’ve grown fond of black sesame and my Chinese ladies think this cookie is a good choice to take along to China later this year on a special trip looking for an angel.
Ms Chef in Seattle 