The best books for a man are not always those which the wise recommend, but often those which meet the peculiar wants, the natural thirst of his mind, and therefore awaken interest and rivet thought.
William Ellery Channing
When was the last time you lost yourself in a book? Picked it up and got sucked up into the story and could not put it down? When was the last time you read a book and each time you take your eyes off it to look at the time you find that a couple of hours have gone by? I’ll stop at 12, six hours of sleep should be enough. You look up, its one thirty! Ok ok, I am in trouble already so I might as well finish the chapter. You finally get to bed and its 2.30 in the morning, a voice on your head whispers how on earth am I going to get up in four hours and drive to work? but it is quickly drowned out by recap of the book and highlights you’re reliving in your imagination. You fall asleep with a smile.
A good book is one of life’s greatest joys. A book that makes you lose track of time and better yet, leaves you thinking long after you turn the last page.
I was writing this post yesterday and decided to take a break. I install the kindle app on my phone and think it would be a good idea to read a couple of pages of the hunger games book my best friend sent me,you know, get the feel of the story and the next thing I know it is 2.30 and I HAVE to put it down for worrying I would be too sleepy to drive the next morning!
I will not go into the book today, that is another post for another day but I would love to hear your answer for the question: what is your favorite book? and when was the last time you were so into a story that you simply could not put it down? at the pace I am going I will be through the three books in the series in no time, any suggestions on what I should read next?
The best way to enjoy a good book is to curl up with a cup of tea, a few cookies and dive in. Barazek are cookies topped with a thick layer of sesame that is mixed with honey or simple syrup on one side while the other is dotted with pistachios. They are nutty and addictive. You bite into the sesame layer and feel the little sesame seeds crackle and pop then comes the cookie core, buttery and sweet and you finish with the nutty and pleasant taste of the rosy green pistachios.
If you want your barazek cookies to be crunchy, make them thin. The thinner they are the more crisp and crunchy they turn out to be after baking but you will need to reduce the baking time as they will bake faster when they ate thinner. I like them a little on the chewy side so I made my barazek cookies a little thick. Either way they are the perfect combination of texture, color and flavor. Bake these barazek cookies and I promise you will not be disappointed.
Honey pistachio sesame cookies “barazek”
Makes 30 cookies
1 cup (200 g) butter softened
1 and 1/4 cups confectionary sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 teaspoons vinegar
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
Pinch of salt
1 cup pistachio roughly chopped
1 cup sesame seeds
3 tablespoons honey or simple syrup (see notes)
Cream the butter with the sugar until the mix becomes light in color
Add the eggs, one at a time and beat until completely incorporated
Add the vanilla and vinegar and beat
Whisk the flour with the baking powder and add it gradually with the salt to the mix and beat untill just incorporated
Do not over mix
Cover the dough and leave it in the fridge to rest for an hour up to overnight
To roll and bake the barazek cookies
Mix the sesame and honey and place it in a plate
place the chopped pistachio in a plate
Line your baking sheet with parchment
Place your oven rack in the middle position and preheat the oven to 180 C
Start by rolling pieces of the dough into walnut size balls
Press the dough ball into the pistachio, flatten it a little
Flip the cookie dough and press it into the sesame honey mix (If you like extra sesame topping, use a spoon to top the cookie with more sesame honey mix and press it into the dough to make sure it sticks)
Arrange the cookies on your baking sheet 2 cm apart
bake for 15-20 minutes until the bottoms are golden brown
Turn on the broiler for a couple of minutes
Take out of the oven and allow to cook on the tray for 5 minutes them transfer to a wire rack and cook completely
Store in an air tight container
Notes:
If you find it hard to get the sesame topping to stick to the cookies, you can take a spoonful of the sesame honey topping and press it gently to the top of the cookies instead of pressing the cookies into the sesame
You can make these cookies crunchy by making them thin, the thinner they are the more crisp and crunchy they turn out to be after baking but you will need to reduce the baking time as they will bake faster when they ate thinner. I like them a little on the chewy side so I made mine a little thick
By simple syrup I mean the syrup you make by boiling 2 cups of sugar with 1 cup of water and 1 tablespoon lemon juice. You can flavor it with rosewater , cinnamon, orange peel or leave it plain
Abeer, one of the most talented cake decoraters, sweetest and most creative bloggers I know asked me to take part in an event she is preparing for Christmas. She asked a few of her favorite bloggers (it is an honor being in that category) to take part in her christmas extravaganza. She asked for a traditional recipe or a new twist on a favorite one and I decided to make these hone sesame cookies for her. Please stop by her blog and check out all the amazing and creative recipes everyone brought
1. Chocolate cranberry skillet cake from Sandra at Sandra’s Easy Cooking
2. Pistachio and cardamom semifreddo with rose cream from Manu at Manu’s Menu
4. Chocolate cookies with candied fruit slices from Kate at Diethood
6. Poppy seed roll (Makowiec) from Raven at Ravienomnoms
7. Stollen from Roxana at Roxana’s Home Baking
8. Cocoa mint shortbread from Tiffany at Comowater
9. Rose syrup chocolate bark from Abeer at Cake whiz
Anonymous
/ April 17, 2013hello mrs sawsan. bil sodfe fitet 3ala maw2a3ik w yay! chi bicha7e w khsouse hal barazek. ya3tik l 3afie. pls can u inform me 1 cup = .how many grms? thank u w ne7na 2akletik ra7 ykhalou l dehke 3ala wjouhna
Sawsan@ Chef in disguise
/ April 18, 2013Hello
Thank you for stopping by and for your kind comment.
You can find all the conversions you need on my conversion table page.
In it you can look for how many grams make a cup of different ingredients
http://chefindisguise.com/conversion-tables/
I hope that you’ll find it helpful
fati's recipes
/ January 21, 2013Barazek! All of my love on a plate. Shukran so very much for the recipe, I’ve been after a good once for a long time now. Will be trying these as soon as I can!
unepalestinienneaparis
/ January 5, 2013So wonderful blog, so beautiful pictures…
Sawsan@ Chef in disguise
/ January 5, 2013Thank you for stopping by and for your kind comment
jenn
/ January 1, 2013I’ve been looking for this recipe for decades! When I was younger, a friend of mine brought them back from Syria. Not being Arabic, I did not know what they were called. They were so yummy, I haven’t forgotten them in 20 years. Thanks for the recipe.
flavorsofthesun
/ December 23, 2012I thought I just commented on this post, but it seems to have gone astray. What a lovely roundup, especially the lovely recipe for your Mum’s cookies, which look great–plus they have a fun story behind them. I sincerely hope you have loving, peace-filled holidays–and good health as well.
Kate@Diethood
/ December 23, 2012Sawsan, I am going to make these as soon as I get a chance! These cookies will be a new favorite around here… beautiful!
comowater.com
/ December 21, 2012What an absolutely great way to use sesame seeds! And so nice to participate in this round up with you!
thatskinnychickcanbake
/ December 21, 2012What marvelous cookies!!! I love that they are coated in sesame seeds….mmmmm. PS…I loved the last book I read for my book club…I was hooked! It was called the Art of Fielding.
cakewhiz
/ December 20, 2012thanks alot for bringing these cookies to my extravaganza hun. they were a great addition and they are so different. i have never had a cookie with so many fabulous ingredients combined together. and your pictures… WOW! they are stunning!
Sawsan@ Chef in disguise
/ December 20, 2012Thank YOU for the invitation Abeer. It was a pleasure and an honor. I updated the post with links and shared on facebook too
Shibi Thomas
/ December 18, 2012These cookies look delectable!!! Great combination of pistachios and sesame
Kristy
/ December 16, 2012I read three trilogies this summer which was probably the most I have ever read at any given point of my life. Each was the same – couldn’t put them down. The Hunger Games was by far the ones that I really had the hardest time putting down. Read them all in record time (at least for me). These cookies look very tasty and just so pretty. You really do have a knack for making beautiful dishes Sawsan.
Bam's Kitchen
/ December 15, 2012Delightfully crispy cookies and love the bright green pistachios and sesame seeds. I have joined a book club and love to read at night before going to sleep. “The ship of Brides” by Jo Jo Moyes was one of the last books I enjoyed.
Nami | Just One Cookbook
/ December 15, 2012I made sesame cookies last week too! I grew up eating sesame seeds as in sweets, and I already know these cookies are super delicious. That nutty flavor to me is really addictive and hard to control! Love the pistachio. I need to remember this recipe next time!
miriam
/ December 14, 2012I totally understand… Im sure it is hard to photograph well .. your photographs are always so lovely.. ty for your offer to email the recipe but i dont want to impose just wanted to kindly remind you in case you had forgotten…patiently waiting!
Norma Chang
/ December 14, 2012My favorite nut and seeds in one bite, love them.
ChgoJohn
/ December 14, 2012These cookies sound wonderful, Sawsan. The honey, sesame seeds and pistachio nuts offering a little something for everyone. Great tip, too, about how the thickness will affect the cookie’s crispiness. This is true for many cookies and novice cooks will appreciate the helpful hint.
miriam
/ December 14, 2012hi great cookies..but still waiting kaek bil zaet and kaft bil tahineh..us measurements please!
Sawsan@ Chef in disguise
/ December 14, 2012Hello Miriam
The kaek bil zaet is coming very soon. I am sorry for the delay but my daughter has her final exams and that is keeping me very busy. As for the kafta, I have not forgotten about it, in fact I have made it so many times to post it for you but the problem is I can’t take a single decent picture of it! for some reason I am unable to style and photograph kafta lol
I can email you the recipe if you want, measurements and all but no picture so far.again I am really sorry for the delay
Asiya @ Chocolate and Chillies
/ December 14, 2012It’s been almost 3 years since I read a book. Ever since my youngest was born I feel like I just don’t have the time. Before he was born I was always reading something…do miss it and hope to get back into it soon.
These cookies look delicious. I had them once at a friend’s house for the very first time and we really enjoyed them!
myninjanaan
/ December 13, 2012these are beautiful! My dad loves biscuits with nuts, so I think I might make some for him when i go to visit
Laura T (@TheSpicedLife)
/ December 13, 2012I am not a huge honey fan, but the flavored simple syrup sounds wonderful. And I love the contrasting textures. Pinning! And the answer to your question is quite often, I never get enough sleep, and I don’t think I have a favorite book. That would be too hard.
mjskit
/ December 13, 2012I’m reading Ken Follett’s Winter of the World and was reading it at 2 am this morning! I might as well have stayed up until 3 reading because when I went to bed I was still thinking about it! It’s the second of the series and the first book (Fall of Giants) was just a good. I LOVE getting sucked into a good book! You’re right – a cup of tea and plate of cookies is a great accompaniment to reading a good book. I’ve never heard of barazek cookies. They look quite different from any cookies I’ve had, but best of all – they look delicious! I love the topping of sesame seed and honey! I love these!
Sahar
/ December 13, 2012The photo is awesome.
Suzanne Perazzini
/ December 13, 2012I have to always have a book on the go or I feel bereft in some way. I know exactly what you are saying but there are so few books out there that capture me that way. But The Hunger Games certainly did. It was unputdownable. I also loved the second one but not so much the last one – far too dark.
Profiteroles & Ponytails
/ December 13, 2012I am smiling because I read The Hunger Games books (all 3) in just over a week! I will have to email you some of my recommendations because I always have a book on the go for reading on the subway (tonight I missed my stop because I was at the end of a good book). Now about those cookies…they look amazing. Did your daughter help with the rolling???? The girls helped me make ma amools on the weekend and they loved them!
Anonymous
/ December 13, 2012What a lovely nutty treat, Sawsan. I think the pistachios by themselves are enough for my taste though the sesame seed coating does make them even more special.
I treated myself to 2 Silpats last month (saw them in your picture above and was reminded of it) and am looking forward to seeing how my cookie baking is affected in the future as I usually use parchment paper … though the spritz cookies I made a few days ago didn’t need them.
Rufus' Food and Spirits Guide
/ December 13, 2012Wow, this looks wonderful. I need to find sesame seeds in bulk!
Chris at Hye Thyme Cafe
/ December 13, 2012This became one of my favorite cookies when I was introduced to it just a few years ago, but the seeds and pistachios were combined. I like your description of: “You bite into the sesame layer and feel the little sesame seeds crackle and pop then comes the cookie core, buttery and sweet and you finish with the nutty and pleasant taste of the rosy green pistachios.” I will definitely try to remember to make them that way next time.
spree
/ December 13, 2012These are really stunning Sawsan! And I love the versatility “baked into” them! Looks like another one of your delecatables I must try. (can I cop to a particularly lazy moment right now? What I’d Truly like is to sit down to your table, Your tea, and these beautiful little cookies of yours! And a good long talk about life!) x
Amira@arabianmama.com
/ December 12, 2012Oh Sawsan, I loooove Barazek. It reminds me of my dad and late winter nights in Egypt
.Thanks for warming my heart with such sweet memories of home, I really miss it.
Chica Andaluza
/ December 12, 2012That is a beautiful recipe! I know my parents would love these as they are huge fans of sesame so will have to make a batch when I next see them. and I too love reading and often read far too late into the night because I have a good book on the go!
Saskia (1=2)
/ December 12, 2012YUM Sawsan. I love barazek. I’d love one right now in fact, with my morning coffee. Mixing honey with the sesame seeds sounds like a great idea.
PS. Beautiful photos, as always!
Tonette Joyce
/ December 12, 2012I really MUST try these! I have a THING for sesame seeds;I made sesame chicken yesterday and sesame candy is on my to-do list for the holidays. And I will admit to eating far too m any pistachios last night…hope there are enough for the cookies!
Cathy
/ December 12, 2012Your cookies really do look good – so beautifully presented too!
I couldn’t choose just one book as my favourite, but a couple of years ago I got completely sucked into a John Irving novel (really thick!) called “Last Night in Twisted River”. It was a true epic and I loved it!
Eva Taylor
/ December 12, 2012I know exactly what you mean, Sawsan, I’ve missed my streetcar stop a number of times because I was lost in my book (and had to walk back)! I am into reading murder mysteries and my favourite author for a long time has been Jonathon Kellerman, an American Psychiatrist turned novelist. His books usually have the same protagonists, Alex Dellaware, a child psychiatrist and LAPD detective Milo Sturgis and I love the way that the books continue the development of their friendship and lives. I also like reading John Grisham because his books ring true being a real life lawyer. I don’t love fluff romance books, but was sucked into the 50 Shades series and that made life exciting for the time I read all three
(actually inhaled them during my workouts on the elliptical — not surprisingly my workouts improved during this time).
This recipe is another testament to why I love blogging, thank you. I am going to try to add it to my ever-growing Christmas baking list, I hope I will have time to make it.
sallybr
/ December 12, 2012I haven’t had a “literature” book in a long time. Which is a shame. But one book I simply could not put down was “The Seven Ages of Paris”. I tend to like history type books, and this covers the beginnings and major happenings in my favorite city in the world (well, one of). It is a fascinating book….
john@kitchenriffs
/ December 12, 2012Gosh, I read all the time. And am always getting lost in books. Or in blogs like yours! Gotta read just one more recipe, you know!
Anyway, it’s cookie season in our household, and these look like a great addition to the long list we bake. Love all the flavors! Good stuff – thanks.
Sarvani
/ December 12, 2012ooooo.. i love the sound of these cookies..Sawsan.. am crazy about sesame.. i love its taste, its texture and the crackle when you bite into it!!! and dont i know about non-stop reading when I have a good book.. Its hell the next morning… but I cant resist a good book!!
Laura | Family Spice (@familyspice)
/ December 12, 2012Those cookies look so crunchy and delicious! And I totally know what you mean about getting lost in a good book. I don’t read like I used to, not time with kids and blogging, but I love to reread my Jane Austen classics!
saffronandhoney
/ December 12, 2012I love pistachios! Looks beautiful.
Tales and Travels of the Tin Man
/ December 12, 2012These are some of my very favorite, favorite cookies. I always go to the Middle Eastern market to buy them and now I can make them!!!! Thanks so much for sharing. The mixture of the pistachio and sesame combined with the honey makes these so wonderful. Sawsan, YOU have done it again! MARVELOUS!
shakiraas
/ December 12, 2012Assalamu alaikum, I love that you posted this recipe. A Syrian friend of my Husband gifted us with a big box full of barazek when he returned from there. They are so addictive it’s unbelievable, I had to give so many away to my husband’s family because I kept popping a few in my mouth whenever I was in the kitchen!!! Shukran!!!
Umm_Rayan
/ December 12, 2012hi is vinegar necessary ingredient ..can i exclude it? as i am allergic to it..i really do want to try this recipe..kindly reply plz
Sawsan@ Chef in disguise
/ December 13, 2012Hello Um Rayan.
You can do it without the vinegar for sure. I just add it to get rid of the egg smell
Cher
/ December 12, 2012These are lovely – I always like the subtle hint of color that pistachios bring to anything. Beautiful!
I borrowed my daughter’s copies of The Hunger Games and went through all three books in one weekend. Sometimes books just draw you in like that!
chef mimi
/ December 12, 2012These look so good I can taste them! I’ve been knitting more than reading lately so I have no book suggestions…