Italian Seed Cookies
Ingredients
- 3 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup vegetable shortening
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 egg
- 3 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup heavy cream, for dipping
- 1 1/2 cups sesame seeds, for coating
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a couple of large baking sheets with cooking spray; set aside. In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt; set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixture with paddle attachment, cream together the butter, shortening and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla. Gradully add the flour mixture. Beat until dough is soft and smooth. Pour the cream into a medium bowl. Pour the sesame seeds into a shallow dish. To form the cookies, scoop out 1/2 cup of dough, form into a ball, place dough on a clean surface and roll out into a long log about 1-inch in diameter. Cut log into 2-inch pieces. Dip each piece into cream and then roll in sesame seeds. Shake off excess seeds and place on prepared baking sheet. Repeat with remaining dough. Bake until cookies are firm and light golden brown, about 20-25 minutes. Cool on a wire rack. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks or freeze for up to 3 months. Makes about 6 dozen cookies.