Biscotti Di Regina (Queen's Biscuits)
Submitted by natiel
Sicilian sesame seed cookies with a tender, crumbly interior coated in nutty toasted sesame. These Italian bakery favorites make 6 dozen and disappear twice as fast as you’d expect.
YIELD
6 dozenPREP
20 minCOOK
15 minREADY
35 minWalk into any Italian-American bakery from Brooklyn to Boston and you’ll spot a tray of these sesame-crusted beauties behind the glass.
Biscotti di Regina, the Queen’s Biscuits, are a Sicilian classic that’s been a staple of holiday cookie trays and Sunday dessert tables for generations.
The dough is straightforward: flour, sugar, shortening, eggs, and a splash of milk, cut together like a biscuit until crumbly and soft.
Each piece gets rolled into a small log and pressed into a pile of sesame seeds before baking, so the outside turns nutty and toasty while the inside stays tender.
Six dozen sounds like a lot. It never is.
Kitchen Tips
- Use a generous layer of sesame seeds on your work surface and really press the dough into them. You want full coverage, not a sparse dusting.
- Add the milk one tablespoon at a time. You may not need all of it, and too much makes the dough sticky and hard to shape.
- Don’t overbake. Pull them when they’re just lightly golden. They firm up as they cool.
- Store in a cookie tin at room temperature. They stay good for over a week and actually get better after a day or two.
Ingredients
Directions
Lightly grease 2 cookie sheets.
Heat the oven to 375℉ (190℃).
Sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt into a bowl.
Cut in the shortening with a pastry blender or two knives, until the pieces are the size of small peas.
Stir in the eggs and the milk (1 tablespoon at a time) to make a soft dough.
Mix together thoroughly.
Break the dough into small pieces and roll each between the palms of your hands to form rolls about 1½ inches in length.
Flatten the rolls slightly and roll them in the sesame seeds.
Place about ¾ inch apart on the prepared cookie sheets.
Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the cookies are lightly browned.
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