Best Sesame Brittle Cookies
A classic Charleston recipe with a paper-thin, candy-like crispness and a nutty brown sugar flavor.
Ingredients
hulled sesame seeds (toasted)
3/4 cup
dark brown sugar (packed)
1 1/2 cup
unsalted butter (melted)
3/4 cup
all-purpose flour
3/4 cup
large egg
1
baking soda
1/4 tsp
vanilla extract
1 1/2 tsp
salt
1/4 tsp
Instructions
1
Preheat and Prepare Baking Sheets
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease or spray several baking sheets with nonstick spray. Line the baking sheets with aluminum foil. Grease or spray the foil with nonstick spray.
2
Toast Sesame Seeds
Spread the sesame seeds on a small baking sheet and bake in the oven for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring frequently, until lightly browned; be careful not to burn them.
3
Adjust Oven Temperature
Reduce the oven temperature to 325°F.
4
Mix Dry Ingredients
In a small bowl, thoroughly whisk together the sesame seeds, flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
5
Mix Wet Ingredients
In a medium bowl, beat the brown sugar, butter, egg, and vanilla extract until the sugar dissolves. Stir in the sesame mixture until evenly combined. Let stand for 10 minutes until cooled.
6
Shape the Dough
Using lightly greased hands, shape the dough into 1 1/4-inch balls; the dough will be soft. Place on the baking sheets about 2 1/2 inches apart.
7
Bake
Bake one sheet at a time on the upper rack for 10 to 12 minutes until nicely colored; be careful not to burn. Rotate the baking sheet front to back halfway through baking for even browning.
8
Cool
Slide the cookies along with the foil onto a cooling rack and let stand until slightly firm, about 5 minutes. Carefully peel the cookies off the foil and transfer to the cooling rack. Let stand until completely cooled. If the cookies do not crisp up once cooled, they are underbaked. Return to the foil-lined baking sheets and bake for 3 to 4 more minutes.
