Sesame Cookies (Tahini Koulouria)

Ingredients

• 2 cups sugar
• 2 cups Eleni® Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 cup tahini
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp orange zest
• 6 cups baking flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
• 1 cup sesame seeds

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C).

Blend sugar and olive oil in a food processor, then add in the tahini, vanilla, and orange zest, and blend until creamy.

Combine all dry ingredients in a separate bowl. Slowly add dry ingredients to the tahini mixture, alternating with the orange juice, until the dough has reached a soft but not sticky consistency.

Roll dough into 6-in (15-cm) long pieces, approximately ½-in (1-cm) thick. Bend each piece in half without breaking the long piece in two (so it looks like two legs side by side). Take one of the “legs” and cross it on top of the bottom one. (It should look like a folded ribbon).

Place cookies on a lightly oiled cookie sheet and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Bake for 15–20 minutes, or until the cookies are lightly browned.

Excerpt taken from From the Olive Grove: Mediterranean Cooking with Olive Oil. Published by Arsenal Pulp Press (2010).