066 / 75 · Something Sweet for a Break
Black Sesame Shortbread Coins
24 small coins; 8 servings of 3 · Active 25 min · Total 2 hr 10 min
Print recipe · PDFBlack sesame gives a familiar butter biscuit a deeper, toasted flavor and a speckled gray-gold crumb. These small coins are deliberately simple: no icing, filling or sticky coating to catch on a lunch-box wrapper. A log of chilled dough makes the portioning easy. Bake a batch on a day when you can let the biscuits cool completely before packing them into a dry tin.
Wake up the sesame gently
Black seeds make browning difficult to judge, so toast them by aroma rather than waiting for a color change. Keep the skillet moving and take it off the heat as soon as they smell nutty. Let them cool before adding them to butter. Crushing half the seeds releases more flavor, while leaving the rest whole gives tiny flecks and a little texture in each coin.
Keep the dough cool and compact
This is a short dough, so it does not need an egg to hold it together. Work the flour into the butter just until the mixture begins to clump, then bring it together with your hands. A tightly rolled log makes cleaner slices than a loose cylinder full of cracks. If the knife squashes it instead of cutting cleanly, return it to the refrigerator rather than adding flour.
Use the edge as a doneness clue
The surface stays fairly pale, with a darker sesame-speckled appearance, but the outer edge should become light golden. The coins will still be fragile when hot. Give them five minutes on their trays before moving them to the rack, then allow steam to escape fully. For a work break, a small rigid tin protects them better than a soft bag. Take a few, keeping the remainder dry and sealed at home.
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons black sesame seeds (30 g)
- 7 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened but cool (100 g)
- 1/4 cup superfine sugar (50 g)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (5 ml)
- 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour (140 g)
- 1/4 teaspoon fine salt (1.5 g)
Set out
Small dry skillet, Mixing bowl, Mortar or rolling pin for crushing seeds, Two baking sheets, Baking paper, Wire rack
Allergens
Sesame, Wheat, Milk. Check labels and substitutions.
Make it
- Toast the sesame seeds in the dry skillet over medium-low heat for 2–3 minutes, stirring constantly, until fragrant. Transfer to a plate and cool for 10 minutes. Crush half roughly, leaving the rest whole.
- Beat the butter and sugar together until smooth, without making the mixture very fluffy. Mix in the vanilla, cooled sesame seeds, flour and salt until clumps form. Bring together gently into a dough.
- Roll into a compact log about 1 1/2 inches (4 cm) across and 8 1/2 inches (22 cm) long. Wrap and refrigerate for at least 45 minutes, until firm enough to slice.
- Heat the oven to 325°F/160°C and line two baking sheets. Cut the dough into 24 coins about 1/3 inch (9 mm) thick. Arrange with space between them.
- Bake for 18–23 minutes, switching tray positions and turning them halfway, until the edges are light golden and the centers look dry. Leave on the sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer carefully to a rack. Cool completely for at least 25 minutes before storing.
A dry snack for a changing break time
The plain biscuits are easy to portion without needing a chilled filling or last-minute assembly. Still pack only what you want for that break rather than carrying the whole tin.
A useful detail
Cooling is part of the total time. Warm shortbread can look deceptively soft; let a coin cool before deciding whether the whole batch needs longer baking.
Another way
- Use white sesame seeds at the same weight for a lighter-colored biscuit; watch them closely during toasting.
- Replace vanilla with 1 teaspoon (2 g) finely grated orange zest for a citrus-sesame version.
Keep it well
Store fully cooled coins in a dry airtight tin at room temperature for up to 5 days. Freeze in a sealed container for up to 2 months; thaw covered so condensation settles on the container rather than directly on the biscuits. Keep away from moist fillings and chilled food that may leak.