Honey cookies Susamelli
➤ MAKES 16
➤ PREPARATION 15minutes
➤ BAKING 25minutes
Susamelli are fatless cookies and, despite being made with lots of honey, they are delicately flavoured and not overly sweet. The texture of susamelli is satisfyingly chewy, but they must not be over-baked or they will turn quite hard rather quickly. The recipe dates back to the 18th century at least. Apparently, the name originates from the sesame seeds used to coat early versions of this cookie. These days, susamelli tend to be decorated with almonds, and they are always formed in the traditional S-shape. Given their texture, the best way to savour these cookies is dipped in a drink. Susamelli go particularly well with a good glass of mulled wine or chilled spumante.
*Baking ammonia is also known as baker’s ammonia or ammonium carbonate, and can be sourced through online retailers, especially from Italian or German vendors, as ammoniaca per dolci or Hirschhornsalz, respectively.
• 80g whole blanched almonds, plus 48 extra, to decorate
• 80g caster sugar
• 250g soft wheat ‘00’ flour or plain flour, plus extra for dusting
• ½tbsp pisto (see below)
• ½tsp baking ammonia*or bicarbonate of soda
• 250g clear honey
• 1 tsp vanilla bean paste
Set the
