Vegan MoFo Day 16: Sesame Delights

Shifting gears a little... I think I'm out of ideas for Thanksgiving posts, at least for right now. Therefore, I'm going to take the logical next step into CHRISTMAS COOKIES!! Really, any cookies can be Christmas Cookies as long as you make them around Christmas time. I usually make a combination of old favorites, like the aforementioned Spritz and Sugar Cookies, and toss in a few new recipes that I've come across during the year. I read a lot of magazines in waiting rooms, and get handed some down from my mother-in-law and make notes of cookie recipes that sound interesting and veganize them. This first recipe is from a 1997 issue of Country Living. No, seriously. This recipe didn't actually call for any eggs, which put it in the "super easy to veganize" category. They are basically shortbread cookies with sesame seeds, coconut, and almonds. Wow are they rich, but really tasty with a nice toasty coconut/sesame flavor. A little drizzle of chocolate on top finishes them off nicely, both in flavor and appearance!


Sesame Delights

1/2 cup margarine, softened
1/2 cup shortening, softened
3/4 cups granulated sugar
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup shredded coconut
1/4 cup sesame seeds, whole
1/4 cup sesame seeds, ground *
1/4 cup almonds, ground *
1 tsp vanilla extract

1. Cream together the margarine, shortening, vanilla, and sugar.

2. Beat in the flour until combined.

3. Fold in the coconut, seeds, and almonds.

4. Split the dough in half and roll each half into a log about 6 inches wide and 2 inches in diameter. Wrap the logs in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 3 hrs.

5. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.

6. Unwrap the dough and slice the log into 1/4 inch slices. It is a little crumbly but should easily stick back together again if you reshape the slices with your hands.

7. Place the slices on an ungreased cookie sheet and bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. Allow to cool on the cookie sheet for a few minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.

For the chocolate...
Melt about 1 cup of semi sweet chocolate chips in the microwave or a double boiler and drizzle over the top of the cookies. Sprinkle with sesame seeds for decoration.

* I grind my seeds and nuts in a coffee grinder dedicated to this purpose (I don't drink coffee! Bleh!). A small food processor will also work, or perhaps a blender. If you have none of these things, just try to chop them up really small! Starting with slivered or sliced almonds will make the job easier.