Yesterday I was on a quest to find a cookie with a new grain. It took me to Italy. Now I love Italian food, don’t get me wrong, they make some really great things, but so do a lot of other European nations. I’ve been thinking about making a Turkish dish since seeing a Huffington Post story where they asked Americans to fill the nations of Europe on a map (the borders were on the map they just had to label them). I was shocked to find most people had no clue where Turkey was.

Because Turkey is a gateway from Europe to Asia it has some truly amazing cuisine with both European and Asian influences. Barazek or honey sesame cookies show influences from both the East and the West. These cookies are both sweet and savory as many Turkish desserts are. Traditionally served with tea, the combination of honey and sesame seeds gives these cookies a robust uniquely addictive flavor.

Barazek (about 3 dozen)

• 1/4 cup sesame seeds
• 3/4 cup butter softened (nearly melted)
• 3/4 cup plus 1 Tablespoon honey (divided use)
• 1/2 Tablespoon water
• 3 cups flour
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Toast the sesame seeds until they are lightly golden and fragrant. Allow them to cool for a couple minutes. Mix 1 Tablespoon honey with water. Add the sesame seeds to the honey and mix well.

In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and the remaining honey until fluffy. In a separate bowl mix the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add in the dry ingredients in two additions mixing well after each. Once the dough is formed, I recommend refrigerating the dough for 30 minutes to firm it up and help bind the sesame seeds.

Form 1 1/2 inch balls with the dough and dip one end into the sesame seeds. Place them on a parchment-lined cookie sheet sesame side up. Bake for 15 minutes or until lightly golden. Cool on a wire rack.