When I was a little girl I would sit on my father’s lap and dunk Greek sesame rings into his black coffee whilst he quietly read his newspaper. The Greek Herald, ornate glass plates, doilies and ‘koulourakia’ were present in every Greek Australian household. I wanted to capture the essence of that childhood memory when shooting this recipe and was quite emotional when I peered through the camera lens. I was immediately transported back to my parent’s tiny living room in our semi-detached working class home, now the ‘trendy’ inner west of Sydney. How times have changed!
The aroma of Greek sesame rings baking instantly put a smile on my face. I loved helping mum roll the cookie dough and creating a mess in the kitchen. My rings were never perfectly shaped however that didn’t matter because they would end up in my tummy soon after.
The combination of ouzo, cinnamon and orange zest creates a beautiful aromatic biscuit. These sesame rings are not overly sweet so they are irresistibly moreish and perfect for afternoon tea and coffee. Hopefully you’ll now create some beautiful ‘dunking’ memories with your own family.
- 250g unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 cup raw sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp ouzo
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 390g or 3 cups plain gluten free flour*
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- ¾ tsp bicarbonate of soda
- Zest and juice of one orange
- 1 egg, beaten
- Sesame seeds for sprinkling
- Demerara sugar for sprinkling
- Preheat oven to 190C. Line a baking tray with baking paper or prepare a silicone mat.
- Beat butter and sugar until pale and fluffy in mixer for 3 minutes.
- Add egg, vanilla and ouzo and beat to combine.
- Add all dry ingredients, orange juice and zest. Mix until just combined.
- Roll a small ball of dough into a log and twist to create a circle. Pinch end to seal.
- Brush with beaten egg. Sprinkle with sesame and demerara sugar.
- Bake for 15 minutes or until golden.
- Preheat oven to 190C. Line a baking tray with baking paper or prepare a silicone mat.
- Add butter and sugar to Thermomix and combine 30 sec/speed 5.
- Add egg, vanilla and ouzo and mix 10 sec/speed 5.
- Add all dry ingredients, orange juice and zest and mix 10 sec/speed 4 scraping bowl halfway.
- Roll a small ball of dough into a log and twist to create a circle. Pinch end to seal.
- Brush with beaten egg. Sprinkle with sesame and demerara sugar.
- Bake for 15 minutes or until golden.
Azu says
Love traditional Mediterranean sweets! This rings remind me of some anise cookies from Spain. Will have to try them
Helen Tzouganatos says
Hi Azu,
Greek and Spanish flavours are so similar aren’t they? I’m addicted to both! Hope you enjoy them.
Franca DiRosa says
Can these biscuits be made with
light olive oil, i prefer oil thanks Franca
Helen Tzouganatos says
Hi Franca
Yes they can. If your mixture is too wet just add a little more flour. Enjoy.