Orange Sesame Cookies Baked with Olive Oil (Crete)

These delightful Orange Sesame Cookies are baked with olive oil which makes them moist on the inside and slightly crispy on the outside.  Are they a Mediterranean Diet breakfast recipe or a dessert?  Well, they are both.  Perfect when you are on the run in the morning, grab a few cookies and a cup of coffee on your way to work, or enjoy them after dinner with some herbal tea.

It is best to make these with an electric mixer (although I have used a hand egg beater) as they require 12 minutes of mixing.  These cookies are great fresh, but also freeze well and don’t take long to defrost (yes, I have eaten them right out of the freezer as I couldn’t even wait a couple of minutes for them to defrost).

Check out more delicious Mediterranean Diet breakfast recipes here!

Mediterranean Diet: Orange Sesame Cookies baked with Olive Oil

Orange Sesame Cookies Baked with Olive Oil (Crete)

Koula Barydakis
4.59 from 17 votes
Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine Crete, Greek
Servings 20
Calories 501 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 2 cups extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 cups brown sugar
  • 1 cup  orange juice, freshly squeezed
  • 1 lemon
  • 1 shot brandy
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1 tsp ground cloves
  • 2 tsp baking soda
  • 7 1/2 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 cup sesame seeds

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  • Mix olive oil and brown sugar with a hand mixer for 10 minutes.
  • Add orange juice and beat for another 2 minutes.
  • Add lemon juice, brandy, cinnamon, cloves, and baking soda.
  • Mix until well blended.
  • Slowly stir in flour.
  • Mix with your hands until a consistent dough is created.
  • Roll dough in your hands to make round cookies. Roll in sesame seeds until completely covered.
  • Bake for 25 minutes until browned. Let cool. Cookies will become crispy as they cool.

Nutrition

Calories: 501kcalCarbohydrates: 61gProtein: 6gFat: 26gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 1gSodium: 118mgPotassium: 148mgFiber: 2gSugar: 23gVitamin A: 27IUVitamin C: 9mgCalcium: 103mgIron: 4mg
Have you tried this recipe? Tell us about it!Click here to rate this recipe in the comments section below.
About the Author: Koula Barydakis
Koula Barydakis was born into a long tradition of eating and living Mediterranean on the Greek island of Crete. She is a chef who has worked in many of the top restaurants in Crete and in Greek Town in Toronto, Canada. Koula is the co-author of “Foods of Crete, Traditional Recipes of the Healthiest People in the World” and is currently completing her second cookbook. Koula teaches cooking classes to tourists in Crete and has been hired to teach classes in other countries as well.

5 Comments

  1. Kyle October 25, 2023 at 8:59 pm - Reply

    Is the Nutrition per serving, or per amount made? Just curious for carb counting. Thank you!

    • Winter LeBlanc October 27, 2023 at 10:55 am - Reply

      Per serving

  2. Darlene ProctorWendling October 24, 2023 at 8:36 pm - Reply

    Perfect orange sesame cookies!

  3. Soraiya October 24, 2023 at 8:51 am - Reply

    What can I substitute for the brandy?

    • Winter LeBlanc October 27, 2023 at 12:50 pm - Reply

      If you do not want to use alcohol then fresh orange juice is an alternative

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