Photo by Stacy Zarin Goldberg for The Washington Post
These scrumptious cookies — a take on the Greek cookie, Kolourakia Lathiou — are made with olive oil instead of butter, which not only makes them better for you, but it also gives them a delightfully crunchy, crumbly texture and subtle savoriness. Seasoned with orange essence, cinnamon, cloves and a shot of brandy, their flavor is warm and fragrant. A coating of nutty sesame seeds delivers extra substance as well as a festive flair. With so little added sugar in them, they could be considered more of a decadent biscuit that a cookie; if you prefer something a bit sweeter, increase the sugar to 1/2 cup (100 grams).
Storage Notes: Store the cookies at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 1 week or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Ingredients
1 orange
1/2 cup (120 milliliters) olive oil (one that is light in flavor and color)
1/3 cup (67 grams) granulated sugar
2 tablespoons brandy or cognac
2 1/2 cups (300 grams) whole-wheat pastry flour (or
1 1/2 cups/188 grams all-purpose flour and 1 cup/125 grams whole-wheat flour)
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/3 cup (50 grams) white sesame seeds
Directions
Position the rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
Using a fine grater, zest the orange until you have 1 teaspoon of zest. Squeeze 1/3 cup (80 milliliters) of juice from the orange into a large bowl. Reserve the rest of the fruit for another use.
To the bowl, add the oil, sugar, brandy and zest, and whisk until the sugar is dissolved.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, cloves and baking soda. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ones in several batches, stirring at first with a spoon or spatula to incorporate. When the dough becomes difficult to stir with the last additions of dry ingredients, use your hands to knead the dough to incorporate. Cover the bowl and let the dough rest for 10 minutes.
Spread the sesame seeds on a wide plate. Roll the dough into heaping tablespoon-size balls. Roll each ball in the sesame seeds, pressing a bit with your fingers so that they adhere, then place on the baking sheet and flatten slightly with the palm of your hand so that each disk is about 2 inches in diameter and 1/4-inch high. Place the balls about 1 inch apart on the baking sheet; they will not spread much.
Bake for about 30 minutes, until golden and crunchy; then transfer to a wire rack. The cookies will crisp further as they cool. Serve at room temperature.
Makes 20 Servings, 20 Cookies
Per serving: Calories 120; Total Fat 7g; (Sat Fat 1g); Protein 3g; Carb 12g; Fiber 2g; Cholesterol 0mg; Sodium 25mg; Total Sugar 1g
