Italian families sometimes serve them before or after dinner. They can be eaten as an appetizer with cheese and wine, or added to a dessert tray with fine chocolates, coffee, and sweet liqueurs (like these).
However you enjoy them, these versatile little cookies are fit for a queen...and the queens of our hearts for Mother's Day!
(I always think of these rustic Italian cookies as tiny bread loaves...) |
A Note from Cleo
☕ Our readers may remember these adorable cookies from our 5th Coffeehouse title, DECAFFEINATED CORPSE, a murder mystery surrounding the discovery of the world's first naturally decaffeinated coffee plant. Click to learn more or buy. |
Just as Clare would, I made my own adaptations to the family recipe. The brown sugar in my ingredient list is not traditional, but I find it adds a nice complexity to the cookie's flavor. Also note that dipping an overly delicate butter cookie into a beverage would crumble it. That's why these are not typical butter cookies! As my family does, I knead the sticky dough with flour. We intentionally develop the gluten, which gives a slightly more biscotti-like crunch.
Don't forget that dunking your "Queen's Cookies" into a breakfast coffee or afternoon glass of tea or wine is part of the Italian gastronomic experience. So take a little Rome into your home, and eat like a queen with my version of Biscotti Di Regina.
Happy Mother's Day, everyone!
~ Cleo Coyle
🍴
☕
Biscotti di Regina
Biscotti di Regina
(Queen's Cookies) by Cleo Coyle
Makes 2 dozen cookies
Ingredients:
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon table salt (or finely ground sea salt)
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
¼ cup white, granulated sugar
¼ cup dark (or light) brown sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
½ cup whole milk
¾ cup raw or toasted sesame seeds
Directions:
Step 1 – Make the dough: First preheat oven to 350° F. and prep a cookie sheet by covering with parchment paper or lightly greasing. Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a small bowl and set aside. In a larger mixing bowl, cream the butter, white sugar, and brown sugar. Next add the eggs and vanilla and blend well with an electric mixer. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, blending into a sticky dough.
Step 2 – Lightly knead the dough: Turn out the dough onto a floured flat surface. With floured hands, knead lightly until the dough is smooth but pliable (like Play-Doh).
Step 3 – Form the logs: Using your hands, break off small pieces of dough. Shape each into a walnut-sized ball about 1-inch in diameter. Roll the balls lightly between your palms to form little logs about 2-inches long (see my photos below). Once all the logs are formed, move to the next step.
Step 4 – Finish and bake: Place the milk in one bowl, the sesame seeds in another. Roll each log in milk to dampen it all over. Then roll it in the sesame seeds. Take your time and coat each cookie well with the seeds.
TIP: As you see in my video loop below, use one hand for dipping each cookie in milk, and the other for rolling in seeds. Otherwise, you may end up spreading seeds into the milk and getting extra milk into the seed bowl, making a clumpy mess. (Ask me how I know. :))
Bake in a 350 F. oven for 20 to 22 minutes. Allow to cool on a rack before serving with coffee, tea, or wine. May you dunk with joy!
~ Cleo Coyle
Our NEW Coffeehouse Mystery!
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"A gripping and entertaining mystery"
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This culinary mystery includes
25 delicious recipes! To get the
Free Recipe Guide, click here.
25 delicious recipes! To get the
Free Recipe Guide, click here.
The writing is done. Now let's have fun!
WE HAVE TWO GREAT
GIVEAWAYS OPEN
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SHOT IN THE DARK
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ENTER OUR COMMENT
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This contest ends May 17.
This contest ends May 17.
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Thanks, everyone...
See you at our 2 guest post
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Good luck and good eating!
In New Orleans, these cookies are commonly called "Seed Cookies" and are popular on March 19, where you get them when you visit St. Joseph's Altars. A very popular Italian bakery has seed cookies available year-round, but they are most popular for St. Joseph's Day.
ReplyDeleteEleanor - Wonderful to know, thank you! Most Italian bakeries will have these cookies year round. They are very popular in the culture. In our neck of the woods (the northeast area), zeppole are the pastries we enjoy on St. Joseph's feast day. I believe the happy feasting tradition dates back to the Middle Ages, when Sicilians credited San Giuseppe for saving them from famine. So all eating with joy is welcome. Thanks for stopping by today!
Delete~ Cleo Coffeehouse Mystery.com
“Where coffee and crime are always brewing…”
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I love your stories, Cleo and I picked up Shot In The Dark over the weekend. Thank you for this recipe. These cookies were part of my childhood because a local Indiana bakery made them. Now I can have them again, with coffee of course (while I read your book).
ReplyDeleteAntonia - Grazie for the lovely comment. Marc and I thank you for letting us know about your childhood foodie memory, that means a lot to us. And we thank you especially for supporting our work.
DeleteBTW - We included some great recipes in the back of SHOT IN THE DARK, too. Be sure to stop by our online coffeehouse (CoffeehouseMystery.com) to download the free recipe guide. Print it out, tuck it into your copy of the book, and you have an instant, illustrated recipe section. Grazie again, Antonia. Be well and keep in touch!
~ Cleo Coffeehouse Mystery.com
“Where coffee and crime are always brewing…”
www.CleoCoyleRecipes.com
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I don't think I have ever come across this cookie. But I do love sesame seeds, will have to give these a try.
ReplyDeleteLil - If you like coffeehouse-style biscotti, you will like these. They are slightly sweet, nutty, crunchy and best served with a favorite beverage -- whether coffee, tea, latte, or wine -- may you dunk with joy!
Delete~ Cleo Coffeehouse Mystery.com
“Where coffee and crime are always brewing…”
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Thanks, Cleo! I first tasted these when the head nurse at our academy brought them to the ward at Christmastime. Seeing them again brought back fun memories of my old job. I am just loving Dead Cold Brew. Shot in the Dark is next!
ReplyDeleteBilli - It is always so sweet to know our recipe posts bring back memories for someone, thank you for letting us know. And Marc and I thank you especially for supporting our work. DEAD COLD BREW is a fun, twisty read, and we are delighted to know you are loving it. It leads right into SHOT IN THE DARK, so you're all set! :) Cheers for stopping by and taking the time to share with us today.
Delete~ Cleo Coffeehouse Mystery.com
“Where coffee and crime are always brewing…”
www.CleoCoyleRecipes.com
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Sesame seeds add such a wonderful flavor and crunch to foods. These sound delightful.
ReplyDeleteDunk with joy, indeed!
Libby - It is always, always a pleasure to see you in the Kitchen. We would happily pass you a plate and pour you a cup if this darn screen weren't in the way. :)
Delete~ Cleo Coffeehouse Mystery.com
“Where coffee and crime are always brewing…”
www.CleoCoyleRecipes.com
Cleo Coyle on Twitter
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coffee and mysteries. What could be better except more of your recipes. I like sesame seeds so I am going to make those "little loaves".
ReplyDeleteThank you, Sue, we hope you enjoy the cookies--and continue to enjoy our mysteries. Cheers for dropping by the Kitchen!
Delete~ Cleo Coffeehouse Mystery.com
“Where coffee and crime are always brewing…”
www.CleoCoyleRecipes.com
Cleo Coyle on Twitter
Friend or Follow Cleo Coyle on Facebook