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1
Toast the Sesame and Chop the Pistachios
8 Mins
Medium heat, ~160°C (320°F)
Put the sesame seeds in a dry frying pan over medium heat and stir constantly for 4–5 minutes until they turn evenly golden and smell nutty. Tip them into a wide bowl, stir in the honey, and leave to cool. Chop the pistachios into small pieces and spread them on a plate.
Sesame goes from golden to burnt in seconds — take the pan off the heat while the seeds are still a shade pale; they keep cooking in the pan.
Done when: Sesame is golden and fragrant; pistachios are chopped to coarse crumbs.
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2
Cream the Butter and Sugar
5 Mins
Room temperature, ~20°C (68°F)
Beat the softened butter with the powdered sugar for 3–4 minutes until pale, fluffy and creamy. Beat in the egg yolks one at a time, then the vanilla and the mahleb, scraping the bowl down as you go.
Properly creamed butter is the difference between a crisp cookie and a hard one — do not rush this step.
Done when: Mixture is pale, fluffy and smooth, with no streaks of butter.
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3
Mix the Dough and Chill It
35 Mins
Fridge, ~4°C (39°F)
Add the sifted flour, baking powder and salt to the butter mixture and mix just until a soft dough comes together — about a minute. Press it into a flat disc, wrap it, and chill for 30 minutes so it firms up enough to shape.
Stop mixing as soon as the flour disappears; overworked dough makes tough cookies.
Done when: Dough is smooth, soft and cool to the touch, and holds its shape when pressed.
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4
Shape and Coat the Cookies
12 Mins
Room temperature, ~20°C (68°F)
Heat the oven to 175°C (350°F). Roll the dough into 24 walnut-sized balls. Press one side of each ball into the chopped pistachios, flatten it gently into a round about 5 cm across, then press the other side into the honeyed sesame so it is thickly coated. Set them sesame-side up on the lined trays, spaced apart.
Press firmly — the sesame should be embedded in the dough, not just sitting on it, or it will fall off in the oven.
Done when: Each cookie is about 5 cm across, sesame on top, pistachio underneath.
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5
Bake Until Golden and Crisp
15 Mins
175°C (350°F)
Bake one tray at a time for 12–15 minutes until the edges are golden and the sesame is toasted a deeper gold. The centres will still feel a little soft — they crisp as they cool.
Check at 12 minutes: barazek burn fast at the edges, and pale cookies are better than burnt ones.
Done when: Edges are golden, sesame is toasted, and the cookies hold their shape when lifted.
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6
Cool Completely Before Serving
15 Mins
Room temperature, ~20°C (68°F)
Leave the cookies on the tray for 5 minutes, then move them to a wire rack and leave until completely cool and crisp. Serve two cookies per person, about 63 g, with tea or coffee.
Do not stack them while warm — the sesame will stick to the cookie above and tear off.
Done when: Cookies are cool, crisp and snap cleanly when broken.
auto_awesome Finishing Touches & Plating
Serve the barazek cool and crisp, sesame-side up, beside hot mint tea or Arabic coffee — the nutty, buttery crunch is at its best on the day they are baked.
Lebanon
25m
