Spice Flats

These crunchy little bites are perfect with a mug of hot apple cider. (They rather remind me of ginger snaps - and you could definitely substitute ground ginger for the cinnamon, and make exactly those!) I got the idea to use sesame seeds from the Benne Seed Wafers that my mom makes. The nutty flavor from the sesame seeds balances the spiciness of the cookies, and they add a bit of texture.


For about 3 dozen cookies, you'll need:

+ butter, 3/4 cup, softened
+ sugar, 3/4 cup
+ ground cinnamon, 2 teaspoons
+ ground cloves, 1/4 teaspoon
+ ground cardamom, 1/4 teaspoon
+ salt, 1 pinch
+ baking powder, 1/4 teaspoon
+ 1 egg
+ flour, approximately 2 cups
+ sesame seeds, 3 tablespoons, toasted

Preheat oven the oven to 400 degrees F. In a food processor, grind the sesame seeds; set aside. (For more texture, leave them coarse.)

In a separate bowl, cream the butter, sugar and spices. Add the egg, and whip until evenly blended. Fold in the ground sesame seeds, and gradually incorporate flour.

Shape heaping teaspoons of dough into balls; crush into flat rounds between your (clean!) palms or with a floured glass. Transfer to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Dot each cookie with a fork, as shown in the photo. Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until crispy and lightly browned. Enjoy!