Back in New Orleans, I also had a line of cookies when I was running Arcana Creamery. Over time, I kept adding to the menu, always chasing that sweet spot between curiosity and comfort. I wanted the flavors to feel like new terrain, but still familiar enough to keep people from turning back at the trailhead.
One of the more unexpected hits was the Orange Sesame cookie. I’ve always loved sesame—its deep, toasty richness is enchanting—but I assumed I was in the minority. American desserts rarely make room for sesame, and most folks aren’t exactly clamoring for it.
I remember back in my restaurant pastry days in New Orleans—the place where the chef used to show up hungover and nap on sacks of flour (I’m never going to forget that…)—I once made a black sesame panna cotta with poached apples. Elegant. Moody. Delicious, I thought. But it kept coming back with one complaint: “It tastes too much like sesame.” I think I’ve told this story before, but like any good kitchen ghost story, it begs a retelling.
So I tried dialing it back. I cut the sesame down by half. Still came back: “Too sesame.” I’m sorry, New Orleans, but after a certain point, it’s just unflavored dairy. I can’t strip its soul out just to make it easier to swallow.
Anyway, back to the cookie. When I first put it out, people were drawn to how it looked—coated in black and white sesame seeds like confetti. And then, slowly but surely, it started to sell. Some people came back to buy several every week, without fail, without question.
If you love the earthy, nutty pull of sesame with a gentle citrus note and just the right touch of sweetness, you’ll probably love this cookie. But hey—don’t say I didn’t warn you: it still tastes like sesame.
Orange Sesame Cookie Recipe: by Ryan Kurr
yield: 9 cookies, 100 g.
320 g. AP flour
1 t. baking powder
½ t. baking soda
1 t. ginger
85 g. butter
57 g. tahini
1 T sesame oil
40 g. oil
205 g. sugar
100 g. light brown sugar
1 orange, zested
8 g. honey
½ t. salt
1 egg
2 T milk
2 t. vanilla
40 g. white sesame
40 g. black sesame
· Preheat oven to 350.
· Combine flour, baking powder, soda, and ginger.
· Massage the orange zest into the granulated sugar with your fingers. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the butter, tahini, sesame oil, oil, sugar, brown sugar, honey, and salt. Cream 3 minutes. Add egg, milk, and vanilla. Mix on medium for 2-3 minutes, until light and fluffy.
· Add the flour mixture, mixing just until combined. Chill the dough overnight. Portion into 100 g. balls, then roll in a mixture of black and white sesame seeds and sprinkle a little sugar on top. Freeze until solid.
· Bake 18-20 minutes. Cool on sheet for 4 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Sesame... wildly underrated, yes, yes. Tip of the hat that you gave it a spotlight.