Five-spice sesame biscuits

Name: Five-spice sesame biscuits
Cook time: 1 h
Yield: about 30, sliced one centimetre thick
Cuisine: Middle Eastern
Ingredients: 150g unsalted butter, softened; 1 egg; 1 tbsp sesame oil; 2 tsp five-spice powder; 1 tbsp dark brown sugar; 1 tsp chilli flakes; 1/2 tsp salt; 200g plain flour; 200g grated tasty cheddar; black or white sesame seeds; 

September 9, 2014

Thirst-building flavours: Five-spice sesame biscuits.William Meppem

Time:30 mins - 1 hourMakes:about 30, sliced one centimetre thick

At the risk of sounding terribly unhealthy, the best cocktail snacks get you drinking more. Eat more, drink more - you get the picture. This is when thirst-building flavours - chillis, spices and cheese - are best used in potent measures so that each bite carries maximum flavour and punch, and, to the joy of the bartender, has you ordering that next expensive cocktail. For these cheese biscuits, you can vary the spices according to what you have in the cupboard. Happy snacking, happy drinking.

Ingredients

150g unsalted butter, softened
1 egg
1 tbsp sesame oil
2 tsp five-spice powder
1 tbsp dark brown sugar
1 tsp chilli flakes
1/2 tsp salt
200g plain flour
200g grated tasty cheddar
black or white sesame seeds

Method

Step 1
Beat the butter with an egg yolk (save the white), oil, five-spice, brown sugar, chilli and salt until smooth then beat in the flour (you can do all of this in a food processor if that's easier).
Step 2
Spoon the mixture into a bowl then mix in the cheese lightly but evenly, avoid mashing the cheese too much. Roll the mixture into a log about 30 centimetres long then wrap in cling film and chill.
Step 3
When it's firm, unwrap and brush the sides of the log with lightly beaten egg white then coat with a layer of sesame seeds. Chill the log once more unwrapped to set the sesame coating. At this point you can re-wrap and freeze the log for up to a couple of months and bake as needed.
Step 4
To bake, line a tray with non-stick paper and heat the oven to 180C/160C fan forced. Slice the biscuits off the log slightly less than one centimetre thick, then place on the tray a few centimetres apart and bake for about 25 minutes or until just golden. Leave to cool on the tray, as they're delicate when just-baked.