Orange Black Sesame Cookies

These Orange Black Sesame Cookies are not only beautiful but also one of most unique cookies out there. Filled with orange zest and a swirl of black sesame paste, these cookies are the epitome of a not-too-sweet dessert. In this post, learn all the ins and outs on how to make the perfect cookies every time.

I added orange to my Chai Latte Cookies last year, and I am never looking back. Orange is such an underrated cookie flavor! So for the first cookie of the year, I thought it would be cool to combine its tart flavor with the nutty flavor of black sesame paste. These orange black sesame cookies are so unique, and I absolutely love them!

How I came up with the look for these cookies

I knew I wanted to make something with orange and black sesame, and I knew I wanted them to LOOK like they had both in them, so I decided to do something a little different. Unlike my other black sesame desserts like my black sesame chocolate chip cookies where I fully incorporated the black sesame, for these cookies, I simply swirled the black sesame paste into the cookies. I was nervous about this method since any extra moisture can cause the cookies to spread a lot, but thankfully, they didn’t spread too much. I added an extra tablespoon of flour to make sure the cookies maintained their shape.

The key to getting that swirly look is to swirl the black sesame paste just enough. You still want some of the golden cookie dough to appear, and you don’t want too much of the black sesame paste incorporated into the dough. That would create essentially a black cookie. I would recommend using a knife or offset spatula for the best results!

Making these orange black sesame cookies (with tips!)

1. First, brown 1/2 cup of unsalted butter. Heat the butter over medium high heat until it melts, then lower to medium low and cook until brown bits start to appear. Stir constantly for even browning. Pour into a mixing bowl and set aside.
2. Combine 1 cup + 2 tbsp of all purpose flour, 1/2 tsp of baking soda, and 1/4 tsp of salt in a separate bowl. Mix and set aside.
   • Tip #1: The best way to measure flour is to scoop it into a measuring cup then leveling it off. Scooping flour with your measuring cup will compact the flour, causing you to use more than you need to.
3. Pour 1/4 cup of granulated sugar into a small bowl. Add 1 tbsp of orange zest and rub the sugar into the zest until the sugar turns light orange and is the texture of wet sand.
4. Pour the sugar into the bowl with the browned butter. Follow that with 1/2 cup of light brown sugar. Mix until combined.
5. Add the egg and 1/2 tsp of vanilla extract and mix until combined.
   • Tip #2: I like to mix it until it has a light brown color. This ensures your sugars, egg, and butter are fully mixed together.
6. Combine the wet and dry ingredients (from step 2). Mix until just combined. Follow that with 1/2 cup of chocolate chips and mix until combined.
   • Tip #3: Be careful not to over mix the dry ingredients. This will cause gluten formation, making your cookies tough.
7. Scoop 1 1/2 tbsp of black sesame paste onto the dough. I like to separate it into 3 scoops around the dough. See image for reference. Using a knife, swirl the black sesame paste into the cookie dough.
8. Cover and let the dough cool in the fridge for 1 hour.
9. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C). Prep 2 baking sheets by covering them with parchment paper.
10. Using a #20 cookie scoop (3 tbsp scoop), scoop the dough onto the prepped baking sheets.
    • Tip #4: Make sure to level off the cookie dough when it is in the cookie scoop. This helps you achieve consistent shaped cookies.
11. Bake for 11-13 minutes until the edges are slightly brown. Let them cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack to cool completely.
    • Tip #5: I always like to make the cookies more round by using a round cookie cutter to shape the cookie. Place it around the cookie and move in a circular motion to get that perfect round shape.

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