The Queen Cookies, also known as reginelle or sesamini, are delicious shortcrust sticks enriched with plenty of sesame seeds. They are my favorite cookies. The contrast between the crumbly cookie and the taste of sesame makes them truly unique. They are very easy to prepare, and I am convinced that everyone will love them. They are also cookies that are often added to the sweets of the “cannistru”, the basket prepared for the Day of the Dead, rich in many delicacies. Reginelle are typical of Sicily and can be found not only in pastry shops but also in bakeries. They stay crumbly for a few days, stored in tin boxes. Prepare them in abundance because they’ll go fast. To make the inside of the sesamini more yellow, you can add a pinch of saffron, but it’s just a visual matter, as the taste doesn’t change. For example, I didn’t add it.
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- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Rest time: 20 Minutes
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons
- Energy 519.57 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 69.35 (g) of which sugars 23.96 (g)
- Proteins 10.22 (g)
- Fat 24.48 (g) of which saturated 8.82 (g)of which unsaturated 14.23 (g)
- Fibers 1.53 (g)
- Sodium 114.81 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 112 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients for Queen Cookies
- 2 cups remilled durum wheat semolina flour
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 eggs
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 3/4 cup lard
- 2 tsp baker's ammonia
- to taste sesame seeds
What you need for Queen Cookies
- 1 Bowl
- 1 Work surface
- 2 Baking sheets
- Parchment paper
- Plastic wrap
- 1 Small bowl
Preparation of Queen Cookies
Making reginelle is very easy. I used both remilled durum wheat semolina flour and all-purpose flour, but only all-purpose flour can be used.
In a bowl, put the two flours, sugar, ammonia, slightly beaten eggs, and lard, melted and cooled.
Mix coarsely, first with a fork and then with your hands, until forming a smooth dough, which should rest for half an hour, wrapped in plastic wrap.
After the resting time, take the dough, take pieces of it and stretch them, giving them the shape of a breadstick, slightly thicker than a finger.
Cut them into pieces about 2-3 inches wide and roll them in a small bowl filled with plenty of sesame seeds.
This operation must be done immediately, otherwise, the sesame seeds won’t stick. If you have trouble getting the seeds to stick, you can remedy by spraying the cookie with water using a sprayer or moistening them with a damp towel.
Place the cookies on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, spacing them a bit apart as they will expand during baking.
Bake in a preheated oven at 350°F for about 25 minutes or until the cookies are lightly golden.
Remove from the oven and let them cool. Once cooled, place them on a tray to consume, or store them in a tin box or an airtight container.
Enjoy your tasting!
FAQ
Can I replace ammonia with baking powder?
Of course, you can use two teaspoons for half a kilogram of flour.
Can I shape the reginelle differently?
Yes, you can shape them as you like; this won’t affect the taste of the cookies.
How can I replace the lard?
You can substitute it with the same weight of butter or with 130 ml of sunflower or corn oil.
