Orange wafers

This  thin and fragile looking wafers are crispy and fragrant with both sesame and orange flavor. It takes quite some time to finish all the batter with this recipe. Baking time was short, however, I needed to take care of several task at a time. While a batch of the cookies were being baked in the oven, I had to prepare another batch. I do not make thin cookies so often, thus I was slow at making them equally round and thin. If the cookie batter is not thinly spread onto the baking sheet, some parts would burn more than the others, and the cookies would not have the uniform golden color.

Just after I finished the next batch of cookie batter, the previous batch had been done and I had to quickly remove them from baking sheet and shaped them into slightly curved wafers. Then put the next baking tray into the oven, and came back to transfer the done wafers to the wire rack.

I could not have managed all these stuffs without my fiance’s help. He was quick at transferring the hot cookies to the glass cups to bend the cookies into curved shape. Thus I only had to concentrate on preparing the next batch before the ones in the oven got burned. And so, I got these beautiful golden orange wafers.

Ingredients:

- 80g sesame seeds

- 100g plain flour

- 1/8 tsp salr

- 90g butter, softened

- 70g icing sugar

- 1 tbs vanilla extract (or vanilla powder)

- Finely grated zest of 1 orange

- 3 large egg whites, lightly beaten

Direction:

- Roast the sesame seeds in a frying pan over medium heat, until lightly browned, about 3-4 minutes.

- Mix the flour and salt in a medium bowl.

- Beat the butter, icing sugar, and orange zest in a large bowl with an electric mixer at high speed until creamy.

- Gradually beat in the egg whites.

- Mix in the dry ingredients and sesame seeds.

- Refrigerate for 1 hour.

- Preheat the oven to 180^oC(350^oF).

- Butter cookie sheets, or line sheets with parchment paper.

- Drop teaspoons of dough 2-3cm apart on the prepared cookie sheets.

- Use a thin spatula to spread the batter into rounds about 8cm in diameter.

- Bake until the edges are lightly golden, 5-6 minutes.

- Working quickly, use a spatula to place the cookies over a rolling pin, or put into a small cup, to attain the curved shape.

- Transfer the cookies onto a rack to finish cooling.

- Continue to bake in batches until all the batter has been used.