BLACK 'N WHITE SESAME SEED CRISPS

What do people do when they're hungry?

They come down the stairs with dangling arms, purposeful eyes and an expectant look. Then they make that penultimate sign for hunger. One palm flat over abs, moving in a circle. Over the spot within which that bottomless receptacle for food resides. That and a dopey smile.

Another might stomp down and announce his hunger. Sometimes with a guilty look.

All this can and may take place within 1 hour of a heavy meal.

What do I do? I pretend not to see all of this. I stare straight ahead into the computer screen and make a wish. A wish that I could climb into that other world to crouch and hide until all of this ferocious hunger subsides.


Another trick to do would be to pick at my brains and pull something out.

If I was lucky it would be edible, low in fat, simple, healthy, and as much as possible baked not fried, crisp, sugar free yet acceptable to these desperate creatures that I amass in my home.


So it was under all that duress that I came up with these sesame seed crisps. And to make it look a little funky (whatever that means) I made them black and white.

Sometimes miracles do happen.



These crisps were made from a tortilla recipe I had posted a while back. I made the tortillas as per the recipe. Then I snipped each tortilla up into triangles, getting 12 triangular pieces from each tortilla.

I placed them on a baking sheet in one layer, brushed them with egg white and sprinkled black and then white sesame seeds over them. I pushed them into the oven and baked them until they turned a light golden brown and were as crisp and brittle as dried bones.

Really great with the chutney below or any other dipping that you can conjure up.

This is open to endless possible combinations of toppings or seasonings. You could sprinkle salt and cayenne pepper on them or cinnamon and sugar or some cajun spice or even curry powder.

Run wild run free. Thats what I say.


The recipe........................makes 8 tortillas and 96 sesame seed crisps....

2 cups plain flour or whole wheat, sifted
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
2 T butter, softened
1/2 cup warm water

I egg, white only

some black and white sesame seeds

Rb in the butter into flour until like very fine breadcrumbs. Add warm water and stir with a fork to bring the dough together and hten use your fingers to knead until it becomes a smooth dough.

Divide into 8 pieces and let the dough rest covered with a clean dish cloth for at lest 10 to 15 minutes.

Once rested, take 1 piece and roll out into a ver very thin circle with a rolling pin. The circle should be about 8 - 9 inches in diameter. Cook the tortillas in a lightly oiled pan over a medium heat until light brown spots appear and the dough is cooked. Finish off all the 8 pieces of dough in this way.

Then take each piece and cut into half and then quarters and then cut each quarter into 3 pieces. Place in one layer on an ungreased and unlined baking tray.

Break and egg, and taking only the white, whisk teh egg white lightly to loosen it up. Using a brush, brush each triangle with egg white and then sprinkle the pieces with sesame seed, black and white or black OR white. Your choice.

Bake 10 to 15 minutes in 160 C oven. It doesnt take very long to brown so check after 5 minutes just in case your oven is too hot. They should be really nice and crisp!

Enjoy with a chutney or a spicy peanut butter dip or a babaganoush.