Turkish Tahini Biscuit Rolls Recipe

Turkish Tahini Biscuit Rolls are Mediterranean sweet pastries made by rolling a crumbly butter dough around a rich filling of sesame paste, chopped walnuts, and dried currants. These crisp biscuits are coated in toasted sesame seeds and baked until golden brown.

If you do nothing else, roll the dough between two sheets of greaseproof paper. That’s the difference between a neat, uniform swirl and a sticky mess that tears on your worktop. Skipping this step means you will have to add extra flour, whilst keeping the sheets clean preserves the short texture of the pastry.

The dried currants are doing more work than you’d think. Without them, the deep nuttiness of the sesame paste and walnuts can taste slightly bitter. I always choose a dark, aromatic tahini and make sure the fruit is spread evenly to give a sweet pop in every bite.

Turkish Tahini Biscuit Rolls Ingredients

For the Dough

• 125g (4½oz) unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
• 1 medium egg, separated
• 60ml (2fl oz) full-fat yoghurt
• 60ml (2fl oz) vegetable oil
• 30g (1oz) icing sugar
• 450g (1lb) plain flour
• 1 tsp baking powder

For the Filling

• 120ml (4fl oz) tahini
• 100g (3½oz) caster sugar
• 60g (2oz) walnuts, finely chopped
• 75g (2½oz) dried currants

For the Topping

• 3 tbsp toasted sesame seeds

How To Make Turkish Tahini Biscuit Rolls

1. Mix the liquid base: Put the softened unsalted butter, egg white, full-fat yoghurt, vegetable oil, and icing sugar into a large mixing bowl and stir with a wooden spoon until smooth. Make sure the butter has no cold lumps left before you move to the next step.
2. Knead the pastry dough: Sift the plain flour and baking powder into the bowl gradually, working the mixture with your hands until a soft, non-sticky dough forms. Stop adding flour as soon as the mixture clears the sides of the bowl and feels like soft clay.
3. Stir the sweet filling: Combine the tahini, caster sugar, finely chopped walnuts, and dried currants in a medium bowl until they form a thick, spreadable paste.
4. Roll and trim the pastry: Place the dough between two large sheets of greaseproof paper and use a rolling pin to flatten it into a large rectangle about half a centimetre thick. Peel off the top sheet of paper, trim the uneven edges with a sharp knife to make straight lines, and save the scraps to roll out later.
5. Fill and shape the logs: Cut the large dough sheet into three wide, equal vertical strips using your knife. Spread the thick tahini paste evenly across each strip, leave a tiny border at the edges, and roll the dough tightly into flat logs.
6. Glaze, cut, and bake: Brush the reserved egg yolk over the tops of the rolls, scatter the toasted sesame seeds over the glaze, and slice the logs into square pieces. Place the pieces onto a baking sheet lined with greaseproof paper and bake in a preheated oven at 180°C (350°F/Gas Mark 4) for 20 to 25 minutes until the tops turn golden brown.

Recipe Tips

• Soften butter naturally. Leave the unsalted butter on the kitchen worktop for two hours before baking because melting it in the microwave changes the fat structure and makes the biscuit dough greasy.
• Chop walnuts finely. Crush the walnut pieces down until they are no larger than the dried currants to stop them poking holes through the thin pastry during rolling.
• Keep the pastry cool. Work quickly once the dough is rolled out because warm hands soften the butter and make the sheets difficult to fold without tearing.
• Toast the sesame seeds. Warm the raw sesame seeds in a dry frying pan over medium heat on the hob for two minutes before using to bring out their nutty aroma.
• Store in a tin. Place the cooled biscuits into an airtight container or biscuit tin to keep them crisp for up to three weeks.

What To Serve With Turkish Tahini Biscuit Rolls

These nutty biscuits pair beautifully with a small cup of strong coffee or a hot mug of black tea. The bitter notes of the hot drinks cut through the sweetness of the sugar and sesame filling.

You can also serve them alongside fresh figs or sliced pears during the autumn months. They make an excellent addition to a sweet platter of Mediterranean treats like shortbread and baklava.

How To Store Turkish Tahini Biscuit Rolls

Fridge

Do not store these biscuits in the fridge because the damp environment spoils the short texture and turns the pastry soft. Keep them in a cool cupboard instead.

Reheat

Eat these biscuits at room temperature for the best texture. If you want that fresh-baked warmth, pop them into an oven set to 150°C (300°F/Gas Mark 2) for five minutes, but avoid the microwave as it turns the sugar filling molten and makes the pastry rubbery.

Freeze

Wrap the unbaked dough logs tightly in clingfilm and freeze them for up to three months. Defrost the pastry overnight in the fridge, then slice, glaze, and bake according to the instructions.

Turkish Tahini Biscuit Rolls Nutrition Facts

Per serving (1 of 24 pieces): Calories: 185, Protein: 3g, Fat: 11g, Carbohydrates: 19g, Sugar: 7g, Sodium: 15mg. Estimated. May vary based on ingredients and cooking methods.

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