Another spicy bite from A World in My Kitchen by Peter Gordon (Hodder Moa, 2003). If you don't have fennel you could use caraway seeds,

200 g butter, room temperature

80 g icing sugar

1 tsp fine lemon zest

140 g flour (I used spelt)

80 g cornflour

40 g polenta

1/4 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp ground fennel seeds

3 tsp sesame seeds, toasted

50 g brown sugar

In a bowl cream the butter with the sugar and zest. Sift in flours, polenta, paprika and baking powder and add in fennel and sesame seeds. Mix to combine. Cover and chill in fridge while you preheat the oven to 170C. Line 2 baking sheets with baking paper.

Roll dough into walnut-size balls, then coat in brown sugar. Place on trays spaced apart and flatten slightly.

Bake for 15-20 minutes. Cool on the trays.