BENNE WAFERS - CHARLESTON'S CLASSIC SESAME SEED COOKIES

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Benne Wafers - Charleston's Classic Sesame Seed Cookies image

Benne wafers are traditional cookies from Charleston, SC made with benne (sesame) seeds. Bite-sized and

Provided by @MakeItYours

Number Of Ingredients 7

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
3/4 cup unsalted butter (softened)
1 1/2 cups light brown sugar (firmly packed)
2 large eggs
1/2 cup benne or sesame seeds
1 tsp vanilla extract

Steps:

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.
  • If using sesame seeds, rather than authentic benne seeds, toast seeds in dry skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 3-5 minutes or until lightly browned. Set aside.
  • In a medium bowl, cream together butter and brown sugar until well mixed, light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Make it extra fluffy to add volume to the dough so you get the full number of cookies out of it! Add the eggs one at a time, beating well to combine after each egg.
  • Sift together flour and baking powder. Stir dry ingredients into butter-sugar mixture. Stir in benne or sesame seeds and vanilla extract.
  • Drop dough by scant 1/2-teaspoons-full (I did a little less than 1/2 teaspoon to make them more bite-sized, since the dough spreads quite a bit) onto parchment paper about 1 inch apart. If desired, spoon dough into a ziplock bag and trim off the corner, or into a pastry bag, and pipe tiny amounts onto the parchment paper instead of using spoons.
  • Bake for 7-9 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Remove cookies onto a rack to cool.
  • Store in an airtight container or separate into baggies as gifts or favors.

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