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Benne or sesame seeds  were brought to America by West African slaves. They were commonly used to enhance the flavors of foods or used as a thickening agent.  African slaves believed the seeds to be good luck. Benne wafers are a staple dessert for many people in South Carolina and they are often served during Kwanzaa as well. Melt in your mouth, crisp, chewy, nutty and caramelized benne or sesame wafer/cookies are perfect for the holidays. For a more traditional type cookie, leave them plain or make them festive by drizzling them with chocolate sauce. Both ways are equally delicious.
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5 from 3 votes

Benne Seed Cookies

Crisp, chewy, nutty and caramelized benne cookies or aka sesame cookies or benne wafers are perfect for your holiday or Kwanzaa celebrations.  For a more traditional type cookie leave them plain or drizzle them with melted chocolate. Both ways are equally delicious. 
Course Dessert, Snack
Cuisine Southern, Southern American, West African
Keyword african recipes, soulfood recipes
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 6 minutes
Total Time 11 minutes
Servings 50
Author April Boller Wright

Ingredients

  • 1 cup sesame seeds toasted
  • 1 stick unsalted butter
  • 1 1/4 cup light brown sugar
  • 1 egg lightly beaten
  • 3/4 cup flour
  • 1/8 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

Chocolate drizzle

  • 2 1/2 cup melted chocolate
  • 2 1/2 tsp coconut oil

Instructions

How to Roast Sesame Seeds

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Place the seeds on an un-greased baking sheet for 10-15 minutes or until lightly browned.  
  • Remove the benne seeds from oven and set aside to cool completely.Reduce oven temperature to 300°F. Line a light-colored baking sheet with parchment paper.

Benne Seed Mix

  • Using an electric mixer, cream together butter and sugar for 3-5 minutes. Add eggs and mix until combined.
  • Stir in remaining ingredients except sesame seeds until a dough forms. Fold in cooled sesame seeds.
  • Scoop dough by the 1/2 teaspoon and roll into balls. Place on the prepared baking sheet, spacing apart.
  • Bake at 275°F for 6-8 minutes until cookies are softly set but still pale golden on the bottom.
  • Remove from oven and let cool on pan for 5-10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.

Chocolate Drizzle

  • For chocolate drizzle: Melt chocolate in microwave in 30 second increments, stirring between rounds. Add shortening and stir until smooth. Drizzle over cooled cookies

Notes

If you want to add some chocolate drizzle to your cookies, let the cookies cool completely. Just drizzle a bit with a spoon or pour the melted chocolate into a plastic zip bag. Snip a tiny corner off using scissors. Garnish with more sesame seeds if you like.
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A light colored baking sheet will keep these cookies from burning. If you're using a dark baking sheet, reduce the temperature by 25 degrees. 
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Do not place the benne cookies too close together on the baking sheet or they may stick together. I suggest placing them 2 inches apart. Make sure you use parchment paper if not, the cookies may spread too much.
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These cookies cook pretty fast, therefore bake them between 6-8 minutes. They should be a light golden brown color. Remove the cookies from the oven and cool about 15 minutes.
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Store cookies in a tight lid container for up to 4 days at room temperature.