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Charleston benne wafers
Sesame cookies
Thin, crisp toasted sesame cookies
AmericanBenne is the West African word for sesame, brought to the Carolina Lowcountry by enslaved people, and these paper-thin, toasty wafers are the cookie Charleston is known for, sold in tins in the old city market. Toasted sesame seeds are folded into a buttery brown-sugar batter that spreads into lacy, crisp discs. Chef's tip: toast the seeds until they are honey-coloured; pale seeds taste of very little.
- Total time
- 45 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 24
Ingredients
- 3 ½ oz sesame seeds
- 2 ⅛ oz buttersoft
- 5 ½ oz soft light brown sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 ½ oz plain flour
- ¼ tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp salt
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Toast the 3 ½ oz sesame seeds in a dry pan over a medium heat for 5 minutes, stirring, until golden. Cool. Heat the oven to 325°F (275°F fan) and line two trays with baking paper.
7 minStep 2: Beat the 2 ⅛ oz butter and 5 ½ oz soft light brown sugar, then the 1 egg and 1 tsp vanilla extract. Stir in the 2 ½ oz plain flour, ¼ tsp baking powder, ¼ tsp salt and the seeds.
3 minStep 3: Drop half-teaspoons of batter 6 cm apart; they spread a lot.
6 minStep 4: Bake for 10–12 minutes, until evenly golden brown all over. A common mistake is pulling them pale, when they stay chewy.
12 minStep 5: Cool on the paper for 2 minutes until firm, then peel off and cool on a rack. Store airtight.
15 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 75 kcal
- Protein
- 1 g
- Carbs
- 9 g
- Fat
- 4 g
- Fibre
- 0 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does charleston benne wafers take?
- About 45 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 30 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 24 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- What can I use instead of sesame seeds?
- Poppy seeds or finely chopped pumpkin seeds, same amount.
- What can I use instead of butter?
- The same weight of ghee or coconut oil (for frying and most baking).
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