Benne Seed Cookies

Total: 30 min

Prep: 15 min

Cook: 15 min

Yield: 144 cookies

Level: Intermediate

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Cream the light brown sugar, butter and eggs for about 5 minutes, until light and fluffy. Sift the flour, baking powder and salt. Add to the butter mixture. Mix until combined, about 2 minutes. Add vanilla and mix again. Stir in the sesame seeds with a sturdy spoon.

Line two large cookie sheets with parchment paper. Drop batter by teaspoonfuls about 2 inches apart onto lined sheets. You will get about 15 small cookies per sheet. Bake for 15 minutes, until very brown. Let them cool completely on the parchment before storing in an airtight container. They are very brittle, so are best stored in a tin. Keep rotating pans until all cookies are baked.

Makes 144 small cookies.

Note: I often bake several dozen cookies, then freeze the rest of the dough in smaller tubs. Allow the dough to thaw in the refrigerator and then allow the dough to come to room temperature before spooning out the cookies. The cooked cookies also freeze well.

Ingredients

1 pound (2 1/4 cups) light brown sugar
1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) butter softened
2 eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 1/2 cups toasted sesame seeds (I purchase from a whole-foods store and toast for about 5 minutes. They burn quickly)

Step 1

1. Preheat oven to 350 degree. Lightly toast benne seeds (hulled sesame seeds) in a single layer on a sheet pan in the preheated oven for 3-5 minutes, watching carefully, until lightly browned. Allow sesame seeds to cool before using, or they will melt the butter in the recipe.

Photography by John Carrington

Step 2

2. Prepare the butter for mixing (I leave the butter out on the counter overnight).

Step 3

3. In a large mixing bowl, combine the softened butter and brown sugar until it is light and fluffy. You can also use a hand mixer if you don't have a stand mixer.

Step 4

4. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl if you need to.

Step 5

5. Add the eggs and beat well, until the mixture is light and fluffy again.

Step 6

6. The mixture should look like this at this point.

Step 7

7. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir with a spoon, fork or fingers until it is combined.

Step 8

8. With the mixer off, add the dry ingredients.

Step 9

9. Turn the mixer on the lowest setting (so the flower won't fly out of the bowl) and begin to mix. You can increase the speed once the flour has become incorporated. Mix until blended.

Step 10

10. The mixture should look like this at this point. Add vanilla and mix again until blended.

Step 11

11. Remove the bowl and scrape down the beaters. Add the cooled sesame seeds to the batter and stir well with a spatula, making sure that you get the batter in the bottom center of the bowl and that the seeds are well-distributed throughout the batter.

Step 12

12. Drop by 1/2 teaspoonfuls onto parchment-lined cookie sheets.

Step 13

13. Bake at 350 degrees for about 14 minutes, until very brown. Allow the cookies to cool completely on the parchment before you try to remove. You can use a spatula or just lift them off with your fingers.

Step 14

14. Store in an airtight container. Both the cookies and the dough freeze well. Makes about 12 dozen cookies.