Benne' Cookies

"I found this receipt written on an old sheet of stationary with a letterhead containing an address on Meeting Street in Charleston, SC. It was written with a fountain pen in a very lovely script and signed with the initials RMC. This is a classic, traditional receipt from Charleston. Benne' seeds are the same thing as sesame seeds. Charlestonians call recipes receipts. I have copied this recipe as it was written. I wish you could see this lovely, handwritten receipt."
 
Download
photo by Leggy Peggy photo by Leggy Peggy
photo by Leggy Peggy
photo by Leggy Peggy photo by Leggy Peggy
photo by Miss Fannie photo by Miss Fannie
Ready In:
23mins
Ingredients:
5
Yields:
40 Cookies
Advertisement

ingredients

Advertisement

directions

  • Wash sesame seeds in a fine sieve, then parch in the oven, stirring occasionally, until seeds are thoroughly dry. This takes between 7 and 10 minutes.
  • Cream butter and sugar. Beat in egg, then add flour (which has been sifted twice) and put the parched seeds in last, mixing well in the batter.(This mixture should be thin enough to drop easily from a spoon. If not, add a tiny amount of water, mixing in well.)
  • Grease pans thoroughly then drop a teaspoonful of batter for each cookie as this will spread in the baking, leave about three inches between each spoonful. Cook in moderate oven from five to eight minutes-until cookies are a light brown. (Watch carefully while cooking, to prevent too rapid browning. This amount of batter should make about forty cookies.

Questions & Replies

Got a question? Share it with the community!
Advertisement

Reviews

  1. This is one of those recipes that, as I made it, I kept wondering 'will it work?'. A tablespoon of flour and a cup of sugar are not my normal proportions. But these were so easy to make and so yummy. Nice thin wafers with a great crunch. I got only 24 cookies (probably used too much batter per cookies) and they spread AND spread AND spread. I should have had a couple of kids here guessing what shapes we'd get. Thanks Miss Fannie for sharing this heirloom recipe.
     
Advertisement

RECIPE SUBMITTED BY

<p><img title=Who src=http://food.sndimg.com/img/recipes/rz/.3/33/77/6/thumbs/picajqy0V.jpg alt=Having width=98 height=73 />After a productive day teaching seventh grade math, I enjoy good music, cooking, and a glass of fine red wine with my handsome husband. &nbsp;Since my children have left the nest, my babies are my two rat terriers. &nbsp;Buddy and Ellie keep me laughing, even when they are naughty.</p> <p><img title=Miss src=http://food.sndimg.com/img/recipes/rz/.3/33/77/6/large/picFrixiD.jpg alt=Playing width=352 height=461 /></p>
 
View Full Profile
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

Find More Recipes