Benne Wafers
(Central African Republic
Sesame Cookies)
December 4: National Cookie Day
As we continue to “cook our way through the calendar and cultures with eclectic and ethnic recipes”, we asked Islander’s high school friend for some easy recipe ideas. Heidi S., who served several years as a Christian missionary in Africa until dangerous wars forced her back to America, told us about some stews, snacks and sweets that she ate. Of the latter, Heidi said chewy sesame cookies were something she ate while serving in Bangui, Central African Republic.
“Benne” (pronounced “benny”) is the Bantu word for the plant that produces sesame seeds. Middle Easterners and Chinese have similar sesame cookies as well. This was possibly due to the trade routes connecting the cultures on the continent. Benne wafers made their way to the American South during the unfortunate African slave trade; we sampled some in soul food cafes while living in the Southwest as well.
Add some cultural history to a holiday cookie tray and make benne wafers, especially on National Cookie Day.
Recipe
(Adapted from Heidi S.)
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
- ¾ – 1 cup brown sugar, packed
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ¼ cup baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 egg, room temperature
- 1 cup flour (all purpose)
- 1 cup sesame seeds, toasted
Directions
Cream the butter with the brown sugar. Add the vanilla. Stir in the baking soda and salt.
Beat in the eggs. Gradually mix in the flour. Fold in the sesame seeds. Blend well.
Use a large scoop to drop cookie dough onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet, leaving about two inches to allow for spreading. Bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees F for around 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and let sit in the pan for 5 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
- The cookies will be soft out of the oven but will hold together when cooling.
- Bake a little longer for a crisper cookie but be careful about burning the edges.
- Search our blog for more cookie recipes.
HI COOKERY 