A “Benne” seed is the old Southern name for “sesame” seeds. They were brought to the Lowcountry in 1769 by African slaves. They are still called Benne seeds to this day in the South, and frankly I would be surprised if that ever changes. It is part of the charm of the South. Southerners hold fast to traditions, refusing to budge, especially when it comes to food and entertaining. This is something we all can be grateful for, especially if you have the chance to try these wonderful buttery morsels.

Legend says that eating Benne seeds will bring you luck and good fortune. I am not one who subscribes to the notion of luck. Instead I prefer to hold to the belief that, “there are no coincidences” and that Benne seeds and the good fortune from eating them, are simply another of God’s great blessings.

There are countless ways to make Benne wafers and you will find that no two recipes are alike. I have made thousands of these in the past few weeks, and have altered my recipe to accommodate mass production. I don’t even bother making a small batch anymore as it seems to never be enough.

This recipe is for a small batch, about 4 dozen cookies. That might seem like a great deal, but trust me; no one can eat just one. They are wafer thin, and have the tendency to melt in your mouth, just in time to pop another one in. Before you know it, the entire batch is gone. 

For a warm weather dessert or decadent breakfast try the blueberry and creams with Benne seed wafers. The cream mixture needs to sit overnight, so plan ahead.

Blueberries and Cream with Benne Wafers

1 container of blueberries

½ cup heavy cream

½ cup sour cream

½ cup Greek yogurt

2 tablespoons light brown sugar

½ teaspoon vanilla

Mix heavy cream, sour cream and yogurt together in a small bowl. Sprinkle sugar on top, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate 6 hours or overnight. Before serving, mix in the brown sugar, add vanilla and mix again. Layer blueberries and cream; serve Benne wafers on the side.

Adjust the taste to suit your needs. I prefer a tangy cream taste. Makes enough for 4-6 people.

 Benne Seed Wafers

½ to ¾ cup white sesame seeds

¾ cup unbleached all-purpose flour

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon baking powder

¾ cup butter (1 ½ sticks)

1 ½ cups firmly packed light brown sugar

1 large egg 

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Spread sesame seeds onto a baking or cake pan and toast, stirring often to a rich golden brown. When done, remove and let the sesame seeds cool.

Meanwhile line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside. 

In a small bowl mix the flour, salt and baking powder, set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy. Lightly beat the egg, and add to the butter/sugar mixture mixing until incorporated, then add the flour mixture and mix completely. Add the sesame seeds folding them into your batter till evenly distributed.

Drop onto the baking sheets using a ½ teaspoon full. Make sure that you leave at least an inch apart, as they will spread considerably during baking.

Bake until the cookies are a nice toasty brown, about 10-12 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool on the parchment paper on baking racks. I like to have the next batch prepared on parchment paper and carefully slide the parchment onto the baking sheets.

If the cookies stick together, you can break them apart when cool. Store in an airtight container, will keep for two weeks, though they won’t last that long.