Benne Seed Thumbprint Cookies Food

BENNE WAFERS (CHARLESTON'S CLASSIC SESAME SEED COOKIES)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.
• If using sesame seeds, rather than authentic benne seeds, toast seeds in dry skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 3-5 minutes or until lightly browned. Set aside.
• In a medium bowl, cream together butter and brown sugar until well mixed, light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Make it extra fluffy to add volume to the dough so you get the full number of cookies out of it! Add the eggs one at a time, beating well to combine after each egg.
• Sift together flour and baking powder. Stir dry ingredients into butter-sugar mixture. Stir in benne or sesame seeds and vanilla extract.
• Drop dough by scant 1/2-teaspoons-full (I did a little less than 1/2 teaspoon to make them more bite-sized, since the dough spreads quite a bit) onto parchment paper about 1 inch apart. If desired, spoon dough into a ziplock bag and trim off the corner, or into a pastry bag, and pipe tiny amounts onto the parchment paper instead of using spoons.
• Bake for 7-9 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Remove cookies onto a rack to cool.
• Store in an airtight container or separate into baggies as gifts or favors.

BENNE SEED THUMBPRINT COOKIES

Steps:

• Beat powdered sugar and butter with a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes, stopping to scrape down sides of bowl as needed. Add egg and vanilla; continue beating until combined, about 20 seconds. Add flour; beat on low speed until just combined, about 1 minute, stopping to scrape down sides of bowl as needed. Cover bowl with plastic wrap; chill until firm, about 45 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Place benne seeds in a small, shallow bowl. Using a 1 ½-inch cookie scoop (about 1 ½ tablespoons), scoop cookie dough into rounds, and roll each into a smooth ball. (You should have about 24 balls.) Roll balls in benne seeds to coat, and arrange 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets. Using your thumb or the back of a teaspoon, gently press the center of each ball to form a ½-inch-deep indentation.
• Bake in 2 batches in preheated oven until bottoms are golden and seeds are lightly toasted, 12 to 14 minutes per batch. Remove from oven; re-press the indentation of each cookie. Transfer to a wire rack; cool completely, about 20 minutes. Transfer to a serving platter. Spoon 1 teaspoon jam into indention of each cookie.

BUTTER AND JAM THUMBPRINTS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats.
• Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt together in a bowl.
• In another bowl, whip the butter and the sugar with a hand-held mixer until fluffy, about 5 minutes. Beat in the egg and vanilla until just combined. Slowly beat in the dry ingredients in 2 additions, mixing just until incorporated.
• Scoop the dough into 1-inch balls with a cookie or ice cream scoop and roll in sugar. Place about 2-inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. Press a thumbprint into the center of each ball, about 1/2-inch deep. Fill each indentation with about 3/4 teaspoon jam.
• Bake cookies until the edges are golden, about 15 minutes. (For even color, rotate the pans from top to bottom about halfway through baking.) Cool cookies on the baking sheets. Serve.
• Store cookies in a tightly sealed container for up to 5 days.

BENNE SEED COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 °F.
• If you're using raw sesame seeds, place the seeds in a single layer on a baking sheet. Place in the oven for about 3 minutes, watching carefully. They should just begin to brown lightly. Set aside to cool completely.
• Lower the oven temperature to 300 °F Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
• Using an electric mixer, cream the sugar, butter and eggs until very light, about 5 minutes. Sift the flour, baking powder and salt. Add to the butter mixture and stir with the spatula until combined. Add the vanilla. Stir in the cooled sesame seeds. Drop the batter by 1/2 teaspoonfuls onto the prepared cookie sheets, 1 inch apart. It takes just a dab of batter to produce quarter-sized cookies. They will spread into perfect circles during baking.
• Bake until very brown but not burned at the edges, about 14 to 15 minutes. Important: Let the cookies cool completely on the parchment paper, then peel them away from the paper. Store between layers of waxed paper in an airtight container. These cookies freeze well in tins. They will crumble in a plastic freezer bag.
• This recipe is one of our Gifts from the Kitchen. Click here to see other Gifts from the Kitchen.

CLASSIC THUMBPRINT COOKIES

Steps:

• HEAT oven to 350 degrees F. Adjust rack to middle position. Coat two cookie sheets lightly with no-stick cooking spray.
• BEAT brown sugar and shortening in medium bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed for 2 minutes or until fluffy. Scrape down sides of bowl. Add egg yolks, water, vanilla and salt. Beat until well combined. Add flour on low speed until well blended.
• BEAT egg whites in a shallow bowl until foamy. Place pecans in a separate shallow bowl. Measure about 2 teaspoons dough for each cookie. Roll into balls. Dip each dough ball into egg whites, then roll into pecans. Place on prepared cookie sheet. Using the back of a teaspoon or your thumb, make a rounded indentation in the top of each cookie.
• BAKE 10 minutes. Remove from oven. It may be necessary to create the indentation once again with a spoon. Place about 1 teaspoon preserves into the indentation of each cookie. Bake an additional 5 to 7 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from oven. Cool on baking sheet for several minutes. Remove to wire rack to cool completely.

BENNE CRESCENT COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.
• Spread seeds on a baking sheet. Toast at 300 degrees for 15 minutes until toasted evenly or golden brown.
• Beat the butter, sugar, and brown sugar in mixing bowl until creamy. Blend in the vanilla, maple syrup and salt. Stir in the flour and benne seeds and mix well. Roll into cylinder, wrap in plastic film and chill for 1 hour or more.
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
• Slice into 1/8-inch thick rounds (approximately tablespoon size), roll and shape into crescents and bake cookies on nonstick or parchment-lined baking sheet until light brown, approximately 12 minutes. Cool slightly and roll warm cookies in confectioners' sugar.
• *Cook's Note: Buy hulled raw seeds in bulk from a natural foods store.

CHOCOLATE & HAZELNUT THUMBPRINT COOKIES

Steps:

• Line a baking tray with baking parchment. Tip the hazelnuts into the bowl of a food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Add the flours, sugar and a pinch of flaked sea salt, and process for 20-30 secs until fully combined. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture just starts to come together. Tip the dough out onto a work surface and knead by hand until smooth.
• Roll the dough into 25 small balls, then transfer to the prepared baking tray. Using your thumb or the handle of a wooden spoon, make an indent in the centre of each piece of dough. Put the tray in the fridge and chill for 30 mins before baking. Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4.
• Bake in the oven for 15-20 mins or until light golden brown. Put the chocolate and oil in a heatproof bowl and set over a pan of simmering water, stirring occasionally, until fully melted. Use a teaspoon to top each cookie with a little melted chocolate. Put aside until the chocolate has set.

BENNE CAKES (SESAME COOKIES)

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325°F.
• Lightly spray cookie sheet with oil.
• Mix together the brown sugar and butter, and beat until they are creamy.
• Stir in the egg, vanilla extract, and lemon juice.
• Add flour, baking powder, salt, and sesame seeds.
• Drop by rounded teaspoons onto the cookie sheet 2 inches apart.
• Bake for 15 minutes or until the edges are browned.
• Enjoy!

BENNE WAFERS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• Place the benne (sesame) seeds on an ungreased baking sheet and toast for 10 to 12 minutes, until light brown. Watch closes so that they don 't burn.
• In a large bowl mix the brown sugar, melted butter or margarine, egg, vanilla extract, flour, salt, baking powder and toasted sesame seeds together until combined.
• Drop dough by 1/2 teaspoonfuls 1 1/2 inches apart onto a lightly greased baking sheet.
• Bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for 4 to 6 minutes, until light brown. Let cookies cool for about 2 minutes before removing from baking sheets to a wire rack to cool completely. Store cooled cookies in an airtight container.

BENNE COOKIES

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease 2 large cookie sheets with butter.
• Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a cast-iron skillet over medium heat and add the benne seeds, stirring them until coated. Toast the seeds, stirring frequently, until fragrant and darkened a shade, 2 to 3 minutes. Take care not to burn the seeds and turn down the heat if needed. Scrape onto a plate and let cool completely.
• Whisk the flour, baking soda and salt together in a medium bowl.
• In a large bowl, cream together the remaining 8 tablespoons/115 grams butter and both sugars until well combined and fluffy. Add the egg and beat well. Add the cooled toasted benne seeds and the vanilla, then stir in the flour mixture.
• Drop rounded teaspoonfuls of the cookie dough at least 2 1/2 inches apart on 1 prepared cookie sheet. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until golden brown around the edges. Remove the wafers from the cookie sheet immediately and place on waxed or parchment paper to cool. Repeat with the remaining dough on the second cookie sheet, reusing the first sheet when it's cool, if needed.

POPPY SEED THUMBPRINT COOKIES

Steps:

• Cream butter.
• Add sugar and egg and beat until light.
• Add milk through mace and mix well.
• Shape in 1-inch balls, then flatten to ¼-inch thickness.
• Make a thumbprint in center of each.
• Sprinkle center with poppy seeds.
• Bake at 400F 6-8 minutes.

THUMBPRINT COOKIES

Steps:

• For the shortcrust pastry, sift the flour and icing sugar into a mixing bowl. Add the vanilla sugar, lemon zest and a pinch of salt. Rub the butter into the flour mixture until it is incorporated and then mix in egg yolks. Knead everything into a compact smooth dough. Wrap the dough and chill it for 1 hour.
• Remove the dough from the refrigerator and bring it to room temperature for 10 minutes. Form the dough into a long roll and divide it into 60 equal portions. Form a small ball from each portion and place it on a baking sheet covered with baking parchment (you will need two or more sheets). Press a dip (for the jam) into each ball with the handle of a wooden spoon.
• Heat the oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. Heat the jelly or jam in a saucepan until it melts. Use a teaspoon to fill the dips in the dough balls.
• Bake for 12-15 minutes, then allow to cool completely. Finally, dust the cookies with some icing sugar. The cookies can be stored in an airtight container for several weeks.

THUMBPRINT COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Beat margarine and sugar together until fluffy; add vanilla and egg and beat well.
• Stir in flour and baking powder.
• Roll into balls and press thumb into the middle of the cookie, fill with half a tsp or so of jelly.
• Bake for 12 to 15 minutes.

BENNE SEED WAFERS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. Place sesame seeds on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake until fragrant and lightly browned, 10-15 minutes; cool., Reduce oven temperature to 300°. In a large bowl, beat brown sugar and butter until crumbly. Beat in egg and vanilla extract. In a small bowl, whisk together flour, salt and baking powder. Gradually beat into sugar mixture. Add cooled sesame seeds and stir to combine., Roll level teaspoons into balls. Place 2 in. apart onto parchment-lined baking sheets. Reduce oven temperature to 275°; bake until set but still soft, 18-20 minutes. Cool on pan 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely. , For optional chocolate drizzle, in a large microwave-safe bowl, melt chocolate, uncovered, at 50% power until melted, stirring every 30 seconds, 1 to 1-1/2 minutes. Add shortening and stir until melted. Drizzle over cookies; let stand until set.