Recipe for Salted Benne Wafers
Snacks

SALTED BENNE WAFERS

    Salted Benne Wafers

    African slaves introduced sesame seeds into this country as "bennes."

    1 cup sesame seeds
    2 cups all-purpose flour
    2 teaspoons salt
    1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
    1/4 cup lard or shortening
    1/4 pound butter, chilled, cut into 8 pieces
    1 egg, beaten
    2 to 3 tablespoons ice water
    1 tablespoon sea salt

    Toast sesame seeds until golden brown in a skillet or slow oven, 4 to 8 minutes. Mix flour with the seasonings. Work in lard and butter with your fingertips as if making pie crust. Beat egg with 2 tablespoons ice water. Mix flour and liquid lightly with a fork. Add sesame seeds and more water, if needed, to make dough barely stick together. Put dough into a plastic bag and shape it into a long roll about 1 inch wide. The easiest shape is a squared roll. Refrigerate for 3 to 4 hours.

    Cut roll into 1/4-inch slices and place them on a baking sheet. They will not spread, so you can place them close together. Bake at 325 degrees F on top rack of oven for 15 to 20 minutes. Sprinkle them with sea salt while still warm.

    Makes about 30 wafers.


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