6 Tbs. unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 cup light or dark brown sugar
2 large egg whites, room temperature
5 Tbs. all-purpose flour
1/8 tsp. baking powder
1/8 tsp. table salt
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 cup toasted white or black benne (sesame) seeds
Preheat oven to 325°F. Line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
Beat the butter and sugar with an electric hand mixer until light in color, fluffy, and smooth. Add egg whites one at a time, incorporating them into the batter with the mixer at low speed.
In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt and sift into the batter, mixing until smooth. Add the vanilla and beat at medium speed. Fold in the benne seeds.
Fill a pastry bag with the batter and pipe the cookies onto the prepared pans, about 1/2 teaspoon each (the size of a dime) and about 1½ to 2 inches apart. Bake eight to 10 minutes, rotating the pans 180 degrees halfway through baking time. Move the pans to a rack to cool briefly and then move the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.
When cool, store in an airtight container or cookie jar at room temperature, or wrap well in an airtight container and freeze up to three months.
From a West African-derived soup to a colonial dessert, cook up your own Very Charleston feast
