BENNE (OR SESAME) SEEDS PLAY AN INTEGRAL ROLE in both savory and sweet dishes throughout the coastal
Carolina and Georgia Lowcountry, and rare is the Charleston or Savannah cocktail reception or tea that doesn’t include a bowl of these tiny nuggets, which are eaten almost like peanuts. Benne bits are available in tins all over Charleston (and by mail), but I’ve yet to taste a commercial product that can equal the freshly baked nuggets. Do be very careful not to burn the benne seeds, toasting them only till they’re golden brown.

Makes about 40 bits

INGREDIENTS

• 1/4 cup benne (sesame) seeds
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• Cayenne pepper to taste
• 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter, chilled and cut into pieces
• 1 tablespoon milk
• 1 tablespoon water

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. Scatter the benne seeds evenly on a baking sheet and toast in the oven, stirring, until golden brown, about 10 minutes. Let them cool.
3. In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, salt, and cayenne pepper.
4. Add the chilled butter pieces to the bowl. Work the butter into the flour mixture using your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse meal.
5. Add the toasted benne seeds, milk, and water to the bowl. Mix the ingredients with your hands until the dough is smooth.
6. On a floured surface, roll out the dough to a thickness of about 1/4 inch.
7. Cut the dough into 1-inch rounds using a cookie cutter or a round object.
8. Place the rounds on an ungreased baking sheet.
9. Bake the rounds in the preheated oven until golden, about 12 minutes.
10. Let the rounds cool.
11. Store the rounds in a tightly closed tin for up to 2 weeks.