Wafers and Wallander

A sweet treat is a beautiful thing.


A post-dinner nibble, an after-hours indulgence, a mid-afternoon pick-me-up; there is never a bad time to give in to a sweet bite or two. Or 6 (*ahemM*).



M's been on call a lot, doing his M thing, and so I've had some free time for quiet contemplation, reading intellectually stimulating non-fiction, learning a language or two  cooking, watching 'Supernatural', and reading a gripping detective mystery by the swedish Henning Mankell. Oh Kurt Wallander, you old dog.


These sesame cookies - snaps, really - were born on Sunday evening, after a walk down to the waterfront to take some pictures and watch the seagulls languidly circling the lighthouse on Georges Island. The snaps are delightful, and delightfully easy to make, which makes them a dangerous addition to this squid's repertoire. Chewy, caramelly, nutty and crunchy all at once - these cookies hit all of the high notes, and how! I recommend them with some Greek yogurt and berries; M recommends them by the paw-ful post-call.



Benne wafers
From 'The Gourmet Cookie Cookbook'

Ingredients
- 1 1/2 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup light brown sugar
- 2 tbsp flour
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup sesame seeds

Prep time: 10 minutes                                         
Cook time: 6 min/batch + 5 minutes to cool on the pan

Yields about 2 dozen 3" wafers

1. Preheat oven to 350F and line 2 cookie trays with parchment paper.

2. In a large bowl, cream sugar and butter together until light and fluffy.

3. Add egg, flour, salt, vanilla, and sesame seeds, and mix well.  The batter will be quite wet.

4. Drop batter onto the cookie sheets with a teaspoon, taking care to leave at least 1 1/2" between drops. Dip a butter knife in cold water and spread the batter in an even circle about 2" in diameter.

5. Bake each batch for 5-6 minutes, depending on your oven. I set my timer for 6 minutes, but started to watch the cookies at the 5 minute mark. This step is important - the cookies will burn quickly if you don't keep your eye on them!

6. Remove from the oven and let cool on the pan for about 5 minutes. They should be easily liftable with a spatula at this point; if they aren't, let them cool a little longer before transferring to a cooling rack.

7. Store in an airtight container at room temperature and place bets on how they will last. I froze half the batch in a large Ziploc bag, but I'm not 100% sure the thawed result will be on par. I'll keep you posted! Tentacles are crossed.


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