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Polenta Cookies
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Polenta Cookies

Instead of the eau-de-vie or grappa, you could use amaretto or another liqueur that you have on hand. If you are avoiding alcohol, you could use more water or hot tea for the 3 tablespoons of eau-de-vie.

I used fine polenta, but if you have regular polenta on hand, you could use that. Similarly, it'll probably work with stone-ground cornmeal, although it's best to use one that's coarsely ground for maximum crunch.

Although these get shaped into diamonds, you could roll them out and cut them into shapes using a cookie cutter.

Course: Others

Ingredients

  • 3 tablespoons water
  • 3/4 cup (90g) currant such as chopped cranberries or cherries, dried or another dried fruit
  • 3 tablespoons eau-de-vie or grappa
  • 1 3/4 cups (250g) flour
  • 1 cup (160g) polenta fine or instant
  • 3/4 cup (150g) granulated sugar plus more for finishing the cookies
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt or sea salt
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder preferably aluminum-free
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 large egg yolk
  • 8 tablespoons (4oz, 115g) butter melted and cooled, unsalted
  • grated zest lemon of 1

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Heat the water in a small saucepan until it starts to boil. Turn off the heat and add the currants, or other dried fruit, and liqueur. Set aside for 30 minutes to 1 hour. (They can be plumped a day or two in advance.)
  2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, mix the flour, polenta, sugar, salt and baking powder. (You can also make this dough in a large bowl, stirring with a wooden spoon or spatula.)
  3. In a medium bowl, mix together the egg and the egg yolks, then stir in the melted butter and lemon zest. Add the egg mixture to the dry ingredients and stir together for about a minute, until they're well-combined. Add the currants and any liquid, and beat them in at medium speed for about 30 seconds.
  4. Remove the dough from the bowl, wrap it in plastic wrap, flatten it into a disk, and chill until firm, about an hour. (The dough can be made 2-3 days in advance, and baked later.)
  5. To bake the cookies, preheat the oven to 325ºF (160ºC.) Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
  6. On a lightly floured countertop, pinch off tablespoon-sized pieces of dough, roll them into little logs (you may need to flour your hands as the dough is sticky), then press the logs gently to flatten them a bit, and pinch the ends to taper them. Place them on the baking sheet about an inch (3cm) apart, to allow for some spreading. Sprinkle the tops with granulated sugar.
  7. Bake the cookies until golden brown across the top, about 15 minutes, rotating the baking sheets in the oven midway during baking. Let the cookies cool for a few minutes, then transfer them to a cooling rack.

Notes

  • Storage: The cookies can be kept up to one week in an airtight container at room temperature.