Tuscan Cornmeal Cookies
These classic cornmeal cookies take on a bit of an Italian twist with the addition of lemon & orange zests and fragrant rosemary.
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/4 cups yellow cornmeal
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1/2 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest
- 1/2 tablespoon finely grated orange zest
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary, plus additional sprigs for garnish
- 1 large egg
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Preparation
Pre-heat the oven to 350ºF. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, and salt. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl with a handheld mixer or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine the butter, sugar, zests, and rosemary. Cream on medium speed until pale and fluffy, 3 - 4 minutes. Add the egg and olive oil to the bowl, scrape the bottom and sides, and continue mixing to combine. Turn the mixer off and add the dry ingredients all at once. Turn the mixer back on to its lowest speed and mix just until the ingredients are combined into a smooth dough (the dough will be dry and a bit crumbly).
Scoop out a piece of dough about 1 tablespoon in size and roll it into a ball. Place the ball on the baking sheet and continue with the remaining dough, leaving about 2 inches between each ball. Dip the bottom of a small glass in cold water and press the balls flat into discs. Gently press a few sprigs of rosemary into the top of each cookie.
Bake the cookies until the bottoms are pale golden brown, about 20 minutes, rotating the sheets halfway through baking. Cool the cookies completely before serving. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.
OPTIONAL: To really boost the citrus flavor of these cookies, add in 1/2 teaspoon of lemon or orange extract.
