Since I was in the mood to bake, and with an audience of taste testers at a birthday party later that evening, I decided to add to a menu that already included
Coconut Macaroons (in case they did not go over well) and also make the Cornmeal-Lime Cookies from Joann Chang's
Flour cookbook. Nick loves lime flavoring and had been wanting to try these for a while, so why not give it a go? I was curious to see how the consistency with the cornmeal in cookie would taste, but the flavors sounded delicious.
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The Ingredients |
To begin, I creamed the butter and the sugar for about 5 minutes (which seemed like a long time!). A couple of times, I went in and scraped down the sides of the bowl to make sure everything was fully combined.
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creaming... |
Next, I added the lime zest and continued to beat for another 5 minutes. According to Joanne Change, by beating the lime zest, you are actually releasing its delicious citrus flavor.
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Lime Zest always adds the BEST color |
I added the eggs and vanilla and beat for another 2 or 3 minutes. Again, I stopped the beating a couple times to scrap down the sides of the bowl.
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Eggs and Vanilla |
While the the dough was mixing away, I combined, the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, and salt in a small bowl. I slowly added the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and continued to mix it until eveything was fully incorporated.
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Yummy dough |
Of course, wanting to be able to give my full opinion of all aspects of the cookie process, I tasted the dough and it was really tasty! I loved the corn meal texture. I scooped out a generous tablespoon, formed a ball and dropped it onto a baking sheet, flattening each ball a bit with my hand. Once the cookie sheet was full, I placed it in a 350 degree oven for about 23 minutes.
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Baking away |
You can tell when the cookies are done by touching the top to make sure it is nice and firm - the tops should not brown. After the sheet sat on top of a cooling rack for about 20 minutes, then I took the cookies off the sheet to cool some more.
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Cooling cookies |
While the cookies were cooling fully, I got started on the glaze.
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The Ingredients |
In a small bowl, I whisked together some confectioner's sugar, water, lime juice and lime zest until everything was nice and smooth.
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Glaze Components... |
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...into a bowl of glaze! |
Using my pastry brush, I painted a thin layer of the glaze over each of the cookies. I had Nick taste a cookie after 1 glaze layer, but he thought another layer would take the flavor up a notch so I added another.
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Glazing the cookies |
These cookies offered a great flavor and texture that was different than the norm. The addition of the cornmeal really made for a surprising bite. People really could not put their finger of the ingredient but really liked it. The lime flavoring was really strong - crisp and clean. If your audience is a strict chocolate chip-eating crowd, this cookie may not be for them. If you have a group who are a bit more adventuresome, though, this is a perfect fit!
You're on a roll with the cookies. This flavor combo sounds awesome :)
ReplyDeleteLove cornmeal and lime cookies. The glaze is the best!
ReplyDeleteOooh I've never had lime-flavored cookies but these sound delicious! I can imagine how I would also like the cornmeal texture/flavor.
ReplyDeleteTo make these at the bakery, I'd have to zest about 40 limes and my arm would be ready to fall off, but they are definitely worth it!
ReplyDelete