I'm a mid-westerner by birth and my family never ate corn in April. It wasn't until the sun was hot, the air wet, and the mosquitoes hungry that we ate corn. And we ate a lot of it. We'd clean the corn under the shaded back patio of my grandmother's home with plenty of iced tea. I loved doing this as kid, pulling back the hardy husks and seeing the delicate, golden corn silk hiding beneath. It's these memories that have shaped my fondness and cravings for corn. Growing up we always boiled the cobs, served with plenty of butter and salt. Now, I love it roasted, with charred bits blistering the yellow surface, but still with plenty of butter and salt.
So.....what does this have to with pastry or baking. Well, I love using corn, cornmeal, polenta and popping corn when I bake. I love sweet corn ice cream, honey corn madelines, and brown sugar polenta with vanilla milk. And who doesn't love caramel corn with salted pecans.
Even though corn is already popping up in the markets here in California, I'd rather wait until the sun gets hotter and the ears sweeter before I use the fresh kernels. However, you can always find good cornmeal and make these delicious, buttery cookies. Eat them with vanilla ice cream and your favorite berry. Yum!
cornmeal cookies
1 pound butter
8 oz Sugar
2.5 Yolks (scant 2 oz)
1 tsp. Lemon Zest
1/2 tsp. Orange Zest
1/2 tsp. Vanilla Extract
1.25 pounds All-Purpose Flour
4 oz Cake Flour
4 oz Cornmeal (fine)
Gently cream, room temperature, butter with paddle. Add sugar, zests and vanilla. Scrape mixing bowl and cream until combined.
Combine flours and cornmeal, sift. Add dry to creamed butter mixture. Mix just until combined. Form into a square about half an inch thick (it will be easier to roll out) and wrap in plastic. Refrigerate until cold enough to roll out.
Roll out dough on floured parchment to 1/8" to 1/4" (your preference), being careful not to use too much flour. Cut cookies out using desired cutter.
I like to freeze the cut-out cookies, then sugar them lightly before baking. After the dough is frozen dip entire cookie in sugar and shake off excess. Work quickly, this becomes difficult if the dough is soft.
Bake at 350 degrees until lightly golden. Enjoy!
