It was my friends birthday last week, I’d promised to bring cookies and of course, had completely forgotten until 1hr before I needed to go.
As it was a Monday (my day off) the bakery looked pretty sparse, orders come in on a Tuesday, so I really only had a bit of flour, sugar and butter left. Determined not to make the most boring cookie on earth, I desperately looked around for some kind of unique ingredient. And that’s when I found the left over bag of polenta I’d been using to dust baguettes.
The polenta not only adds a sweet nutty flavour but also gives the cookies the perfect combination of a crisp shell and soft centre.
Ingredients
100g soft unsalted butter
100g white sugar
50g soft brown sugar
2 tbsp honey
2tbs orange or lemon zest (optional) rub into the sugars 15 minutes before using.
1tsp vanilla extract extract or paste
1 egg
130g polenta
130g plain flour
Pinch of salt
Method
Preheat the oven to 180c/ 160 fan
1) Grab yourself a large mixing bowl, add your butter and sugar as then beat into a creamy paste. Add your egg and vanilla then beat again until combined. Pour in your flour, polenta and sprinkle of salt, mix into a creamy cookie dough. Pop the dough in the fridge for 5-10 mins to stiffen (optional).
2) Scoop the cookie dough into 2tbsp balls, place spread out on a lined sheet of baking paper. Sprinkle with flaky salt. Bake for 10-12 minutes until crisp on the edges and soft in the centre. Cool then enjoy!