Slice and bake

One time when I was eight, I won an Oreo stacking contest in Safeway. I won a t-shirt, and lifelong pride. This post has nothing to do with that other than these cookies are very stackable...

I've recently been intrigued by using cornmeal in baking, after a few lovely encounters with cornmeal scones at my favorite coffee shop. When I stumbled upon this recipe, I thought it looked like the perfect way to experiment. The beauty of these cookies is that you can make them in any size you like, but I enjoyed making them about an inch and a half in diameter like called for in the original recipe. They're not too sweet, and are the perfect refreshing little nibble.

If you'd like to add a little different flavor to the cookie, try soaking the cranberries in rum, brandy, a fruity liqueur... or honey (like I did). Also, make sure you refrigerate the dough for at least 2 hours, preferably overnight. Other than that, it's pretty straightforward. Mix, roll, chill, slice and bake. And of course, snack away :)

Lemon Cornmeal Cookies
Adapted from 6 bittersweets

1/2 C (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 C sugar
1 tsp grated lemon zest
1/3 tsp salt
2 egg yolks
1/2 C yellow cornmeal
1 1/4 C all purpose flour
2/3 C dried cranberries (about 4 ounces)

Using an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar until fluffy. Beat in lemon zest and salt, then egg yolks. Beat in cornmeal, then flour. Stir in cranberries. Knead dough until combined, then divide in half. Use plastic wrap to roll dough into logs 1 1/2 inches in diameter (or whatever size you'd like the cookies to be). Refrigerate for at least two hours.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line baking sheet with parchment paper. Slice dough log into 1/4-inch-thick rounds and place on baking sheet, reshaping them if necessary.

Bake cookies until golden at edges, about 15 to 18 minutes. Transfer to rack to cool.