Cornmeal Currant Cookies
Buttery cornmeal cookies studded with currants soaked in Port, crisp in texture and ideal alongside wine-poached pears.
Ingredients
currants
¾ cup
good-quality port
¼ cup
all-purpose flour
2¼ cups
fine yellow cornmeal (don't use coarse polenta)
1 cup
baking powder
1 teaspoon
salt
½ teaspoon
unsalted butter (softened)
16 tablespoons (2 sticks)
sugar
1 cup
large egg
1
Instructions
1
COMBINE
In a small bowl, combine the currants and port; let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.
2
WHISK
In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, and salt.
3
USING
Using an electric mixer, beat the butter in a large bowl until creamy. Add the sugar and beat thoroughly until fully incorporated. Beat in the egg. At low speed, beat in the currants and port mixture, then beat in the flour mixture until just combined. Divide the dough in half. Press each half into a disk, wrap each in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, until firm enough to roll.
4
PREHEAT
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Prepare an ungreased baking sheet.
5
WORKING
Working with one disk of dough at a time, roll it out on a lightly floured surface to about 1/4 inch thick. Use cookie cutters to cut out cookies, placing them close together on the prepared baking sheet, spaced about 1.5 inches apart. Gather the scraps, re-roll, and repeat the process, cutting out cookies and arranging them on baking sheets. Bake for about 12 minutes, until the cookies are pale golden, though the edges will be slightly darker. Transfer the cookies to a rack to cool.
