While cornmeal works fine in this recipe, polenta (which is an Italian cornmeal from northern Italy) gives these cookies an authentic rustic texture.
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup finely ground yellow polenta (or cornmeal)
- 3 ounce toasted pine nuts (about ½ cup)
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 12 tablespoon unsalted butter (at room temperature)
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 teaspoon orange zest
- 2 tablespoon freshly squeezed orange juice
- 1 ½ teaspoon minced fresh rosemary
- 1 large egg (lightly beaten)
- turbinado sugar (as needed)
- rosemary leaves (as garnish, optional)
Directions
Place the oven racks in the top and center positions and preheat oven to 350.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, pine nuts and salt. Set aside.
In a separate large bowl use a hand mixer to beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the orange zest, orange juice and minced rosemary, mixing until incorporated. Beat in the egg until just combined. Use low speed to mix in about ⅓ of the cornmeal mixture until just combined. Repeat two more times with remaining cornmeal mixture. Do not over mix.
Using a 2‑inch ice cream scoop drop 16 rounded mounds of dough onto 2 parchment lined baking sheets. Sprinkle each with a good amount of turbinado sugar and garnish with rosemary leaves (optional). Bake, rotating the pans between racks halfway, until just golden at the edges; 16 to 18 minutes total, depending on your oven.
Move the sheets to wire racks to cool. The cookies will keep covered about 1 week.
