If you remember from back in 2007 (yikes...), we made these
lemon biscotti that utilized a technique of using your hands to rub fresh citrus zest into the sugar called for in the recipe that I gleaned from one of
Dorie Greenspan's cookbooks. Ever since then, any time a recipe calls for zest in a dough or batter, I instinctively do this extra step and am always fascinated by how intensely aromatic and moist the zest turns the sugar. I used this method today, making these shiny
Cornmeal-Lime Cookies for the Weekly Wednesday Treat Day.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQVJOaf9UlFb48CdaFowYDJ1mTJqlLWGWXb0-hVYaCvrkepRw5hg-HgA-eqy6y7X3L1BGro5MrojUAPrEwPG09VUplrBgkJJbSnW1tbarNRYeR4i3aCaFeKMLsX8jZ6f0abXh_9g/s400/clc4.jpg)
Besides the refreshing zing and lightness of lime, what makes these cookies special are the crunchy bits of coarse cornmeal in the dough - seek this out if you don't carry any in your pantry as you won't get the same unique bite using a fine grind of cornmeal. I found the combined dough to be soft, yet a bit tacky to the touch - meaning it would start to stick to your hands if you tried to roll the dough into balls, but it is still firm enough to hold its shape.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAhk0kQvf3s7pNJPaWxqI5ttQEk1eZXmnpmCWyv2fVX_pE0RW6cVZjprPsUEG-29OHv8Nv_poTbvEZ1qBBNyufmFdtsVWWklYU_UsKEW9OvqJmPZEYMxelvNu29cU7rOWE6_QGdw/s400/clc.jpg)
Once scooped out onto the baking sheets though, you will want to flatten each slightly - keep your fingers lightly moistened with water and the dough won't cling to you.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzPPutpQKIWmr2wgqx3GTjX2M_GH5qM_lz9uQVU965pNIPDLvVvZNqmcXGz6e-tw4S4YXRBPATGI4qU5zM0XgONkkaqik7NrMKp1QAdb8MZibJVlW6A-a28TOKw4KifDVMKdXmLA/s400/clc6.jpg)
You can make these cookies bakery-sized by using scant 1/4 cup measurements for the dough (you will need to tack on a few extra minutes to the bake time), but we scaled them back to roughly 2 tablespoons for each. This ended up being a generously heaped tablespoon cookie scoops' worth, giving us 22 cookies instead of the 14 to 16 listed.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXqTSNMVn1gExHVXkjKZ_2ONed6tAwyU767yqVjBJ1IICiWR5XW0oRvcRYAFJkZnksFp7QxTbNg53LKZMnWUPsJQ1u7X9U3mLGcpm6CgiFaOsl_1cTael0VMJJ1lzjnighSH_B5A/s400/clc3.jpg)
I recommend you keep an eagle eye on these cookies as they bake - you want the tops of them to remain pale, while the edges should have a light golden ring around the edges. If they are taken much farther than that, the cookies won't have that soft, a-couple-steps-away-from-being-a-cake-like quality. I did let two cookies go for a few minutes extra for comparisons sake (curiosity got me!) and instead of being crispy, they just became drier and more crumbly.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjm9svg-clcW948lvDCMAeST-EWnp4gWpJoJbdvqb6l357oUt8vdARb_k4eoLxcxRQcmsPOc9A6RB1orLJFwRAub50e-FWbEggFHsBoHRxqZbqthxgq2uW8xleg6yap5KQYl22LA/s400/clc2.jpg)
While the cookies have a solid hit of lime already, to punch up the pucker, each cookie is painted with a sweet, zest-studded opaque glaze made from confectioners' sugar thinned out with water, fresh lime juice and of course, more of that vibrant zest.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidASRZ27FEKkljaU_ekT5vaIuWkcPyLmwkXHR2LbDM7Vy3AH4oKODz6s6CFugdMdg5p5_09V5mx9DWd57X0OXO_M3Pu986rQvnwp0jCiXmuUfxxJNLzOeP-9IqtothuBhNg_41XA/s400/clc5.jpg)
You could dunk the tops of each cookie (not as easy since they are tender) or drizzle it over, but I agreed with the recipe directions by brushing the glaze on with a pastry brush. This gave me the control to make an even, thin coat without making a mess - I was left with this though.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl2MYS1b4ygarChBy1qjXAR3FYW5_lrc5t0XWhwGfNbVLihHmzQyzAlj_-OQ6gTBLmCb2YHxU3nERVqz6l9HhVn3lYEDMQp8CggUenBfD2Pwy-UI7OJ49kdS4hnlupC1I4y8WMNQ/s400/clc1.jpg)
And trust me, none of it went to waste - a few swipes with a spoon (and right into my mouth!) made quick work of any leftover dribbles.
That looks like a terrific cookie to have on hand for the upcoming fresh berry season!
ReplyDeleteThese look fantastic! I love citrus in cookies...it's such an awesome summer flavor!
ReplyDeletePeter - I'm with you!
ReplyDeleteBaking Serendipity - Spot on! We've made a few different citrus cookies and they have always been fantastic.
What a great technique. Never used it before. This is a really nice cookie that I would enjoy :)
ReplyDeleteHelene - Definitely give it a try sometime.
ReplyDelete