Sunday, June 25, 2006

Lemony Cricket's A Series of Repetitous Events

Cornmeal Currant Crunch

I know what your thinking, "What is up with that wretched attempt at film punning?" Indeed it’s appalling to the point of offensive but sometimes a girl just has to indulge her inner dag. It has been repressed for far too long and now it’s manifesting itself. What can I do?

Well there’s really no justification for of this dismal display of wordplay. The cookies in question are actually Lemon and Currant Cornmeal Crunch. But in some outrageous lapse into nonsensical thought, I was looking at these cookies, and I thought that the currants looked a lot like tiny baked crickets, not that I have ever baked crickets. I must have been on some unconscious acid trip or something of the like. Perhaps I’m experiencing hallucinations from a fever i've had, football fever that is. Yep, I caught it after jumping on the World Cup bandwagon.

Yes, I shamelessly admit I have jumped on the bandwagon. Personally, I don’t think there is anything wrong with bandwagon hopping. Why the more the merrier I say! Anyway, enough about crude punnage, acid trips and bandwagons. After the success of my recent polenta venture I’ve become quite obsessed with it, to the point of repetitious in fact. As atonement for past polenta blunders I have been baking up a storm with the 1-kilo sack of polenta I bought and thus a polenta revival has been birthed.

Starting from the success of these cookies, I have baked a “few” more just to confirm that it wasn’t a mere stroke of luck. These cookies still have the delightful crunch of their Orange and Polenta cousins, just not as buttery. Albeit, they were still scrumptious mounds of sugary heaven. I have also become addicted to adding zests into my batter, as I find the aroma intoxicating. These cookies contain lemon zest and oh how it permeated the house with a fresh citrus fragrance!

I enjoyed making these cookies so much that I have decided to continue using polenta more in baking. Mainly baking, as it requires much less attentiveness. Because I’m just lazy. But anyway, here is the recipe.

Cornmeal Currant Crunch

(makes 30 cookies)


Cornmeal Currant Crunch

1¼ cups all purpose flour
¾ cup polenta
½ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
¾ cup unsalted butter
¾ cup caster sugar
1 tsp finely grated lemon zest
2 large egg yolks
1 tsp vanilla extract
½ cup dried currants (raisins, if currants not available)
½ cup roasted almonds, chopped

Preheat oven to 180°C, and line your baking tray with parchment paper.
In a medium bowl, combine flour, polenta, baking powder and salt, set aside
In another bowl, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, then add the lemon zest and beat for 1 minute.
Add the egg yolks and vanilla extract and beat until smooth.
Slowly add the flour mixture, mixing just until the flour is incorporated.
Mix in the currants and almonds.
Take about 2 tablespoons of dough into the palms of your hand and roll into a smooth ball. Then flatten it into a circle and place on baking tray about 2 cm apart. Bake cookies for about 15 minutes, until edges are browned.
Cool on baking tray for 5 minutes and transfer to a wire rack to crisp up.

The cookies can be stored in an airtight container for up the 3 days and the cookie dough can be stored in the freezer for up to 2 weeks.

NOTE: It is very important for these cookies to be cooled before transferring to the wire rack as they will break apart if you don’t.

Lemons
Zested Lemons

3 comments:

Helene said...

Yeah! I have "the" cookie for Sunday. Since hubby can't stand raisins, I am goona have to use chocolate chips for his half of the recipe and raisns for my half of the recipe. How high maintenance can we get?!!
Thank you for the recipe.

Edith said...

Thanks for dropping by. You got a great blog too. Love those pictures, very well taken.

Since I know you got your moderation mode on, I am writing this msg to you. I wanted to send you an email but it got bounced. Those cupcake cake liners are from Solo. I don't know whether they have it in Aust through. I got it in Singapore. They have a website. You can check with them on their distribution channel. It is known as souffles cup.

Jen said...

Helene- I find myself customising cookies and cakes for a lot of family and friends who do and don't like certain things. So demanding aren't they?

Helen- Yes polenta is my new muse. Give them a try and let me know how they turn out.

Precious Moments- thanks for the tip on where to get those cupcake liners. I'll check that website out and see whether I can get them in Aus.
I don't know what happened with my email add, must be a typo. i always type so fast and don't preview what I write.