Lemon Cornmeal Cookies

from Luscious Lemon Desserts by Lori Longbotham 

submitted by Judy Gray  

preparation time: about 45 minutes plus chilling time 

makes 4 dozen 
 

1 ¼ cup all-purpose flour 

1 cup yellow cornmeal 

Pinch of salt 

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature 

1 cup sugar 

¼ cup finely grated lemon zest 

2 large egg yolks 

 

Whisk the flour and cornmeal together in a small bowl. 

 

Beat the butter, sugar, and zest in a medium bowl with an electric mixer, beginning on low speed and increasing to medium-high speed, until light and fluffy. Add the egg yolks and beat to combine well. Reduce the speed to low, add the flour mixture, and beat on low speed just until blended; the dough will be crumbly. 

 

Press the dough together with your hands and divide it in half. Place each half on a sheet of wax paper and form each piece into a 10 x 1¼-inch log. Smooth each log with dampened fingers. Chill the logs, wrapped in wax paper, for at least 3 hours, or until firm. 

 

At least 25 minutes before baking, position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Butter 2 large nonstick baking sheets or use Silpat cookie sheet liners. 

 

Cut each log into ¼ inch thick rounds and arrange the rounds 2 inches apart on the baking sheets. Bake, 1 sheet at a time, for 10 minutes, or until the edges of the cookies are golden brown. Transfer the cookies to a wire rack and let cool. 

 

These cookies are very lemony and have a change of pace texture with the addition of the cornmeal. I use Silpat cookie sheet liner on the cookie sheets and wait until the cookies have cooled a little before removing them from the pan.  

The original recipe called for ¾ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper (optional). A suggested alternative to the black peper was ½ teaspoon ground ginger.