Description
“Travel” to Italy with these delicious zaletti cookies. With a mixture of cornmeal and flour, these cookies are the perfect combination of fluffy and crunchy textures.
Ingredients
Scale
- 3/4 cup dried currants
- 1/4 cup hot water
- 3 tbsp grappa or brandy (substitutes could be apple or orange juice)
- 1/2 cup toasted pine nuts
- 1 1/2 cup polenta
- 1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- kosher salt
- 16 oz Kalona SuperNatural Organic Unsalted Butter
- 2/3 cup sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 egg, separated
- Organic lemon zest
- Coarse sugar (optional)
Instructions
- Place in currants in a large mixing bowl. Pour hot water and grappa/brandy over top. Allow to sit for 20 minutes.
- Toast pine nuts in a small, dry pan, and stir occasionally until brown and fragrant. Pour into a separate bowl and cool.
- In a third mixing bowl, sift together cornmeal, flour, baking powder and a pinch of salt. Set aside.
- Combine butter and sugar with a mixer. Add one egg and one egg yolk. Combine.
- Drain the currants, stir in with the pine nuts and add lemon zest. Combine with the flour mixture until blended.
- Take dough and place on a sheet of plastic wrap. Forming dough into a 9-inch flat square (1/2-inch thick). Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 45 minutes or overnight.
- Preheat oven to 350°. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Add dough to a flat, lightly floured surface.
- Beat the other whole egg with 1/2 tsp of water, making egg wash. Brush mixture on the dough. If desired, sprinkle with coarse sugar.
- Cut dough into 1/4-inch strips and then diagonally, forming diamonds.
- Place cookies on prepared baking pans and bake for 15-18 minutes. Rotate the pan half-way through the time. Bake until lightly golden.
- Cool and enjoy!
Notes
Recipe and photos of these Zaletti Cookies courtesy of Bret Bannon from Bret’s Table.