My recipe for the typical meliga cookies. Batiaje in Piedmont, especially in the pre-Alpine area. Buttery and crumbly cookies made with butter, cornmeal and sugar.
The Batiaje boast an ancient history rooted in the heart of Piedmont from around 1850.
The name of these cookies comes from the context of their preparation: the baptism or “Batiaje”; they are made with corn flour offered to guests.
Thanks to their characteristics and fragrant taste, they even won over the Royal House of Savoy. They are still prepared today with traditional recipes and manual techniques that further enrich the result. After many trials over time I found the right compromise. You can mainly find them in small villages at the foot of the Piedmontese Alps in some bakeries that still produce artisanal products using locally sourced ingredients.
You can find other regional specialty recipes further down.
- Difficulty: Easy
- Rest time: 1 Hour
- Preparation time: 30 Minutes
- Portions: 30 large cookies
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients
Fine cornmeal, butter and sugar are among the main ingredients.
- 2 cups all-purpose flour (≈ 250 g (≈ 8.8 oz))
- 1 1/3 cups fine cornmeal (≈ 200 g (≈ 7.1 oz))
- 1 1/8 cups unsalted butter (≈ 250 g (≈ 8.8 oz))
- 3 eggs
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar (≈ 150 g (≈ 5.3 oz))
- Half packet baking powder (Half packet (≈ 2 tsp or ≈ 8 g), sifted with the flours)
- lemon zest (I recommend the finely grated zest of half a small lemon.)
Tools
A bowl for mixing, electric whisks or stand mixer, piping bag or cookie gun
- Cookie Gun
- Mixers
- Containers
Steps
Beat together the softened butter, the eggs and the sugar until you obtain a creamy mixture.
Now add the flours, the sifted baking powder and the lemon zest. Mix carefully.
Transfer part of the dough into a piping bag fitted with a star tip about 1/5 cm in diameter (≈ 0.08 in, roughly 1/16 in). Pipe small ring shapes and chill in the refrigerator for about one hour. Bake in a preheated oven for about 10 minutes.
Buttery, crumbly and fragrant.
They keep for several days at room temperature.
A few extra tips
I recommend sifting the flours together with the baking powder. Use very fine cornmeal. Keep the butter at room temperature for good workability. Enjoy them at breakfast or as an afternoon snack, possibly decorated with small pieces of dark chocolate.
