Cornmeal Cookies are typical Piedmontese biscuits that I adore. It is said they were created out of necessity after a poor wheat harvest, which skyrocketed the price of white flour. Ingeniously, it was partially or entirely replaced with finely ground cornmeal. The resulting cookies are crumbly, with a slightly coarse texture that makes them irresistible. The name comes from the Piedmontese dialect “Paste ‘d melia”; indeed, meliga is the name for cornmeal. The most suitable quality is fioretto cornmeal, as it is finely ground and blends well with other ingredients. I usually choose the one from Molino Borgo San Dalmazzo, which I find truly phenomenal.

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Here are other Piedmontese dessert recipes:

Difficulty: Easy
Cost: Economical
Rest time: 30 Minutes
Preparation time: 40 Minutes
Portions: 35 Pieces
Cooking methods: Oven
Cuisine: Regional Italian
Region: Piedmont
Seasonality: All Seasons

Ingredients

7/8 cup all-purpose flour
5/8 cup finely ground cornmeal
7/8 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
to taste vanilla extract
1 lemon (zest)

Steps

Sift the finely ground cornmeal into a bowl.
Add the sifted all-purpose flour.
Add the softened butter cut into pieces.
Mix with your hands until a sandy mixture is obtained.
Add the sugar and mix well with your hands.
Now add the egg, vanilla extract, and the grated zest of one lemon.
Knead with your hands or a spoon until you obtain a firm dough, it will be slightly soft.
Place it in the fridge covered with plastic wrap for about half an hour.
Take it out of the fridge and gradually fill a piping bag with a star nozzle. Place parchment paper on a baking tray and start forming the Cornmeal Cookies.
You should make circles about 2-3 inches in diameter. Do not place them too close together, as they will slightly spread during baking and might touch each other.
Place the baking tray on the top shelf of the oven and bake for about 10-12 minutes at 340°F. I recommend keeping an eye on them, as one moment they seem undercooked and the next they might burn.
You can serve them simply for a snack or breakfast, or you can accompany them with a great Zabaione, but with Moscato.