Orange and Mint Cookies
Lacto-Ovo Vegetarian Recipes Desserts Snacks
A new variation of the cookies from two weeks ago. They're flavored with orange and mint, a combination I really like, plus I added cornmeal to the dough.
Ingredients
115 g high-fat butter (82% fat)
50 g powdered sugar
zest from 1 small organic orange
2 level teaspoons dried and crumbled mint
80 g all-purpose flour (BL55)
20 g starch
50 g fine cornmeal (finely ground corn; do not use coarse or semolina-style cornmeal!)
How to prepare orange and mint cookies
- In a food processor, beat the butter cut into pieces until soft.
- Add the powdered sugar, orange zest, mint and mix for another 4 minutes until it becomes like a cream.
- Transfer the butter cream to a bowl. Add the flours over it and mix with a fork using mostly folding motions and pressing with the fork tines. Mix until the flour is absorbed by the butter. The result won't be a fully bound dough, more of a sandy one. That's okay.
* regarding the cornmeal, you can use what's sold in stores as fine cornmeal (I found Longevita brand in health food stores); it has the texture of white flour, just yellowish; or you can use mill-ground and sifted cornmeal, which you then grind for a few more minutes in a food processor until it becomes as fine as possible; the point is not to use cornmeal or corn flour with a grainy texture, it will feel unpleasant in the cookies; and definitely not semolina-style cornmeal - Turn the dough onto the work surface and with your hands press the dough from all sides to give it somewhat of a log shape and force it to "stick" together. Even now the dough will seem a bit crumbly, as if it doesn't want to stay compact. That's very good, this will give the perfect sandy final texture. It's a bit more fussy to work with this dough, but the result is worth it.
- Carefully place the log in a bag (or in two bags if the bags are smaller, cut it in half). With your hands continue to press the log to give it as round a shape as possible. The log should have a diameter of about 4 cm. Roll it gently on the table from time to time. Now that it's in the bag, the dough is easier to shape. When you no longer see cracks, it's done.
- Put the logs in the refrigerator for about 30-40 minutes.
- Remove the logs from the bag and with a knife with a thin blade (the cookies are still crumbly, a thick knife will break them) cut slices about 1 cm thick. If some cookies crack, just press them from the side to stick them back together, no panic.
- Place the cookies in the baking tray on parchment paper. Bake at 175°C for 15 minutes. The cookies will remain pale on top, they don't brown. On the bottom however they will be slightly golden. That's okay, don't bake them longer.
- Remove the cookies from the tray and let them cool completely. Only after cooling will they have the sandy texture all the way to the center.
* detailed photos of the preparation process can be found here - Serve with tea.
