Corn Cookies

I know, I know - corn has no place inside of a cookie. While it sounds strange, possibly even gross or outright icky, the corny goodness at the core of these little treats adds something really special that few other ingredients could. While you might need to pick up a few items that you don't keep in your pantry, after making these delicious cookies just one time, you'll have them on hand from now on.


_{Inspired by a Momofuku Milk Bar recipe as seen on the awesome PBS show Mind of a Chef}

Step 1: You'll Need. . .

Software

• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
• 1 cup of freeze dried corn, ground to a fine powder (you'll need 2/3 cup once it's ground) (Amazon also offers a lot of dried corn)
• 1 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 egg, room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste (or extract)
• 1 1/3 cup flour
• 1/4 corn flour (make sure it's corn flour, not corn meal - if you can't find corn flour, you can use a food processor or clean coffee/spice mill to grind corn meal until it reaches a flour consistency)
• 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda

Hardware

• Food processor or clean coffee/spice mill (or mortar and pestle) to grind the dried corn (and corn meal if you need to)
• Stand mixer or hand mixer and mixing bowl
• Medium mixing bowl
• Rubber or silicone spatula
• Measuring cups and spoons
• Cookie scoop (mine is little so my baking time is shorter - if you use a large scoop, add a couple minutes to the baking time)
• Cookie sheets lined with parchment or silicone liners
• Plastic wrap

Step 2: Cracking Corn

1. In the food processor, grind the dried corn until it is a very fine powder
2. Combine the powder with the flour, corn flour, salt, baking soda and baking powder

Step 3: Getting Doughy

1. In the stand mixer, mix the butter and sugar until it's light and fluffy (about three minutes)
2. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the egg and vanilla bean paste
3. Continue mixing for about 8 minutes until the mixture resembles butter cream frosting (it will be very light and super fluffy)
4. Slowly add in the flour mixture and mix until just combined

Step 4: Scoop and Chill

1. Using the cookie scoop, portion small balls of dough out onto a lined cookie sheet
2. Gently press the tops of the scoops down, cover the cookie sheets in plastic wrap, and place the cookie sheet in the fridge for at least an hour

Step 5: Bake and Nom!

1. After an hour, preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit
2. Transfer the flattened balls of dough onto lined cookie sheets, placing them about 1 1/2 inches apart (further if your cookies are larger)
3. Bake for 8-9 minutes (longer if they're larger) or until the edges are lightly browned but the centers are bright yellow
4. Allow to cool fully, and enjoy!