Substitute 1/3 cup chopped walnuts, toasted in a 350°F oven for 5 to 7 minutes, for some of the dried fruits.These are really unusual cookies, made with cornmeal and loaded with succulent dried fruit steeped in rum. These are perfect for Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Yield: 3 dozen
Active time: 15 minutes
Start to finish: 40 minutes
1/4 cup golden raisins
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup dried cherries
1/4 cup rum
11/2 cups cornmeal
11/2 cups cornstarch
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon gluten-free baking powder
1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 pound (1 stick) unsalted butter, sliced
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons whole milk
1 tablespoon grated orange zest
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicon baking mats. Combine golden raisins, dried cranberries, dried cherries, and rum in a small mixing bowl, and toss to coat fruit with rum.
2. Combine cornmeal, cornstarch, sugar, baking powder, xanthan gum, and salt in a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Blend for 5 seconds. Add butter to the work bowl, and process, using on-and-off pulsing, until mixture resembles coarse meal.
3. Combine eggs, milk, orange zest, and vanilla in a small cup, and whisk well. Drizzle liquid into the work bowl, and pulse about 10 times, or until stiff dough forms. If dough is dry and doesn’t come together, add additional milk by 1-teaspoon amounts, until dough forms a ball.
4. Scrape dough into a mixing bowl, and stir in fruit and whatever rum remains in the bowl.
5. Drop dough by 1-tablespoon portions onto the prepared baking sheets, 2 inches apart. Bake cookies for 20 to 25 minutes, or until cookies are dry. Cool cookies for 2 minutes on the baking sheets, and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Variations
Substitute 1/3 cup chopped walnuts, toasted in a 350°F oven for 5 to 7 minutes, for some of the dried fruits.
Substitute chopped candied citrus peels and candied cherries for the dried fruits.
One way to save time when you need to grate a lot of citrus zest is to use a vegetable peeler to separate the colored zest from the bitter white pith beneath it. Then place the strips in a mini-food processor and it will be finely chopped in seconds.