Corn Cookies

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine the butter and sugar and mix them together on medium-high speed for 2 to 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, and add the egg and beat for 7 to 8 minutes until the batter is light and fluffy and almost doubled in size.

Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the flour, corn flour, freeze-dried corn powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix just until the dough comes together, no longer than 1 minute. Do not walk away from the machine during this step, or you will risk overmixing the dough. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.

Using a 2 3/4-ounce ice cream scoop (or a 1/3-cup measuring cup), portion out the dough onto a parchment-lined sheet pan. Pat the tops of the cookie dough domes flat. Wrap the sheet pan tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or up to 1 week. Do not bake your cookies from room temperature—they will not bake properly.

Preheat the oven to 375 F.

Arrange the chilled dough a minimum of 4 inches apart on parchment- or Silpat-lined sheet pans. Bake for 15-18 minutes. The cookies will puff, crackle and spread. I used a Silpat liner on one baking sheet and I only baked for 15 minutes; I baked on another sheet with parchment, and they needed a full 18 minutes to bake completely. Also, if you bake on dark metal pans, set the timer for 15 minutes and check them, they will cook faster on dark metal.

When done remove the pans from the oven. Cool the cookies completely on the sheet pans before transferring to a plate or an airtight container for storage. At room temperature, the cookies will keep fresh for 5 days; in the freezer, they will keep for 1 month.

Notes:
Corn flour: Can be found near specialty flours and is available at various stores. I buy Bob’s Red Mill corn flour at Whole Foods Market. If you do not want to buy a package, you can substitute 1/4 cups bread flour with 4 teaspoons of freeze-dried corn powder (see below).

Freeze-Dried Corn Powder: Buy regular freeze-dried corn (at Whole Foods or Amazon.com) and grind in a food processor or blender until it reaches a fine powder. Go ahead and buy this stuff, it’s fun to snack on while baking the cookies.

Recipe adapted from Momofuku Milk Bar Cookbook.