Corn Meal Biscotti or Biscotti di Meliga

By littlefish

These are a true corn bread lover’s cookie, based on a recipe from the Piemonte region of Italy. I use a coarse ground corn meal for both the flavor and texture, but you can use a finer grind if you like. You may see these piped through a pastry bag, but I find the dough to thick to work with easily so I roll them by hand into little logs. Marking them with the tines of a fork makes them look like cute little ears of corn. Traditionally they add lemon zest, but I prefer lime—choose your favorite.

Ingredients

• 12 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 egg yolks
• 1 teaspoon lime or lemon zest
• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 2/3 cup corn meal

Details

Servings 18
Adapted from clabbergirl.com

Preparation

Step 1

Cream the butter and sugar for about 2 minutes, then add the egg yolks till fully incorporated. Toss in the citrus zest. Stir the flour and corn meal in with a wooden spoon, kneading a few times till the mixture pulls together. Let sit for one hour; this will help the corn meal to absorb moisture.

Set a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 325. Line a cookie sheet with parchment or non stick baking sheet. Pull the dough into 1 1/2 tablespoon size chunks and roll between you fingers into little logs. Place them evenly spaced on the cookie sheet and run the tines of a fork firmly but gently over the surface. Patch together any bits of dough that come off each cookie.
Bake half the dough at a time, for about 16 to 18 minutes, until just golden at the edges. Cool on a wire rack. These cookies are best after they have completely cooled. Store in a cookie jar.
Makes about 18 biscotti. This recipe can easily be doubled.