Yep, you read that right. Polenta in a cookie! Inspired by Zaleti, a Venetian cornmeal cookie, we created our own version that features dried cherries and blue poppy seeds to give incredible flavor and texture. Think scone...but better. Perfect with coffee, tea or hot chocolate!

Polenta Cookies

Yield: 32 cookies
Time: 1.5 hours

ingredients

preparation

1. Place cherries in a bowl and cover with water, set aside and let sit for 20 minutes.

2. Whisk flour, polenta, sugar, salt, baking powder, and poppy seeds together in a large mixing bowl.

3. In another bowl, combine the egg, egg yolk, lemon zest, and almond extract, whisk together and set aside.

4. Add the cubed butter to the bowl of dry ingredients and toss to coat, use your hands to flatten and break up the butter until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs.

5. Drain the dried cherries and add them to the bowl along with the wet ingredients. Use a wooden spoon to stir everything together until it starts to form a dough. 

6. Flatten out the dough with your hands and form into a square. Wrap and chill for 30 minutes.

7. Remove the dough from the fridge, unwrap and place on a lightly floured surface. Roll out into a larger square that is about ½ inch thick. Cut the dough into 16 squares by cutting 4 equal rows down and 4 equal rows across. Then cut each square in half diagonally to form a triangle. 

8. Place each triangle onto a parchment lined cookie sheet and chill for 20 minutes. 

9. Preheat the oven to 350*F

10. Brush each cookie with egg wash and sprinkle with sugar. Bake for 10-12 minutes until lightly golden. 

11. 11. Cool at room temperature and enjoy!