Everybody Sits
Everybody Sleeps
Everybody Eats Cornmeal/Grits/Polenta/Pap
Everybody likes Cornmeal/Grits/Polenta/Pap even if they don't like it by any other nam
Personally, I think it tastes just as sweet with any title.
Especially here. Thanks to the wonderful Clotilde at Chocolate and Zucchini, I have finally found the perfect corn meal cookie. I'm Italian, so I like my desserts either tooth-numbingly sweet and mushy or almost sugarless, crunchy, and dry. I adore cornmeal cookies. Usually, I group them into the latter category, but with the adjustments I made to her already-perfect-if-you're-looking-for-something-very-French recipe, these are a total mix of the two.
They remind me of the perfect slice of cornbread when you're a kid. Everybody knows what I mean, because I'm sure every person in the world gets nostalgic when presented with some form of corn meal--it's like a wrap, every culture has their own version. For me, it was the corn bread from Whole Foods, the Jewel stuff just didn't cut it. Like I've said, my mom isn't much of a cook.
The slight toasty butter taste of the caramelized white chocolate, the combination of crunchy exterior and chewy inner center have me melting. And then there's the combination of almond and corn meal, my two favorite cookie texturizers.
Caramelizing, cooling, and grating the chocolate may seem like a lot of work, but do not skip it. I repeat, do not skip the caramelization process. Don't. Promise me. Good.
The rest of the cookie comes together in almost literally no time at all so the extra effort is more than well worth it. I'll promise you you won't regret it, if you promise me you'll do it.
Also, because you're really tampering with the structure of the chocolate, make sure you're working with a brand that uses 30% cocoa butter or over, like Green and Blacks or Scharffen Berger so it doesn't go all gritty on you. Also, use good quality vanilla extract. I'm really not too much of a snob about this and I have bought more than my fair share of the cheap stuff, but the vanilla in the white chocolate really needs to shine against the butteryness of the cocoa butter, and nuttiness of the almonds and corn. Pleas, again, you won't regret spending a little extra (Trader Joe's has good quality extract for much cheaper than any other specialty store).
Oh, and they're at their prime when served alongside just about any hot beverage, but they're also absolutely amazing on their own.
Caramelized White Chocolate Cornmeal Macarons
Makes about 30 cookies
1/4 c chopped candied (non crystalized) ginger
1 cup almond meal
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 cup raw turbinado sugar
1/3 cup cake flour
1/3 cup coarse stone ground corn meal--I like Bob's Red Mill
3 large egg whites, lightly beaten
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
For Caramelized White Chocolate:
Preheat oven to 250ºF
Line a small plate with parchment paper.
Chop your chocolate into small, even sized pieces and spread across a small baking pan (I used a pie plate because the quantity is so small)
Bake the chocolate on the center rack for 10 minutes, ten stir
Return to the oven for 10 more minuted before stirring again. Repeat this process for 30-40 minites, or until the chocolate is the color of caramel and very fragrant.
Using a rubber spatula, scrape all of the chocolate onto the lined plate and chill for at least 2 hours, or until solid.
In the mean time...
For the Cookies:
Increase your oven temperature to 400ºF and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, mix together the almond meal, salt, flour, corn meal, and sugar. Add in the egg whites and vanilla and mix until a thick dough forms.
Grate your newly hardened caramelized white chocolate on the coarse side of a box grater. Fold the shavings into the dough very gently.
Spoon onto baking pans by the teaspoon and place in the oven. Immediately lower the heat to 325ºF and bake for about 20 minutes, or until they are golden around the edges but still soft and delicate.
Cool on the pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.
Enjoy!
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