Orange Cornmeal Crisps

These are the perfect warm weather cookies. They’re not too filling and with their citrus tang, they bring to mind the key lime cookies so popular in South Carolina.

We love them to close out something heavy—at the close of eating too much pulled pork or too many ribs or going back for one two many helpings of a low country boil. Because if we don’t have them as a sweet cap on a meal we’ve stuffed ourselves with, we’re bound to eat the whole batch in one sitting. 

Ingredients

for cookie dough
2 cups flour
1 cup cornmeal
2 tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
1 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 to 2 tsp orange zest
½ tsp orange extract

 for orange glaze
2 cups confectioners sugar, sifted
zest and juice from 2 medium oranges
pinch of fine sea salt

Directions

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, ¾ cup of cornmeal, baking powder, and salt, then set aside.

Using an electric mixer set on medium speed, beat the butter, sugar, and egg until creamy.  Reduce the speed to low and add the flour mixture, zest, and orange extract.  Beat until the mixture starts to form a ball of dough.

Divide the dough in half, forming each half into a log—one foot long by 1 ½ inches wide.  Cover with plastic wrap and chill until firm.

Heat the oven to 375˚F.  Line two rimmed cookie sheets with parchment paper.  Spread the remaining ¼ cup of cornmeal on a small flat tray and roll each log , coating the entire surface.   Cut log into ½ inch thick slices and place them 1 inch apart on the prepared sheets.  Bake for approximately 10 minutes until the cookies are a medium to deep brown around the edges rotating the sheets half way through.  Allow trays to cool for 5 minutes and then transfer cookies to wire racks.

Make the glaze by stirring together the confectioners sugar, zest, ¼ cup of the orange juice and salt.  If needed add more juice a teaspoon at a time until the glaze reaches a “flowing” consistency.  Spoon a couple teaspoons onto each cookie.

Should make about 48 cookies.