Italian Polenta Cookies Recipes

ITALIAN POLENTA COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Whisk together flour, polenta, and salt in a medium bowl; set aside. Put butter, sugar, and lemon zest in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; beat on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
• Add egg and egg yolk, one at a time, beating after each addition to combine. Mix in vanilla. Gradually add flour mixture, and beat until just combined. Transfer batter to a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch star tip (such as Ateco No. 826).
• Pipe S shapes about 3 inches long and 1 inch wide, spaced 1 1/2 inches apart on baking sheets lined with parchment. Bake cookies until edges are golden, 15 to 18 minutes. Transfer cookies on parchment to wire racks; let cool about 10 minutes. Remove cookies from parchment, and transfer to racks to cool completely.

POLENTA COOKIES

Steps:

• In a bowl, mix together the polenta, flour, baking powder and salt.
• In a mixer, cream together the butter and sugar. Add the eggs and yolk one by one, then add the vanilla. Add the dry ingredients and mix until a firm dough forms.
• Divide the dough in half, place each piece onto a piece of parchment or wax paper, and shape the dough into a rough log about 2 inches in diameter, dusting with cornmeal as needed to prevent sticking. Roll up in the paper, twisting the ends to seal, and roll back and forth a few times to smooth out the shape. Refrigerate at least 1 hour. (At this point, the dough can be frozen for up to 2 months.)
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F, and line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. With a sharp knife, cut the cookies into 1/2-inch slices, and place on the prepared cookie sheets about 2 inches apart. Bake, rotating halfway through, until cookies are just golden, 16 to 18 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool completely, about 20 minutes.
• Polenta cookies can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 weeks.

CACAO POLENTA COOKIES

Steps:

• In a mixer, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Beat in the yolks. In a bowl, stir together the flour, polenta, hazelnuts and salt and add them to the butter mixture, stirring just until you have a dry dough. Fold in cacao nibs.
• Divide the dough in half. Mold each half into a log about 1 3/4 inches in diameter and 10 inches long. Wrap each log in a sheet of plastic wrap and twist the ends to seal. Roll the cylinders across your work surface to make them smooth and even. Refrigerate until firm, at least 4 hours.
• When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees and cover two large cookie sheets with parchment paper. Unwrap the dough logs and use a serrated knife to slice them into disks about 1/3-inch thick. Transfer to the prepared cookie sheets and bake until the cookies are crisp and just begin to color, about 20 minutes. Cool on the cookie sheets.

ITALIAN POLENTA CASSEROLE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 1 1/2-quart casserole dish.
• Combine cherry tomatoes, basil, garlic, red wine, and 1/8 teaspoon salt for marinara in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse a few times to puree. Set aside.
• Bring water and 1/2 teaspoon salt to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Whisk in polenta slowly, whisking constantly to ensure there are no lumps. Bring back to a boil; reduce heat to low and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in Pecorino Romano cheese and butter.
• Pour half of the polenta into the prepared casserole dish. Top with half of the sliced zucchini, overlapping slices slightly. Top zucchini with half of the marinara sauce, then sprinkle with half of the Italian-style cheese. Repeat layers one more time. Cover.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes. Uncover and continue to bake until cheese on top is slightly brown, about 10 minutes more. Remove from the oven and let stand for 5 minutes before serving.