Lemony Semolina Cookies Recipes

MOROCCAN SEMOLINA AND ALMOND COOKIES

Steps:

• Position racks to divide the oven into thirds, and heat it to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
• In a bowl, whisk together semolina, almond flour, baking powder and salt.
• Put sugar in bowl of a stand mixer fit with a paddle attachment, or in a large bowl in which you can use a hand mixer. Finely grate lemon zest over sugar, then rub them together with your fingertips until sugar is moist and fragrant. Add eggs and beat on medium speed for 3 minutes. With mixer running, pour oil down side of the bowl and beat for another 3 minutes. Beat in vanilla and orange blossom water, if using. Turn off mixer, add half the dry ingredients and mix them in on low speed, then add the rest, mixing only until dry ingredients disappear into the dough, which will be thick.
• Sift some confectioners' sugar into a small bowl. For each cookie, spoon out a level tablespoon of dough, roll it between your palms to form a ball and dredge in sugar. Place balls 2 inches apart on the lined baking sheets, then use your thumb to push down the center of each cookie, pressing firmly enough to make an indentation and to cause the edges to crack.
• Bake for 14 to 16 minutes, rotating pans top to bottom and front to back after 8 minutes, or until cookies are ever so lightly colored: They will be golden on the bottom, puffed, dramatically cracked and just firm to the touch. Carefully lift the cookies off sheets and onto racks. Cookies will keep for about 4 days in a covered container at room temperature.

LEMON SEMOLINA COOKIES

Steps:

• Using a grater, grate lemon peels, removing only the yellow part.
• Place the grated peel in a mixing bowl.
• Squeeze the lemon juice and set aside in a small bowl.
• Combine the butter, vanilla, sugar and salt in an electric mixer fitted with a paddle, if you have one, and beat together at medium speed until creamy.
• Add the egg, ½ cup lemon juice and grated rind and beat until incorporated.
• Reserve any extra lemon juice for another use.
• Decrease speed to slow and add the semolina and then the flour, beating until just incorporated.
• Turn the dough onto a marble or wooden work surface and divide it into 2 balls.
• Wrap in plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator to chill for 1 hour.
• When chilled, remove from the refrigerator and roll each ball into a log 2-inches in diameter.
• Preheat oven to 325°F.
• Working on a marble or wooden surface, unwrap the dough log and cut into rounds about ½-inch thick.
• Sprinkle each round with a little sugar and lightly flatten the rounds with a rolling pin.
• Place the rounds on an unbuttered cookie sheet and chill in the refrigerator until firm, about 10 minutes.
• Bake the cookies on the middle rack of an oven for about 10 minutes, or until the surface starts to crack slightly.
• Remove from the oven and let cool.
• The cookies will harden as they cool.