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Venetian Cornmeal and Currant Cookies (Zaletti)

Zaletti are buttery, crisp Italian cornmeal cookies studded with raisins or currants. The dried fruit usually is first plumped in grappa, a fiery Italian brandy, but we opted instead to use orange liqueur for its more nuanced flavor. We then upped the citrus notes with grated orange zest. The cooled cookies will keep in an airtight container for up to one week.
Servings: 40 cookies
Author: Milk Street

Ingredients

  • 70 grams dried currants (½ cup)
  • 3 tablespoons orange liqueur such as Cointreau
  • 170 grams salted butter (12 tablespoons), room temperature
  • 107 grams white sugar (½ cup)
  • 1 tablespoon grated orange zest
  • 73 grams fine yellow cornmeal (½ cup)
  • ¼ teaspoon table salt
  • 1 large egg yolk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 195 grams all-purpose flour (1½ cups)

Instructions

  • Heat the oven to 350°F with racks in the upper- and lower-middle positions.
  • Line 2 baking sheets with kitchen parchment.

Prepare the currents:

  • In a small saucepan over medium, bring the currants and orange liqueur to a simmer.
  • Cover, remove from the heat and set aside.

Make the dough:

  • Meanwhile, in a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar on medium until light and fluffy, 1 to 2 minutes, scraping the bowl as needed.
  • Beat in the zest for about 30 seconds.
  • Mix in the cornmeal, salt, egg yolk and vanilla until combined, about 30 seconds.
  • Add the flour and mix on low until incorporated, another 30 seconds, then mix in the currants and their liquid.

Form the cookies:

  • Form the dough into 1-tablespoon balls (each about 1 inch in diameter) and space evenly on the prepared baking sheets.
  • Using your hand, flatten each to a 2-inch round about ¼ inch thick.

Bake and serve:

  • Bake until golden brown at the edges, 15 to 20 minutes, switching and rotating the sheets halfway through.
  • Cool on the sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack and cool completely.

Notes

  • Don’t use coarsely ground cornmeal or polenta. Their rough texture will result in crumbly, rather than crisp, cookies.