Recipe: Cornmeal Cookies

Cornmeal Cookies
Cornmeal enhances the texture and flavor of these golden cookies. These easy drop cookies have a hint of lemon.

For 2 1/2 dozen cookies you will need:

1/2 cup butter
1 tsp. baking powder
2/3 cup sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
1 egg
1 cup flour
1 tsp. lemon extract
1/2 cup raisins or craisins
1/2 cup cornmeal

Beat the butter and sugar together until creamy. Mix in the egg and lemon extract. Blend. In a separate bowl, combine the cornmeal, baking powder, salt and flour. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture. Mix well. Stir in the raisins. Drop batter by teaspoons onto a lightly buttered cookie sheet. Bake at 375 F. for 10 to 12 minutes until bottom of cookies are browned. Remove. Let cookies cool a minute before placing on a rack to complete cooling. Tip: Freshly ground cornmeal gives more texture and nutrition to these cookies. A common mistake is to grind corn too coarsely. When grinding, take a pinch between your thumb and index finger. It shouldn't feel like sand. You should be able to tightly squeeze a pinch between your fingers and have it stick together in a thin cake when you open your fingers.