Cookies That Don't Suck

"Cookies That Don't Suck" is about as witty as I can be at the moment, having spent the day landscaping, putting furniture together, and doing some (but not nearly enough) power shopping.

Anyway.

I'm really not a cookie maker. I'm the Daughter of the Grand Master Cookie Maker, whose abilities definitely didn't come my way. My friends are polite about it (yes, I'm talking about the so-so Key Lime Bars I brought to last week's crawfish boil) but it's not my thing. You would think that someone who makes her own pizza crust from yeast and cans pickles could make a damn cookie. Nope. The Frosted Ladybug sugar cookie company (gorgeous & tasty - www.frostedladybug.com) has zero competition here.

These, though, were super-easy and are light for summer. They'd go nicely on a plate of fresh fruit, or with a good vanilla ice cream. The dough doesn't need to go in the refrigerator prior to baking, so they mix up in about 10 minutes (provided the butter has come to room temp). This was my first experience with cornmeal in a dessert, and it makes a good, crisp cookie.

The recipe calls for ground ginger. I considered using fresh, but didn't and I think that was the right, not-overwhelming choice. If you try fresh let me know how it goes. Mom & Tara, you can expect to see this in the Christmas cookie delivery this year.

From Cooking Light:

LEMON-CORNMEAL COOKIES
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup yellow cornmeal
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
6 tablespoons butter, softened
1 large egg
1 tablespoon grated lemon rind

Preparation
1. Preheat oven to 350°.

2. Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup, and level with a knife. Combine flour and the next 4 ingredients (through ground ginger); stir with a whisk. Combine sugar and butter in a large bowl, and beat with a mixer at medium speed until light and fluffy (about 5 minutes). Scrape sides of the bowl occasionally. Add egg; beat well. Beat in grated lemon rind. Add flour mixture to butter mixture, and beat at medium-low speed just until blended.

3. Spoon about 1 1/2 teaspoons batter 2 inches apart onto 2 parchment-lined baking sheets. Bake at 350° for 12 minutes or until lightly browned and almost firm. Remove from oven. Cool on pans for 2 minutes or until firm. Remove from pans. Cool completely on a wire rack.

Nutritional Information
I don't believe in nutritional information for cookies. Sorry.