Sweet and Savory Cornmeal Cookies

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I suspect that cookies much like these are made anywhere that olives are grown and pressed for oil. While I can't say with any degree of authority that these are Portuguese cookies, I'm comfortable in asserting that olive oil was used to make at least some of the cookies that came out of the Portuguese kitchens of Provincetown back in the day when the fishing fleets were moored in the harbor. Cookies that are made with olive oil lack the tender crumb of those that are made with butter, but they have a lovely cake-like interior that makes them interesting. The cookie I'm featuring today has other savory elements as well, but a careful balance of sugar keeps them on the sweet side of the dessert spectrum. This is an adult cookie that is perfect to serve to those with adventuresome palates. I love to include them as an element of a special tea and they are a perfect accompaniment for dessert wines. The cookies are really easy to make and I know you will enjoy them. Here is how they are made.

Sweet and Savory Cornmeal Cookies...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite inspired by America's Test Kitchen

Ingredients:
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup cornmeal
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup olive oil
2 eggs
1 teaspoon finely minced fresh rosemary
1 cup confectioners' sugar + more as needed

Directions:
1) Adjust 2 oven racks to upper-middle and lower-middle positions. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
2) Place flour, cornmeal, baking powder and salt in a large bowl and whisk to combine.
3) Place granulated sugar and oil in another bowl and whisk to combine. Add eggs and rosemary and whisk until smooth. Gently stir in flour mixture with a rubber spatula until a soft dough forms.
4) Working with 1 tablespoon of dough at a time, drop cookies 2-inches apart on lined baking pans.
5) Bake cookies until edges are a light golden brown and centers puff and split open, about 13 minutes, switching and rotating pans halfway through baking. Let cookies cool slightly on baking sheets. Place 1 cup confectioners' sugar in a bowl and roll warm cookies in sugar to coat. Dust with extra confectioners' sugar just before serving. Yield: 24 cookies.

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