Cornbread Cookies

Just gonna say it, these cookies are insanely delicious! A thin and chewy cookie with a slightly coarse cornmeal texture topped with a dollop of honey buttercream. Inspired by Crumbl's cornbread cookies, these are a unique treat that you have got to try for yourself!!

So, What Do These Taste Like?

I love making desserts using cornmeal. Cornbread made in a cast iron skillet and drizzled with honey is one of my very favorite foods... ever. I delved into the idea of using cornmeal in desserts when I created one of my very favorite recipes on this blog - sweet cornmeal cake with buttermilk ice cream

When I saw that Crumbl had released a limited cornbread cookie this past fall, I filed the idea away in my head and knew I wanted to create something similar for myself. I don't live near a Crumbl and so, unfortunately, did not get to try their version of the cornbread cookie. Instead, I took inspiration from the appearance and flavor description of their cookie and created this recipe that I KNOW you will love.

These cookies are perfectly thin and chewy and have a little bit of a coarse bite due to the addition of heartily-flavored yellow cornmeal. The top is dolloped in the center with a sweet honey buttercream... because honey and cornbread is always a delightful pairing.

Want to see what Crumbl's Cornbread Cookie looked like? Click here.

What Ingredients Do I Need?

For The Cookies:

• All-Purpose Flour and Yellow Cornmeal - These cookies combine flour with the cornmeal to create a unique texture. Use a fine ground cornmeal (not polenta) for best results. You can also use white cornmeal, though I think yellow has a stronger flavor.
• Brown and White Sugar - The combo of both sugars results in a chewy, tender cookie. The acidity in the brown sugar reacts with the baking soda, adds some molasses undertones, and the white sugar contributes to tenderness.
• Honey and Vanilla Extract - Delicious flavorful elements that taste lovely with the cornmeal.
• Egg - Adds structure and moisture.
• Baking Powder and Baking Soda - A power combo of leavening agents.
• Salt - The ideal flavor intensifier.

For The Honey Buttercream:

• More Honey - But of course, right?
• Powdered Sugar - sift it to get all of those annoying little lumps out of there.
• Butter - Make sure it's good and soft so you can blend it into the sugar well.
• Salt - I always add a lil' pinch of salt to my frostings to both enhance the flavor and cut the sweetness just a tinge.
• Milk - You can use milk, cream, or even water to thin out the frosting until it is the right consistency. Don't add too much! Just a teaspoon at a time.

Do I Need To Chill The Dough?

I recommend letting the dough for cornbread cookies chill for at least 30 minutes, or the longer the better.

Chilling/resting the dough serves two purposes:

• Hydration: During the chilling process, the dry ingredients - especially the cornmeal - have more time to absorb the liquid ingredients, softening the cornmeal and contributing to a more tender cookie
• Spreading: These are thin, chewy cookies, but you don't want them to spread too much. Chilling the dough firms up the butter and helps them to spread just the right amount when in the oven.

How Do I Make Them All The Same Size?

I use this Oxo Good Grips 1.5 TBS Cookie Scoop to make all of my cookies uniform in size, which also helps them bake evenly on the pan.

Scoop the dough until you have a flattened scoop. Click the handle to release the dough, and then use your hands to form them into a ball.

Place the dough balls onto the parchment-covered baking sheet and give them plenty of space, since they will spread in the oven. Lightly press down with the heel of your hand, making a thick disk (don't press it too thin!)

Using this technique will create lovely, uniform, almost perfectly round cornbread cookies!

Doesn't Crumbl's Version Drizzle With Honey?

Yup! Crumbl's version of the cornbread cookie drizzles the cookie with honey. I chose not to do that since I knew I'd have leftovers I wanted to store, and I was afraid the honey would soften the cookies too much and end up a sticky mess.

If you want to drizzle on a little honey prior to serving, go for it, it'll be delicious!

Can I Freeze These Cookies?

Yes, the baked cookies can be frozen either frosted or unfrosted.

Freezing unfrosted cookies: Place cookies in a zip-top freezer safe bag, squeeze out the air, and freeze up to 3 months for best flavor and texture. Thaw on the counter when ready to serve.

Freezing frosted cookies: "Flash Freeze" the cookies by placing them on a single layer on a baking sheet and placing into the freezer for an hour. Then transfer them to a zip-top freezer safe bag and freeze as indicated above.

What is Flash Freezing?

Flash freezing has a couple of different definitions, but many home bakers use this phrase to describe freezing delicate/decorated goods or items they don't want to stick together in the freezer. It involves freezing the items separately from each other - usually spread on a baking sheet - for an hour or two before placing them all together in a freezing bag. Though this isn't technically flash freezing - which involves a very quick freeze at cryogenic temperatures - it's a useful technique when freezing frosted cookies.

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