Cornmeal and Orange Cookies

Name: Cornmeal and Orange Cookies
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 24
Ingredients: Fioretto corn flour 2.8 oz; Type 0 flour 1 ¼ cup; Butter softened 5 ½ tbsp; Sugar 0.4 cup; Eggs 1; Orange juice ½ cup; Orange peel 1; Baking powder 1.3 tsp

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Vegetarian

Difficulty: Easy
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 15 min
Makes: 34
Cost: Low

PRESENTATION

Recipe by
Loredana Cavotta

Cornmeal orange cookies bring a real taste of Piedmont, a spot in northern Italy known for its rustic sweets. Really good stuff. These cookies show off that classic Italian way of making something simple taste special, thanks to the use of cornmeal and a good hit of fresh orange. They’re inspired by paste di meliga, a local treat with a tender, crumbly texture and just the right touch of citrus. The flavor is gentle and warm, with that moist bite you only get from a dough that’s been put together with care. Seriously good. You get the unmistakable aroma of orange every time you open the cookie tin, which makes them great for anyone who likes orange cookies with a twist.

Folks in Piedmont have always added corn flour to their sweets, like Pan meino and amor polenta, so these cornmeal cookies are right at home on a breakfast table or next to a cup of tea. And look, throughout Piedmont, you’ll notice people love cookies that have a golden color and a soft snap. That’s exactly what you get with these cornmeal orange cookies—a mix of simple ingredients that work together for that crispy outside and slightly tender middle. The orange zest in the dough lifts the flavor and gives each bite a gentle, sweet scent. So, so good.

There’s something about the way these polenta cookies hold up to a morning coffee or an afternoon snack that makes them feel extra comforting. You know, no fancy ingredients or tricks, just basic stuff and some old-fashioned mixing. The result is a batch of citrus cookies that show why regional Italian baking is so well-loved. They have the core of Piedmont, offering a bite of nostalgia with each cookie. For sure. These treats look a bit rustic, taste a bit nostalgic, and have a style that’s all about comfort. Pretty simple. They’re the kind of treat that’s easy to share and always disappears fast, especially when you want something homemade that’s both simple and full of soft, citrus flavor. Whether enjoyed with friends or savored alone, these cookies bring a bit of Piedmont right to your table. And the sauce? Just kidding, no sauce needed here!

How to prepare Cornmeal and Orange Cookies

To make the cornmeal and orange cookies, first cut the butter into cubes in a bowl and leave it at room temperature for about an hour, then add the sugar 1 and mix with a whisk until you get a creamy mixture. Pour the beaten egg into the bowl 2 and mix again to incorporate it into the mixture, then add the cornmeal 3 and continue to mix.

Add the grated zest of an orange 4 and the juice that you have previously strained 5, finally add the all-purpose flour 6

and the baking powder 7. Blend everything with the whisk until you obtain a soft and uniform mixture 8. Transfer the dough into a piping bag with a 10 mm star nozzle and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Squeeze the dough onto the baking sheet, giving the cookies the shape of an S or a ring, like the ones we made 9.

Once ready 10, bake the cookies in a preheated static oven at 356°F for about 15 minutes. When they are baked, remove from the oven 11 and let your cornmeal and orange cookies cool before serving them 12!