Mrs. Fields & iVillage 30th Anniversary Cookie Contest (686 photos) Sugar Cookies (32 photos)

Honey Baby Cookies

Ingredients:
1 cup all-purpose flour (and a little extra for flouring rolling surface)
1 cup yellow cornmeal
1 cup confectioner’s sugar
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ cup pine nuts, finely chopped
½ cup (1 stick) very cold, unsalted butter, cut into 1” cubes
1 large egg
2 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Recipe Preparation:
1. In a mixing bowl, stir together the flour, cornmeal, confectioner’s sugar, salt, baking powder, and pine nuts. With your fingertips or a pastry cutter, cut in the cold butter until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Add the egg, honey, and vanilla. Mix, then knead with a light hand until just blended. Turn dough onto lightly floured surface, pat into a flat disc, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and chill for 30-40 minutes.
2. Preheat oven to 375 degrees and position baking rack in center of oven. Lightly butter a baking sheet, about 12” X 17” in size. Mix the granulated sugar and cinnamon together in a small bowl. Set aside.
3. On lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to about 1/8 inch thick. Cut into 2-inch circles (or other shapes, if desired…hearts are nice!) and place on prepared baking sheet, about 2 inches apart. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until bottoms are golden-brown. Transfer to a rack and sprinkle with the prepared cinnamon-sugar mixture while still warm (use as little or as much cinnamon-sugar as desired). Cool completely and store in airtight container.

Cooks Note: These surprising little cookies got their name from my husband. When he wants me to make them, he’ll say, “Honey baby, make those cornmeal cookies!” The cornmeal adds a nice texture and an earthy flavor. This recipe is an adaptation from a cookie recipe my great-grandmother made for her 13 children! She knew a little about making children happy with cookies! And since she was from the South, cornmeal was used in just about everything! She used pecans, but I like the texture and taste of the pine nuts. These cookies are great served with vanilla bean ice cream.