Corn Cookies

Logan tore into the cookie with abandon, stopped, chewed thoughtfully, then looked at me with huge eyes. 

"This tastes like corn! Why does this taste like corn?" My mom, sister, and I burst into laughter.

"Is this a joke?" he asked suspiciously. I shook my head, grinning. 

"That's what it's supposed to taste like!"

"Why did you do that?" Logan pouted. "I was expecting candy, not corn!"

Why indeed, Logan. My sister's boyfriend is know for his willingness to try anything, and his horror at my cookies amused me greatly. I first had a corn cookie this past Christmas at, where else, the Momofuku Milk Bar in New York City. I haven't stopped thinking about it since. It was so simple, so unassuming, yet each bite yielded a flavor bursting with the taste of sweet summer corn. 

The reason it has taken me six months to make these amazing cookies lies in the problem of finding freeze dried corn, an ingredient I have never seen and probably never will see in a store (though apparently its carried at Whole Foods). I couldn't justify going online and just buying the corn for myself, just because. I don't like buying myself presents without a good reason. So you can imagine my joy when an unexpected package from my friend Aly arrived on my doorstep containing, among other things, freeze dried corn. I couldn't stop smiling all day. 

....I'm planning on purchasing two pounds of freeze dried corn on eBay. I know, I know. But it's not just for me! It's for my dad, who proclaimed the Corn Cookie his new favorite. I can't say I blame him. 

Corn Cookies 

by Christina Tosi 

225 g butter, at room temperature OR 16 tablespoons (2 sticks)
300 g sugar OR 1 1/2 cups
1 egg
225 g flour OR 1 1/3 cups
45 g corn flour OR 1/4 cup
65 g freeze-dried corn powder OR 2/3 cup
3 g baking powder OR 3/4 teaspoon
1.5 g baking soda OR 1/4 teaspoon
6 g kosher salt OR 1 1/2 teaspoons

1. Combine the butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the
paddle attachment and cream together on medium-high for 2 to 3 minutes.
Scrape down the sides of the bowl, add the egg, and beat for 7 to 8 minutes.

2. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the flour, corn flour, corn powder,
baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix just until the dough comes together,
no longer than 1 minute. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.

3. Using a 2 3/4-ounce ice cream scoop (or a 1/3-cup measure), portion out the
dough onto a parchment-lined sheet pan. Pat the tops of the cookie dough
domes flat. Wrap the sheet pan tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at
least 1 hour, or up to 1 week. Do not bake your cookies from room temperature--
they will not bake properly.

4. Heat the oven to 350°F.

5. Arrange the chilled dough a minimum of 4 inches apart on parchment- or
Silpat-lined sheet pans. Bake for 18 minutes. The cookies will puff, crackle,
and spread. After 18 minutes, they should be faintly browned on the edges yet
still bright yellow in the center; give them an extra minute if not.

6. Cool the cookies completely on the sheet pans before transferring to a
plate or to an airtight container for storage. At room temp, the cookies will
keep fresh for 5 days; in the freezer, they will keep for 1 month.