Basil Cornmeal Sandwich Cookies with Apricot Filling Recipe

Name: Basil Cornmeal Sandwich Cookies with Apricot Filling Recipe
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 105 min
Yield: 24
Ingredients: 2 cups cornmeal; 1 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons (about 8 1/4 ounces) all purpose flour; 1/4 teaspoon baking powder; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 1 1/3 cups confectioners sugar; 2 sticks (16 tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temperature; 2 eggs; 3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh basil leaves; 1/2 cup apricot jam

Typically when I approach my mother's basil plant, I come at it like an Army hairdresser to a new recruit: leaves shorn to the scalp and practically bald. (Hey, it's a fact of life when you like to eat pesto straight out of the bowl.) This time, I decided to be lenient and take just a few of the larger leaves. Which happens to be enough to make these cookies.

I don't know where I got the idea for these cookies—other than that it's summer and I've got corn and basil on the brain. I didn't want to include actual corn (though that's an idea worth playing around with) so I used cornmeal, which happens to lend the cookies a fantastic sandy texture. Now to the question you're probably wondering: can you taste the basil? Like, really taste the basil, just as you would in any other dish? The answer is pretty much, yes. You can cut back on the herb if you like, but the amount I added (about 3 tablespoons of diced herb for 2 dozen sandwiches) imparts a distinct basil-y, earthy, licorice meets menthol flavor. I've never had basil in a cookie before, and it's definitely unique.

Sandwiching the cookies over apricot jam was the natural way to highlight the basil's sweetness. In fact the cookies aren't particularly sweet on their own, so don't miss this step. Not to mention sandwich cookies are always crowd pleasers—a handy trick if you plan on bogarting someone else's plants.

Basil Cornmeal Sandwich Cookies with Apricot Filling Recipe

Prep 20 mins

Cook 15 mins

Active 20 mins

Resting Time 70 mins

Total 105 mins

Serves 24 servings

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2 cups cornmeal
1 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons (about 8 1/4 ounces) all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/3 cups confectioners sugar
2 sticks (16 tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 large eggs
3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh basil leaves
1/2 cup apricot jam

In a medium bowl, whisk together cornmeal, flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream together butter and confectioners sugar. Add egg and beat to combine. Add dry ingredients and beat just until dough comes together. Stir in basil. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate 1 hour.
Adjust oven racks to upper- and lower-middle middle positions and preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to 1/4-inch thickness. Use a 2-inch cookie cutter to cut out cookies and transfer them to prepared baking sheets. Bake until golden, about 12 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling.
When cookies are cool, layer bottom side of one cookie with 1/4- to 1/2-teaspoon jam. Top with a second cookie. Repeat to form remaining sandwiches.

Special Equipment

Stand mixer, cookie cutter, baking sheets, parchment paper

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
307	Calories
9g	Fat
51g	Carbs
6g	Protein

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 24
Amount per serving
Calories	307
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 9g	11%
Saturated Fat 5g	25%
Cholesterol 36mg	12%
Sodium 63mg	3%
Total Carbohydrate 51g	19%
Dietary Fiber 2g	7%
Total Sugars 9g
Protein 6g
Vitamin C 1mg	3%
Calcium 16mg	1%
Iron 2mg	14%
Potassium 89mg	2%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.