Lemon Cornmeal Cookies

These easy lemon cornmeal cookies are tender, buttery and delicious. Yellow cornmeal gives these simple lemon cookies them their distinct texture and they can be filled with jam or ganache!

It’s holiday cookie season! It’s time to make my favorite cinnamon covered Snickerdoodles, these delectable Cranberry Orange Shortbread Cookies, and my Dulce De Leche Cookies!

I decided to make a new thumbprint cookie recipe and knew cornmeal would be the perfect ingredient to make them extra special! They’re flavored with lemon zest, vanilla extract and can be filled with fruity jam or chocolate ganache!

WHAT YOU’LL LOVE ABOUT THESE COOKIES:

• THEY’RE DELICIOUS: They’re flavored with lemon zest and vanilla extract and can be filled with sweet fruit jam or homemade chocolate ganache!
• THEY HAVE AN AMAZING TEXTURE: Cornmeal gives the cookies a nice texture and slightly nutty flavor!
• THEY’RE EASY TO MAKE: The dough is easy to mix together and requires no chilling. You can use homemade or store bought jam and the ganache only requires two steps and two ingredients!
• THEY’RE SPECIAL YET TRADITIONAL: I love that these are classic buttery thumbprint cookies, but the cornmeal, flavor and fun fillings give them a fun twist!

INGREDIENT NOTES

Find the full list of ingredients in the recipe. Below are a few notes on some of the ingredients.

• Unsalted butter: Depending on the temperature of your kitchen, you’ll want to take the butter out of the fridge around two hours before making the cookies.
• Light brown sugar: We are only using two tablespoons of brown sugar here for a little extra chew and flavor. You can use all granulated sugar if you like.
• Lemon zest: For best flavor, I recommend using organic lemons.
• Egg yolks: Use egg yolks from large eggs.
• Vanilla extract: Pure vanilla extract adds the best flavor, but imitation can be used.
• All purpose flour: Make sure to spoon flour into your measuring cup and level it off with a knife.
• Cornmeal: Use yellow cornmeal.
• Salt: I use table salt since it’s the most common salt my reader’s have on hand.
• Jam: Use any flavor, store bought or homemade jam or preserves.
• Chocolate chips: If you make chocolate ganache, I recommend using semi-sweet chocolate chips. I recommend using good quality chocolate chips such as Ghirardelli.
• Heavy cream: Use heavy cream or heavy whipping cream.

HOW TO MAKE THESE COOKIES

STEP 1: Beat the butter and sugars on medium speed for 2 minutes. Add the lemon zest, vanilla extract and egg yolks and beat on high for 1 minute.

STEP 2: Add in the dry ingredients. Mix on low until just combined.

STEP 3: Use a tablespoon to scoop the dough and form dough into balls. Place on a parchment paper lined baking sheet 1 inch apart. Use a rounded quarter teaspoon or your thumb to lightly press indents in each dough ball.

STEP 4: Bake at 350 Fahrenheit for 10-13 minutes. Allow to cool before filling.

STEP 5: Make the chocolate ganache (if using). Add chocolate chips to a medium sized heat proof bowl. Heat the cream in the microwave or on the stovetop until just boiling. Pour hot cream over the chocolate chips. Allow to sit three minutes then stir until you have a luscious ganache. Allow to cool about ten minutes before using.

STEP 6: Fill cookies with homemade or store bought jam or homemade chocolate ganache. Top with nonpareils, if desired.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

These lemon cornmeal cookies are buttery, flavorful and beautiful. They are rich and buttery with added freshness from lemon zest! Use your favorite filling or several fillings to make a fun variety of jam and chocolate filling! They are easy to make and are perfect for the holidays!

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