Coffee Break Biscuits

Eversince I made the wonderful polenta dough for empanadas, I have started to appreciate polenta a lot more. Before that, I only had it as a side dish which seemed rather bland. With the success, I was pleased to discover the lovely texture polenta has in baked goods – something strangely gritty, ‘sandy’ and satisfying. Having discovered that new dimension, I have started to look for more polenta recipes to try out.

In my search, one thing kinda confused me are the two terms – ground cornmeal and polenta. Are they the same thing? After ‘consulting’ with the gorgeous and knowledgeable Haalo, I finally have the answer. They are basically the same thing and can be used interchangeable. The small difference is in the grind – cornmeal normally has smaller grind. Having said that, I think the Greek groceries in my area carry all three grades of polenta (coarse, medium and fine), which is a good thing since different recipes do call for different grades.

Today I have used polenta again in one sweet biscuit recipe, which appears in this wonderfully sweet cookbook. The biscuits capture perfectly the gritty and crisp texture of polenta and their sweetness is just enough to lighten up the day. These are the types that pair beautifully with coffee or tea. I just love to dip them in my cuppa during the coffee break at uni, hence the name ‘coffee break biscuit’!

The recipe for the biscuits is easy. I have added orange zest and cardamom to lift up the aroma, but simple vanilla will work well, too. One key thing to remember is to chill the dough well since it is rather sticky. I have also modified the method of preparation a little to make dough handling easier.

I would like to submit this post to Weekend Cookbook Challenge #17. The theme for this month is polenta and it is hosted by Ani from FoodieChickie.

Orange & Cardamom Polenta Biscuits

Adapted from this book

Ingredients

115g unsalted butter, melted

200g plain flour

300 fine polenta (not the instant type)

115g castor sugar

3 eggs, lightly beaten

100ml milk

1 tsp ground cardamom

Zest of two large orange

Method

Combine flour, polenta, and sugar in a large bowl. Pour in egg, milk, melted butter, cardamom & orange zest and mix well. Knead the dough to thoroughly combine all the ingredients. Wrap and chill in the fridge for at least 30 mins.

Preheat oven to 180C (350F). Grease several baking tray.

On a lightly oiled surface, roll out the dough to 2cm thick. Lightly grease your hands, the rolling pins and dough cutter to prevent sticking to the dough. Use a biscuit cutter to cut out the desired biscuit shape. Place onto the prepared tray.

Bake for 15 mins or until crisp and yellow. Cool on a wire rack. Store in an air-tight jar.