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Venetian Cornmeal and Currant Cookies (Zaletti)
Zaletti are buttery, crisp Italian cornmeal cookies studded with raisins or currants. The dried fruit usually is first plumped in grappa, a fiery Italian brandy, but we opted instead to use orange liqueur for its more nuanced flavor. We then upped the citrus notes with grated orange zest. The cooled cookies will keep in an airtight container for up to one week.
40
cookies
Don’t use coarsely ground cornmeal or polenta. Their rough texture will result in crumbly, rather than crisp, cookies.
30 minutes
10 minutes active
Ingredients
-
75
g (½ cup) dried currants
-
3
tablespoons orange liqueur, such as Cointreau
Directions
-
01Heat the oven to 350°F with racks in the upper- and lower-middle positions. Line 2 baking sheets with kitchen parchment. In a small saucepan over medium, bring the currants and orange liqueur to a simmer. Cover, remove from the heat and set aside.
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GET DIGITAL & PRINTWould orange extract be a suitable substitute for the Cointreau; if so, how much should I use?
Thank you for this wonderful recipe. These little gems are a real treat and just a super combination of flavors. I followed the recipe with weight measurements. Substituted all purpose with Bob’s 1:1 gluten free flour blend. Found fine grind cornmeal by Arrowhead Mills. Cointreau was such a genius addition. My bake time was 12-13 min. They turned out perfectly. Thank you
This is a beautiful cookie. Tender and flavorful, they practically melt in your mouth. I substituted a commercial gluten free flour mix (Cup4Cup) so that relatives with wheat sensitivities could enjoy these cookies. I prefer to weigh my flour, particularly when using gluten free. I also let the dough rest a bit before spooning out and baking. As with rice flours, the dough goes from sticky to light and fluffy within 30 minutes.