THE COTIJA CORN COOKIE

Forget the pies this thanksgiving, this is the desert you’re bringing to the table. It’s sweet, sharp, cake-y (is that a word?) and fun. People will talk about it!

This one initially started out as a biscuit recipe, inspired by the Esquite Biscuit at Loba pastry in Chicago. After making the first batch, which turned out slightly sweeter than a biscuit should be, I realized it might work in cookie form. So I made some tweaks to the ratios, added brown sugar, and ended up with this.

If you like cornbread, you’ll like it. Yes, you can omit the cheese if you’d like, but what’s the fun in that? (But if you omit because you’re vegan— respect.)

Makes a baker’s dozen (13 cookies)

Ingredients

Dry:

1 cup (130g) all-purpose flour

¾ cup (95g) cornmeal

½ tsp baking soda

½ tsp baking powder

½ tsp kosher salt (Diamond Crystal if you’ve got it)

Wet:

3/4 cup (1.5 stick / 170g) unsalted butter, softened

110g granulated sugar

27g brown sugar

1 large egg

1 tbsp. Honey (21g)

Mix-ins:

80g finely crumbled cotija cheese (sub half with cheddar if you want to freak it a little)

75g sweet corn kernels

Directions

1) If using frozen sweet corn, measure amount required for recipe and let thaw. Place a paper towel under the corn to absorb moisture.

2) Mix dry ingredients: Whisk together flour, cornmeal, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.

3) Cream butter and sugars: Beat butter with both sugars until light and fluffy (2–3 minutes).

4) Add egg and honey. Mix until smooth.

5) Add dry ingredients and mix until no dry bits remain.

6) Gently fold in cotija + corn. (I typically use my hands.)

7) Cover with plastic wrap and chill dough for at least one hour, up to 24 hours.

8) Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment.

9) Scoop dough: Use a 2 Tbsp scoop (or heaping tablespoon) and space 2 inches apart on the baking sheet.

10) Bake for 13 minutes, until edges are golden and centers are set. (At this point, they’re done, and muffin-like in texture. I personally like to give them an extra couple minutes in the oven to really crisp up the edges)

11) Cool on the pan for 5 minutes, then move to a wire rack to finish cooling.