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Gluten Free Almond Polenta Cookies

The other night, I made my first trip to Enoteca Vespaio and had such a great meal. While, yes, the meal itself was tasty and wonderful and beautifully presented, the 35 cent dessert was what stuck out in my mind.

In my opinion, a meal is not complete without a sweet little treat at the end of it. That balance of savory and sweet is vital in every meal I eat. At home, I usually finish a meal with a little square of good quality dark chocolate, but at Enoteca, I decided to polish off my delicious meal with a little Toasted Almond Polenta Cookie. Because I don’t normally eat a whole lot of sugar, most sweets I taste in restaurants or stores are waaaaay too sweet for me. This cookie, however, had just a hint of sweetness – and you could taste the salt in it. That, to me, is a major defining characteristic of a perfect cookie. The only downside was that the cookie obviously had wheat in it because about five minutes after I ate it, I started nodding off at the table – a tell tale sign that I have eaten wheat.

But, it was so delicious, I was determined to make a batch of them at home that I could eat to my heart’s content. These guys that I made are a bit crumblier than the ones at Enoteca, but the flavor is just about spot on – and they are gluten free and egg free! The one possible drawback that you may find is that the polenta has a bit of a grainy texture. I happen to love it, but Luke didn’t particularly care for it. If you are worried about the texture bothering you, try using cornmeal instead of the polenta. Also, wait until they have cooled completely before you try cutting them or they will be too crumbly to hold their shape. But, once they have cooled, hold onto your hat, because these guys are awesome.

GLUTEN FREE ALMOND POLENTA COOKIES
makes approximately two dozen cookies

I’ve found that a great place to buy very inexpensive gluten free flours is at an Indian specialty grocery store. You can find huge bags of buckwheat, rice, millet, chickpea, and lentil flours for just a few dollars. Of course the labels will most likely not be in English, so you may have to ask for what you are looking for, but the amount of $$$ you will save is pretty considerable.

1 cup millet flour
1 cup ground almonds or almond meal
1/2 cup gluten free oat flour (try Bob’s Red Mill brand)
1/2 cup polenta aka corn grits
1/2 cup organic cane sugar
zest of 1/2 lemon
1/4 tsp. sea salt
2 Tbs. ground flaxseed + 5 Tbs. water, combined in a bowl and allowed to thicken for 10 minutes
1 Tbs. almond extract
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or EarthBalance, cut into 1/2 inch pieces

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees, and lightly oil a 9×13 inch pan.

2. In a food processor, combine the flours, polenta, sugar, ground almonds, lemon zest, and salt. Pulse them a few times until just combined.

3. Stir the flax/water mixture and add it to the processor. Add the almond extract and scatter the pieces of butter over the top. Blend the mixture until it is moist and starts to hold it’s shape. If there are still small chunks of butter, it’s okay.

4. Dust your fingers with flour and press the dough evenly into the prepared pan. Bake 30-40 minutes, or until the edges are browned.

5. Allow to cool completely, cut into 2 inch squares and enjoy with a cup of tea or espresso.

UPDATE: I sort of accidentally left these cookies sitting out on the counter for about a week covered with just a measly piece piece of foil, and, I gotta tell ya, they taste even better now. It’s like they defy the laws of proper food storage. The flavors have melded together so nicely, and they are perfectly crispy. Pretty cool, huh?

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