Honey Cornbread Cookies
I am an unabashed worshipper at the altar of Trader Joe’s.
I’ve accepted this a long time ago. From the very first time I went to one on a visit out of town from my home at the time, I loved it. When I was finally able to move to a place that had one, I was positively ecstatic, and I spent a lot more time (and money) there than I probably should have.
It’s for several reasons, but chiefly because the quality of the products is different/better than a lot of mainstream name brands. What’s more, Trader Joe’s sells products that you’re often very hard pressed to find in other grocery stores.
For instance: have you ever heard of cornbread flavored crisps/chips before?
Before Trader Joe’s I certainly hadn’t.
But my goodness, once I did.
Word of warning y’all: these are DANGEROUS. And by dangerous, I mean WAY too delicious/easy to eat. From the very first taste I was hooked. Because they’re chips/crisps, they’re mostly salty, but then the cornmeal in the dough gives it that slight sweet/corny flavor at the end that really takes them over the top.
I’ve been eating the TJ’s cornbread crisps by themselves, and happily, for years. But this year when I was brainstorming what recipes I would include for the 12 Days of Christmas, I was looking through my pantry for random ingredients to spark my inspiration, and what do you think my eyes fell on?
Cornbread crisps.
I know what you’re thinking: cornbread cookies?? But just hear me out.
Because believe it or not, we actually love to bake with cornmeal on this here blog. When used wisely it really, really works.
Those past recipe successes made me pretty convinced that I could once again decide to make a cornmeal based dessert/treat that would turn out well, particularly when it was for the 12 Days of Christmas.
The best way to describe these cookies is to imagine a piece of sweet cornbread that’s been transformed into a thick, soft and slightly chewy NY bakery style cookie. That’s what these are, and they’re pretty darn tasty if I say so myself. The addition of the cornbread chips both inside and on top is EVERYTHING. They give the cookies added flavor and texture that is hard to explain, but addictive; just like the chips themselves.
It’s Day 10 of the 12 Days of Christmas, with just 4 days left until the Big Day itself. Can you believe that? I sure can’t. But I am very excited to share the last two recipes for this year’s baking series. Be sure to stick around for them, and look back at all the fun we’ve been having thus far at the links below:
Day 1: Browned Butter & Sweet Potato Biscuits
Day 2: Biscoff Dipped Butter Cookies
Day 3: Holiday French Toast
Day 4: Gingerbread Cinnamon Rolls
Day 5: Cider-Cinnamon Spritz Cookies
Day 6: Butter Pecan Biscotti
Day 7: Glazed Holiday Donut Cakes
Day 8: Cranberry Noel Cookies
Day 9: Chocolate Cinnamon Cookies
Day 10: Honey Cornbread Cookies
Honey Cornbread Cookies
Recipe Adapted from Southern Living
Ingredients
- 1 cup packed light brown sugar
- 3/4 cup (6 oz) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup honey
- 2 tablespoons canola oil
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 cup fine yellow cornmeal
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- About 2/3–3/4 cup of slightly crushed cornbread flavored chips (I used Trader Joe’s), plus more for sprinkling (the amount depends on how much of the chip flavor you want in the dough)
Directions
In a medium sized bowl combine the flour, cornmeal, cornstarch, baking powder and salt. Stir together lightly with a fork and set aside.
In a large bowl of a standing mixer, or using a handheld one, cream together the butter, sugars, honey and oil until light and creamy, about 3 minutes.
Add the eggs one at a time, mixing just until combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as you go. Add the vanilla with the final egg and mix just until fully combined.
With mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture in about 3 batches, mixing just until combined for each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl as you go. Add the crushed cornbread chips, stirring just until fully incorporated.
Use a 1/3 cup measure/scoop to scoop out balls of the cookie dough, rolling in your palms until round.
Place the dough balls in a resealable plastic container you’ve lined with wax paper or foil.
Refrigerate the cookie dough balls overnight.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.
Place about 5 cookies on each baking sheet, leaving about 4 inches between each.
Bake cookies in preheated oven until edges are golden brown and centers are still soft about 13-15 minutes, rotating the sheets halfway through.
Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheets for about 5-7 minutes (this part is important, they’ll be very fragile at first, so don’t rush it).
While cookies are cooling, sprinkle/lightly press crushed cornbread chips into the tops.
Move cookies to wire racks to cool completely.
Note: no one oven is the same, & different baking sheets bake cookies differently. Keeping this in mind, I will ALWAYS test bake one cookie before baking entire sheets of the whole batch, just to get a good idea of how long they should be in the oven and if I need to adjust the way I’ve cut, rolled them out, etc. I highly recommend that you do the same.
Sharing at Fiesta Friday #568.
These look amazing! What a combo!
Thank you! They’re really different from what I usually make, but I loved them 🙂
I made these last winter and enjoyed them.
Wonderful, I’m very glad to hear that! Thanks for letting me know 😀