Glazed Cornmeal Cookie- the best

Another cookie recipe that I am ga-ga over. Sounds professional doesn't it??

Well really. I had my doubts. Cornmeal cookie? The last one I ever made was this and seriously.

Seriously: major low- blow disappointment.

So from then on out, cornmeal had very little to do with any of the cookies that popped out of my kitchen. For Valentines Day treats though, I was really aching to experiment with something other than a traditional sugar cookie-- which- don't get me wrong, I love more than anything- but I needed something different.. and when the Jan/Feb 2011 issue of Everyday Food arrived, and in usual Kate-fashion, I hastily flipped to my favorite section of the entire magazine, (ahem, the "Cookie Jar" section to be exact) and felt the kitchen inspiration to give these cookies a shot. Boy, am I ever glad I did! The cornmeal in this recipe doesn't have much taste power but it surely gives it some gritty good texture-in a positive way- and rolled in raw sugar.....slathering drool down my chin is all that comes to mind. The vanilla extract comes out in every bite too- what can I say- there is just a motley of different textures and tastes going on within each bite and it's just pleasant and delicious. I can't wait to make these again in a few weeks, minus the heart shape.

You just gotta try them and I really really can't stress enough the improvement of having each little dough ball rolled in raw sugar-- yes, raw- comes in a brown sack at the store in your baking section: turbinado is the name and it's worth investing 2 bucks in.

Heart-Glazed Cornmeal Cookies

{Everyday Food Jan/Feb 2011}

2 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)

1/2 cup yellow cornmeal

1/2 tsp coarse salt

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened at room temperature (unsalted!)

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 large egg

1 1/4 tsp pure vanilla extract

1/2 cup confectioners' sugar

1 to 2 drops pink food coloring

1/2 cup raw sugar (or granulated) for rolling

Preheat oven to 400. In a medium bowl, whisk together the dry stuff: flour, cornmeal, and salt. In another large bowl with an electric mixer, cream the butter with the sugar until very creamy and add the egg and 1 tsp of the vanilla. Gently combine the dry and the wet ingredients together until combined.

Place the 1/2 cup raw sugar in a bowl. Roll dough into 1 inch balls and coat with sugar. Transfer to parchment-lined or greased cookie sheets. With the bottom of a glass ( I do recommend flouring the bottom of it so no "sticking" occurs), gently flatten each rolled ball of dough into a disk. Using a 1-inch heart shape cookie cutter, slowly imprint that into each flattened cookie, making sure not to break through the dough entirely. Bake for 8-10 minutes (mine were done in about 7), and allow cookies to cool on a wire rack completely.

In a small bowl, whisk together confectioners' sugar, 1/4 tsp vanilla, and food coloring-- then mix in 1 3/4 tsp cold water. With a small spoon, glaze inside each heart. Let set for 15 minutes.