What do I take to a gumbo party, Polenta Biscuits, of course! Slightly sweet and crunchy, these bitesize beauties are like Italian hush puppies. Since polenta is a comfort food for me, I always looks for ways to use this coarse ground yellow cornmeal. While regular cornmeal is a cousin, it does not substitute in some recipes.
Polenta Biscuits
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups non-instant polenta
- 1/4 - 1/2 cup sugar
- 2/3 cup flour
- 1 TBSP tangerine or orange zest
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 1 1/2 sticks chilled butter, cut into small chunks
- Few drops orange flower water and orange extract
- 2 large eggs
Instructions
- In the bowl of a food processor, pulse together polenta, sugar, flour, zest, and salt.
- Add butter and process until mixture looks like coarse meal.
- Add the last ingredients and process until the dough comes together. Orange flower water is available where Middle Eastern foods are sold. You don't have to use it, but it adds an unbelievably good flavor.
- Turn dough onto a piece of plastic wrap and work it into a ball or log.
- Divide in two, and using two pieces of plastic wrap, form into two logs about 1 inch across. Wrap and place in fridge for about 1 hour, or until slightly firm. Dough can be stored in fridge for at least 3 days. When you get ready to bake, take them out and leave them at room temp until they can be sliced.
- Heat oven to 375.
- Cut logs into a little less than 1/2 inch slices. Place slices on a baking sheet lined with parchment. Bake about 15 minutes. I did not brown some of them, and some I let brown slightly.
- Cool and store in an air tight container.
- To make them less crunchy, bake a day ahead of time.