In search of a cookie that is a little crunchy on the edges, soft in the center, flavorful, and not too horrendously bad for you, I came up with these little treats. The cookies are perfect for Christmastime. They are sweet but not cloying, and they're infused with the wonderful scent and taste of fresh lime. They are a little crunchy on the edges and billowy in the center. The cookies also have a wonderful nubby texture from the cornmeal. Are they buttery? Nope. No butter. The cookies rely on canola oil for their requisite fat, and you won't miss the butter, which, if included, would detract from the subtle lime and cornmeal flavors. The cookies take minutes to mix up--no special equipment needed--and cook in the air fryer in about 10 minutes. I dust the cookies with confectioners' sugar when they come out of the air fryer. The sugar dusting gives the cookies a nice, sweet "crust" as well as making them more visually appealing. Although the recipe makes about 18 cookies, I usually make 9 at a time and refrigerate or freeze the remaining batter to "air fry" later. Making only 9 at a time limits immediate temptation (no, I don't eat all 9, my husband gets some). Plus, if I want more cookies later in the week, I can pull out the batter and have fresh cookies in 10 minutes.
Cornmeal-Lime Cookies -- Makes about 18
1/2 cup of sugar
1/2 cup of canola oil
1 egg
2 tablespoons of milk
1 1/2 cups of flour
1/2 cup of cornmeal (yellow)
1/2 teaspoon of baking soda
1/2 teaspoon of baking powder
1/2 teaspoon of salt
Grated zest of a large fresh lime
1/2 cup of confectioners’ sugar
Cut a few 6-7-inch squares of baking parchment (whatever size squares will fit in your air fryer). In a large bowl, stir together the sugar and lime zest for a few minutes until the sugar is slightly greenish and the scent coming from the bowl is amazing. You will smell the fresh lime! Whisk in the oil and egg well. Combine the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, and salt and add them to the sugar mixture with a wooden spoon just until thoroughly mixed (you don’t want to beat the batter). Scoop out 1 ½ tablespoon portions of batter onto the prepared parchment squares and space the portions about 2 inches apart. Flatten the batter out with your fingers to form rounds about 1/2 -inch thick (moisten your hands with a little water to facilitate the forming). Set the air fryer at 320 degrees and bake the cookies for 8-10 minutes or until barely golden on the edges. Let the cookies cool for a few minutes and then, while they are still warm, dust them lightly with the confectioners’ sugar. If you’d like more “snowy” cookies, dust the cookies with more confectioners' sugar after they’ve cooled completely.
