momofuku corn cookie

momofuku corn cookie

This is it – the ultimate cookie, or rather “my” ultimate cookie. I love corn and have sung its praises since a long time ago. When I first read about this cookie, I attempted to find the recipe to no avail. I made cornmeal cookies, but alas they were NOT the same. During summer this year, I went to Momofuku Milk Bar in NYC to try the corn cookie myself. I was hooked. It was the corniest tasting baked good I had ever tasted. I HAD TO MAKE THEM. I read that Christina Tosi (the pastry chef at Momofuku) was releasing her cookbook this year and I looked forward to some kind soul posting the corn cookie recipe online.

Sure enough, for some strange (but good) reason, Amazon.com posted the recipe along with the book for sale. Later on, I also found the recipe lurking on kitchn.com and other corners of the world wide web.

The only icky part about this recipe is getting corn powder – which basically is freeze-dried corn grinded into powder form. Freeze-dried corn (yes, the bits you sometimes find in your instant noodle packets) is a little hard to find. The HTB and I found a couple of vendors online though – amazon.com (yes, you can buy practically everything here) and Honeyville Grain (we bought ours here). You can also do a google search.

freeze-dried corn

Corn flour is basically masa, which can be easily found where ever you find Mexican food. Thank God the HTB lives near the border.

So here’s the recipe folks. Be sure to chill your dough. We chilled ours overnight.

Momofuku Corn Cookies

(by Christina Tosi)

Yield 13 to 15 cookies

Ingredients:

• 16 tablespoons or 2 sticks (225 g) butter, at room temperature
• 1-1/2 cups (300 g) sugar
• 1 egg
• 1-1⁄3 cups (225 g) flour
• 1/4 cup (45 g) corn flour
• 2/3 cup (65 g) freeze-dried corn powder
• 3/4 teaspoon (3 g) baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon (1.5 g) baking soda
• 1-1/2 teaspoons (6 g) kosher salt

Method:

1. Combine the butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and cream together on medium-high for 2 to 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, add the egg, and beat for 7 to 8 minutes.
2. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the flour, corn flour, corn powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix just until the dough comes together, no longer than 1 minute. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
3. Using a 2 3/4-ounce ice cream scoop (or a 1⁄3-cup measure), portion out the dough onto a parchment-lined sheet pan. Pat the tops of the cookie dough domes flat. Wrap the sheet pan tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or up to 1 week. Do not bake your cookies from room temperature–they will not bake properly.
4. Heat the oven to 350°F.
5. Arrange the chilled dough a minimum of 4 inches apart on parchment- or Silpat-lined sheet pans. Bake for 18 minutes. The cookies will puff, crackle, and spread. After 18 minutes, they should be faintly browned on the edges yet still bright yellow in the center; give them an extra minute if not.
6. Cool the cookies completely on the sheet pans before transferring to a plate or to an airtight container for storage. At room temp, the cookies will keep fresh for 5 days; in the freezer, they will keep for 1 month.