Mad About Minis: Polenta Cookies for Two

When we went to Pizza Antica, the accompaniment to the chocolate budino was a polenta cookie. It was the first time that I enjoyed a polenta cookie, so I was really curious. It was delicious and indeed tasted like polenta but in a cookie. Ideas started to come… which can be a good (or bad) thing. Nonetheless, that experience inspired a second dessert or midnight snack.

I researched this recipe by doing my usual Maddy-thing. What is a Polenta Cookie? Is it really made of polenta? Can I Google a recipe? What is the airspeed velocity of an unladen swallow.... (oh wait, wrong question). Can I make a small batch and see if the husband enjoys it? 

I found an Italian Polenta cookie recipe from Martha Stewart, and thought one cannot go wrong with Martha.  I used the ingredients as a base, but combined some of my single serve recipe proportions (like my single-serve chocolate chip cookie) for reference.

My original recipe was admittedly for a single cookie. However, after making it the first time, I decided to make cookies for two. Reserving it for a “photo shoot”, the cookie mysteriously disappeared and I found my husband was quite happy. I think I can put two-and-two together. Nevertheless, that answers the question of whether my husband would enjoy it.

Here’s what I ended up with. Let me know what you think... and we can tweak it together.

Mad Gourmet’s Polenta Cookies for Two

Based on Martha Stewart’s Italian Polenta Cookies

Ingredients:

• 8 tsp of AP Flour
• 4 tsp cornmeal (I used medium grind for texture)
• Pinch of salt
• 4 tsp butter
• 4 tsp of white sugar
• 1/4 tsp of lemon zest/juice
• 3 tsp of egg whites
• Drop or two of vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Mix together dry ingredients.
3. Combine wet ingredients to dry. Mix until combined. (Sometimes, I even obsess and combine them before adding – depending on my mood to clean one more dish)
4. Split into two cookies and put on a greased baking sheet.
5. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until edges are golden brown.
6. Cool for at least 5 minutes.
7. Enjoy!

Verdict

Obviously, my husband enjoyed this cookie and I loved it too. It’s a great break from our usual chocolate chip or sugar cookies. The hint of lemon is perfect with a cup of tea or a chocolate budino.

Most importantly, it was close to what I had in Pizza Antica.

Mad About Minis: Mini Chocolate Pudding

This dish was inspired by the Sea Salt Chocolate Budino from Pizza Antica. I tried this dessert last year, and it was excellent. I thought this was something I can easily make since I have been making a lot of mini desserts then. Well, maybe easy.

Unfortunately, I did not know what a budino was, this was my first budino. After a lot of research, I found that it was an Italian Chocolate Pudding. I found a lot of budino recipes: it is usually very rich using cream and whole milk. I wanted to scale it down and also making it a bit more healthy. However, Actually, even the pudding recipes were a bit difficult to scale down too. So, I have a dilemma.

Fortunately, after a long search, I found a home-alone chocolate pudding recipe hidden in the internet. It is in the community section of Cooking Light magazine. There are a bunch of recipes in there, but I choose the one from Cooking Light, primarily because I wanted to save my chocolate chips for cookies, and I wanted to use the Dutch Process Cocoa.

I also wanted to make a smaller version since 3/4 cup of milk seems to be a lot! Usually I just want something small and sweet to end the evening. So naturally, I halved the recipe.

Here’s what I have so far… I love the deep chocolate flavor on this dish. Let me know what you think.

Mad Gourmet’s Single-serve Chocolate Pudding

Based on Cooking Light’s Home Alone Chocolate Pudding

Ingredients

• 3 tsp sugar
• 3 tsp Dutch Process Cocoa
• 1.5 tsp corn starch
• 6 Tbsp low fat milk
• 1/8 tsp vanilla extract

Directions

1. Microwave milk for 30 seconds.
2. Combine dry ingredients.
3. Add warm milk and vanilla mixture.
4. Microwave at high for 30 seconds and stir well.
5. Microwave until thick, at most for another 30 seconds.
6. Add vanilla extract and stir.
7. Refrigerate until cold (at least about an hour)

Verdict

I love this recipe. To make it more decadent, I sometimes put it on top of crushed oreo cookies to make the double-dose chocolate effect.

I also have been known to double the recipe to share… or not. I'd just save the other portion for later..

I have also tried making this pudding using coconut milk. That gave it a tropical feel, especially if you add bananas or more coconut.

But then that would not be Italian…

Mad About Minis: Single-serve Cornmeal Strawberry Shortcake

I also did not want summer to end without making a strawberry shortcake. Summer brings the bestest berries. Since we went down to Monterey a few years ago and bought super sweet strawberries, these have become one of my summer favorites.

Also while researching a dish that I was working on, I found this on Pizza Antica’s list of Sweet Finishes (a.k.a desserts). Although I did not have the opportunity to enjoy the shortcake at Pizza Antica (yet), I thought that it was a great idea. If you see some of my photos in Instagram, you’d see I have been in a cornmeal phase lately.

Fortunately, I have a single-serve shortcake recipe from iVillage.com, but I did not know how to make cornmeal strawberry shortcake. So I researched and found a Martha Stewart recipe that sounds delicious. Cornmeal, plus a hint of lemon… Ooh, with strawberries, I am in.

My biggest challenge in converting a full-blown version to a mini-version. Believe me, I have had many, um.. fails in this. Thank goodness, I had the iVillage version to use as a base and tweak.

After a couple of attempts, here’s what I came up with. Let me know what you think.

Mad Gourmet’s Single-serve Cornmeal Strawberry Shortcake

Based on iVillage’s Mini Strawberry Shortcake and Martha Stewart's Almond-Cornmeal Strawberry Shortcake

Ingredients

• 2.5 T cornmeal (I used course ground)
• 2.5 T all-purpose flour
• 1 T butter
• 2 T sugar + 1/2 t sugar (for strawberries)
• 2 T cold milk
• 1/4 t lemon extract
• 1/4 t baking powder
• about 1/2 cup strawberries
• whipped cream

Directions

Making the shortcake:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt.
3. Add the butter and work the butter into the flour until the mixture looks like fine crumbs. You can use your fingers (my preferred method) or a fork.
4. Add just enough milk until the mixture comes together to form a stiff dough.
5. Put it into a circle about 1 inch thick on an ungreased baking sheet and bake for 15-20 minutes until golden and puffed.

Filling:

1. While the shortcake bakes, slice the strawberries.
2. Toss the sliced strawberries in a small bowl and set aside for a few minutes to let the juices run.

Putting it together:

1. When the shortcake is baked, allow it to rest briefly until it’s cool enough to handle.
2. Split it horizontally on a serving plate and spoon most of the strawberries onto the bottom half.
3. Top with a dollop of whipped cream, then put the top half of the shortcake on top, spoon on the remaining strawberries.

Verdict

I love this shortcake. The cornmeal really gives it a beautiful texture. The lemon also gives an extra hint of summer and an extra layer of flavor. Baking a single-serve version also fills the house with that yummy baking scent without firing up the big oven.

My husband did say that I should have made two. Hmm… am I detecting a trend?

Mad about Minis: Single-serve Honey Cornbread

It is summer – time for picnics and barbeques. I don’t know about you, but a staple for me in either of those occasions is cornbread.

Sadly, more often than not cornbread is the first to go. So, if I have leftover barbeque or want cornbread with my salad, I am out-of-luck.

I found a small batch cornbread recipe in the solitary cook’s blog. However, she said that this was more for two. So, easy right? Just cut it in half.

However, I was committed to making it single-serve so I would not over-indulge. I also wanted to use honey. Lastly and most importantly, since it’s summer, I try not to hot up the big oven (I am also committed to this), so this was made in my toaster oven. But now, I am not too sure about the timing.

Here’s what I have so far. Let me know what you think.

Mad Gourmet’s Single-Serve Honey Cornbread

Based on the Cornbread In A Mug from The Solitary Cook

Ingredients

• 2 Tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1 Tablespoon cornmeal
• 2 teaspoon sugar
• 2 teaspoon of milk (I used almond milk)
• 2 teaspoon of butter (or olive oil)
• 1 teaspoon of egg whites
• 1 teaspoon of honey
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• pinch of salt
• 1 Tablespoon corn kernels (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Grease or line a ramekin.
2. In a bowl, cream together butter, sugar, honey, egg whites and salt.
3. Mix in flour, cornmeal and baking powder; blend thoroughly.
4. Stir in milk and corn, if using. Pour or spoon batter into the greased ramekin.
5. Bake in preheated toaster oven for 10-15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into center of a muffin comes out clean.

Verdict

I love this recipe. It’s perfect when you have that cornbread craving or it’s late at night.

My husband loves it too. However, he does want another piece.

Maybe he can eat the entire pan.