Cornbread is a classic favorite that pairs wonderfully with hearty soups, zesty chili, or fresh salads. This recipe offers a fun twist on traditional cornbread by transforming it into slightly crunchy, soft, and chewy brown sugar cookies. With a touch of sweet pickled jalapeños, these yellow cornmeal cookies provide just the right amount of spicy kick. They are a delicious and unique alternative to regular cornbread and make a delightful addition to almost any meal.
I’m not the type of person who enjoys eating a bowl of soup all by its lil’ ol’ lonesome. Nope. If I’m going to make or order a bowl of soup, stew, or chili, I want something to go along with it. Crackers, rolls, cornbread, or even a slice of bread will do in a pinch. But my new favorite carb-loaded sides to a steamy bowl of comforting soup are these yellow cornmeal brown sugar cookies. They’re sweet, buttery, savory, and spicy all at the same time, while also having a nice salty finish. And, these lil’ bites of deliciousness don’t take a whole lotta time to mix up or bake, which pretty much makes them the perfect addition to a busy weeknight meal. So go ahead and heat up that can of soup that’s been sitting in your pantry gathering dust for the last year, or maybe even treat yourself to a pre-made refrigerated soup from your local market. Paired with these spicy jalapeño cornmeal cookies, you really can’t go wrong.
Ingredients:
Cookies:
- 1/2 Cup Unsalted Butter, Softened
- 1 Cup Light Brown Sugar, Packed
- 1 Egg
- 2 Teaspoons Vanilla
- 1/2 Teaspoon Baking Soda
- 1/4 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
- 1 1/2 Cups All-Purpose Flour
- 1/2 Cup Yellow Cornmeal
- 1/4 Sweet Pickled Jalapeños, Very Finely Chopped
Icing:
- 6 Tablespoons Powdered Sugar (Approximately)
- 2 Teaspoons Cold Water (Approximately)
- Fleur de Sel or Flakey Sea Salt
Directions:
Cookies:
- In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and brown sugar together for 3 minutes on medium speed.
- Add the egg; mix for 30 seconds on medium speed.
- Add the vanilla; mix for 30 seconds on medium speed.
- Add the baking soda and salt; mix for 30 seconds on medium speed.
- Slowly add the flour 1/2 cup at a time on low speed. Mix until just combined.
- Add the cornmeal and the finely chopped jalapeños to the cookie dough. Use a silicone spatula to distribute them throughout the dough evenly. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap or foil.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- When the oven is preheated, use a cookie scoop or tablespoon to scoop the cookie dough out onto a Silpat or parchment paper-lined baking sheet.
- Bake for 12 minutes.
Icing:
- After the cookies have cooled completely, whisk the powdered sugar and water together in a small bowl until smooth. If the icing is too thick, add more cold water. If the icing is too thin, add more powdered sugar.
- Drizzle the icing over the cookies.
- Immediately sprinkle a little bit of fleur de sel or flakey sea salt on top of each cookie.
Suggestions:
- Do not preheat the oven until after you have mixed the cookie dough for this recipe. Allowing the dough to rest while the oven comes to temperature, allows the yellow cornmeal time to absorb some of the cookie dough moisture. The plastic wrap or foil will help the dough not dry out.
- These cookies will be puffed up and just starting to crack a bit on top when they are done baking. They will deflate as they cool, creating a soft and chewy cookie. If you overbake the cookies they will be dry and crispier.
- Allow the cookies to rest for 5 minutes before removing them to a baking rack to finish cooling completely.
- Let the icing on the cookies harden a bit before storing the cookies in an airtight container between layers of wax paper.
- This recipe will yield approximately 2 dozen cookies. It’s an easy recipe to double if you so desire.
Improvements:
- Add a 1/2 teaspoon of onion or garlic powder to the cookie dough.
- Replace the sweet pickled jalapeños with fresh jalapeños.
- Instead of icing these cookies, sprinkle a little bit of freshly grated cheddar cheese on the cookies when you remove them from the oven.
- CLICK HERE to check out all of our past cookie recipes.
Ingredients:
- 1/2 Cup Unsalted Butter, Softened
- 1 Cup Light Brown Sugar, Packed
- 1 Egg
- 2 Teaspoons Vanilla
- 1/2 Teaspoon Baking Soda
- 1/4 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
- 1 1/2 Cups All-Purpose Flour
- 1/2 Cup Yellow Cornmeal
- 1/4 Sweet Pickled Jalapeños, Very Finely Chopped
- 6 Tablespoons Powdered Sugar (Approximately)
- 2 Teaspoons Cold Water (Approximately)
- Fleur de Sel or Flakey Sea Salt
Directions:
- In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and brown sugar together for 3 minutes on medium speed.
- Add the egg; mix for 30 seconds on medium speed.
- Add the vanilla; mix for 30 seconds on medium speed.
- Add the baking soda and salt; mix for 30 seconds on medium speed.
- Slowly add the flour 1/2 cup at a time on low speed. Mix until just combined.
- Add the cornmeal and the finely chopped jalapeños to the cookie dough. Use a silicone spatula to distribute them throughout the dough evenly. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap or foil.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- When the oven is preheated, use a cookie scoop or tablespoon to scoop the cookie dough out onto a Silpat or parchment paper-lined baking sheet.
- Bake for 12 minutes.
- After the cookies have cooled completely, whisk the powdered sugar and water together in a small bowl until smooth. If the icing is too thick, add more cold water. If the icing is too thin, add more powdered sugar.
- Drizzle the icing over the cookies.
- Immediately sprinkle a little bit of fleur de sel or flakey sea salt on top of each cookie.
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Try our original Simple Brown Sugar Cookies (Soft & Chewy) recipe. Looking for a simple non-fussy cookie recipe that uses basic ingredients you already have on hand in your pantry? Look no further than this soft and chewy simple brown sugar cookie recipe. The brown sugar adds a sweet flavor and a soft, chewy texture to these cookies, and a final sprinkle of demerara sugar before baking gives them a delightful crunchy topping. CLICK HERE for the recipe.
Softened unsalted butter, light brown sugar, vanilla, and a few other essential baking ingredients come together to create the perfect soft and chewy brown sugar cookie dough. By experimenting with additional ingredients or toppings, you can transform this simple dough into an endless variety of flavors and textures. Whether you’re baking up a storm for the holidays, crafting a colorful cookie platter for your next party, or simply indulging your sweet tooth, this cookie dough is your new best friend. Below, you’ll find some of our favorite flavor combinations, each offering a delicious and exciting new twist to the classic cookie recipe. CLICK HERE for the recipes.
In 2024, we’ll be cooking and baking our way through the alphabet with several of our food blogger friends. Every other Wednesday, for the 2024 Alphabet Challenge, we’ll be sharing a new recipe featuring a consecutive letter of the alphabet, starting with A in January and ending with Z in December.
“A” – Dried Apple & Bourbon Oven-Baked Sauerkraut
“B” – Spicy Barbecue Seasoned Rice Chex Mix
“C” – Dove Dark Chocolate Chunk Cakey Muffins
“D” – Italian Deviled Eggs with Heart-Shaped Tomatoes
“E” – Buttery Everything Bagel Seasoning Biscuits
“F” – Butternut Squash Soup with French Herbes
“G” – Creamy Simple Stovetop Gouda Mac & Cheese
“H” – Sweet Honey Deviled Eggs with Fennel Fronds
“I” – Orange & Feta Italian Orzo Pasta Salad
“J” – Brown Sugar Caribbean Jerk Seasoning
“K” – Kalamata, Mozzarella, & Tomato Couscous Salad
“L” – Fresh Dill Deviled Eggs with a Hint of Lemon
“M” – Chocolate Chunk Cookies with Fresh Mint
“N” – Great Northern Bean Summer Caprese Salad
“O” – Firecracker Oatmeal Peanut Butter Blossoms
“P” – Creamy Potato Salad with Crunchy Fennel
“Q” – Butternut Squash Taco Ravioli with Queso Fresco
“R” – Cheeseburger Broccoli Rice Soup Casserole
“S” – Sweet Whiskey Skillet Teriyaki Chicken
“T” – Baked Chicken Tenders with Crushed Fritos
“U” – Unsweetened Coconut Oatmeal Peach Crisp
“V” – Sweet & Spicy Balsamic Vinegar Deviled Eggs
“W” – Whiskey-Soaked Raisin Baked Stove Top Stuffing
“X” – X’s & O’s (Hugs & Kisses) Brown Sugar Cookies
“Y” – Jalapeño Yellow Cornmeal Brown Sugar Cookies
Please make sure to check out the other great “Y” recipes below. A huge thanks to A Day in the Life on the Farm for hosting this 2024 Alphabet Challenge event.
- Fresh Fruit Yogurt Parfaits by Blogghetti
- Garlicky Yogurt Topped with Çılbır, Turkish Poached Eggs by Culinary Cam
- Gingerbread Cinnamon Rolls by Jolene’s Recipe Journal
- Jalapeño Yellow Cornmeal Brown Sugar Cookies by Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice
- Japanese Milk Bread with Yudane (Shokupan) by Karen’s Kitchen Stories
- Kiwi Yogurt Whip by Sneha’s Recipe
- Thandai Baked Yogurt by Mayuri’s Jikoni
- Tzatziki by A Day in the Life on the Farm
- Yemma Aouïcha – Eggplant with Chickpeas by Food Lust People Love
- Yuca Paratha by Magical Ingredients
- Yuzu Pie by A Messy Kitchen
