avg —
Cornflower Cookies Without Eggs with Flaxseeds
Instructions
Put the two types of flour into a deep mixing bowl – 110 g of corn flour and 110 g of premium wheat flour. Add 1 teaspoon of baking powder and whisk thoroughly for 30 seconds. This is a key stage: the whisk lets you saturate the flour mixture with oxygen and distribute the baking powder evenly – without this the cookies will rise unevenly and have dense patches.
In a separate bowl, mix 100 ml of water, 4 tablespoons of refined vegetable oil without a strong flavour (sunflower or corn), 1 teaspoon of salt with no heap, and 3 teaspoons of sugar. Whisk thoroughly until the salt and sugar have fully dissolved – this takes about 1 minute. Once dissolved, pour the liquid mixture into the prepared flour base and start mixing the dough with a spoon. Finish kneading by hand for 2–3 minutes until you have a soft, pliable mass – the dough should be easy to work with, soft, and not stick to your hands.
Add 5 tablespoons of flax seeds to the dough and knead thoroughly for 2–3 minutes until the seeds are evenly distributed throughout. The seeds should be spread evenly rather than clustered in one place. For a better result you can lightly grind some of the flax seeds in a coffee grinder – the whole seeds give a visual texture, while the ground ones add a richer flavour and aroma.
On a sheet of baking parchment, roll the dough out with a rolling pin into an even base 2–3 mm thick – this thickness gives the characteristic crisp cracker texture, while thicker dough makes a softer homemade cookie. Shape the cookies as you like: cut them with a sharp knife into diamonds, triangles, squares or strips, or use cutters to make circles, stars and hearts. Children love taking part in this step – it makes for a shared family activity. Prick each cookie in a few places with a fork – this stops them from puffing up while baking.
Place the pieces, together with the parchment, on a baking tray and bake in an oven preheated to 190 °C for about 15 minutes. If you prefer a crunchy cracker, keep them in longer (up to 18 minutes), until a deep golden colour. If you like soft homemade cookies, take them out as soon as the edges start to brown (11–13 minutes). Keep an eye on the cookies in the last 3–5 minutes – they quickly go from perfectly golden to burnt. Cool the finished cookies on a wire rack for 10 minutes for crispness – they become even crisper as they cool.
Tips
- 1
If you leave out the sugar (3 tsp), you get a savoury cracker that can be used instead of bread with soups, starters or vegetable salads. A homemade bread substitute with a better ingredient list.
- 2
Great aromatic add-ins include sesame (white or black), pumpkin or sunflower seeds, dried aromatic herbs (rosemary, thyme, oregano), finely chopped nuts, dried cranberries or raisins.
- 3
The cracker dough should be rolled out very thin (2–3 mm) – this makes the cookies as crisp as possible. Thicker dough gives a soft result, which is also tasty but no longer a cracker. Choose according to your preference.
- 4
Watch the cookies in the oven during the last minutes of baking – they quickly go from perfectly golden to burnt. Use a timer and open the oven at the end of each minute to check.
FAQ
Can I make the cookies from corn flour only, without wheat flour? +
Yes, this is a gluten-free option for people with gluten intolerance or coeliac disease. However, the dough will be much more crumbly and harder to work with – without wheat flour there is no gluten to give elasticity and bind the ingredients together. To improve the result, add 2 tablespoons of chia seeds or 1 tablespoon of guar gum – they work as plant-based gluten substitutes. Cookies made from pure corn flour will be more crumbly, but no less tasty. The amount of corn flour increases to 220 g instead of 110 g corn plus 110 g wheat.
How long do the cornmeal cookies keep? +
In a dry, cool place in a tightly closed container or glass jar, the cookies keep for up to 2 weeks without losing flavour. For maximum freshness, put 1–2 pieces of apple in the container – they release moisture and prevent the cookies from drying out. The main rule of storage is to cool the cookies completely before putting them in the container, otherwise they will go damp and lose their crunch. You can freeze them for up to 3 months in zip-lock plastic bags. Defrost at room temperature for 15 minutes, or warm them straight away in the oven at 100 °C for 3 minutes to restore the crunch.
What can replace the flax seeds in the cookie recipe? +
Good alternatives include: white or black sesame (5 tablespoons – a classic Eastern accent), chia seeds (3 tablespoons – a modern superfood), pumpkin seeds (5 tablespoons, hulled – a pronounced flavour), sunflower seeds (hulled, 4 tablespoons – a budget option), poppy seeds (3 tablespoons – for a sweet version). You can also do without seeds altogether – the cookies will still be tasty and crisp, they will simply lose some of their nutritional value. Combine 2–3 kinds of seeds in one batch for a varied texture – for example, flax seeds + sesame + pumpkin seeds, 2 tablespoons of each.
How can I make the cookies sweeter for a dessert? +
Increase the amount of sugar to 5–6 teaspoons, or replace the sugar with 3 tablespoons of honey (the cookies will take on a caramel note), maple syrup (a refined flavour) or brown sugar (a richer flavour). Add 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract or 5 g of vanilla sugar to the dough for a fragrant dessert. You can also add 50 g of chopped dried cranberries or raisins for natural sweetness and a fruity note. Drizzle the finished cookies with white icing or melted chocolate – you will get a real festive dessert. This step-by-step recipe is easy to adapt to children's sweet tastes.
- Comment
or post as a guest
Be the first to comment.
