BROA / BROINHA DE MILHO DA PADARIA ( Version 2 ) / CORN MEAL COOKIES

My previous post was also Broa de Milho, ( Portuguese corn bread ) which was a bread to be served with soups or had for breakfast. Now here is another recipe Broa / Broinha de Milho da Padaria which is made with more or less the same ingredients but is sweet and flavoured with fennel seeds and cinnamon powder. This is shaped into smaller cookies and baked to perfection. The texture is crunchy on the outside but a little softer inside when you take a bite. The flavour is just amazing.

Padarias are Bakery-cum-coffee shops and the Broa de Milho are freshly baked everyday and served with coffee.... hence the name Broa de Milho da Padaria. ( smaller cookies are called Broinha )

Ingredients:
Corn meal / Makki ka ata .. 1 cup
All purpose flour / Maida ... 1 cup
Sugar .............................. 3/4 cup
Baking soda ............. 1/4 tsp
Dry yeast ...................... 1/2 tsp
Salt .............................. 1/2 tsp
Butter .......................... 2 tbsps
Cinnamon powder ...... 1/2 tsp (optional )
Fennel seeds ............... 2 - 3  tsps (lightly crushed)
Milk ......................... 1/4 cup

Method:

Beat the sugar, butter and egg yolk together with a whisk or an electric beater. You can add a little of egg white and save some for brushing on top.

Now add all the ingredients except milk and continue mixing until they resemble the crumbs.

Next add the milk little by little kneading lightly to make a firm dough. Use only as much milk needed for this and do not overdo the kneading part.

Take a small portion of the dough and shape it round like a cookie. Place the cookies on a greased baking tray leaving enough distance between them as they will expand while baking.
Leave them covered for an hour or so. Though the cookies will not rise at this stage but they will be double in size when baked.

Give slashes on the surface and brush them with beaten egg white.
Bake them at 250 C for 20 minutes and use the top grill for 2 minutes to give a nice golden colour. If you don't have the grill just bake them for couple of minutes more until done.

This recipe makes about 12 / 13 Broa of medium size .... or you can make 15 smaller ones 

Posted in: Indian Cook