Cornflake cookies

Instructions

1. Step 1

   Turn the oven on to 180 degrees Celsius and line two baking trays with parchment paper. Lined trays keep the cookie bottoms from sticking and help them brown evenly. The oven is ready after about fifteen minutes, when the indicator light goes off.

   Mark step 1 as done

2. Step 2

   Put 30 g cornflakes for the dough in a zip-top bag and roll over them with a rolling pin until finely crushed, then put 50 g cornflakes for the coating in another bag and squeeze gently to break them into larger pieces. The fine crumbs blend into the dough for a toasty flavor, while the larger pieces on the outside give that unmistakable crunch. This step is done when one bag is almost powder and the other still has fingernail-sized pieces.

   Mark step 2 as done

3. Step 3

   Beat 125 g softened unsalted butter with 110 g superfine sugar with a mixer at medium speed for about three minutes. Creaming the butter creates tiny air pockets that make the cookies light and tender. The mixture is ready when it is noticeably paler and smooth like cream.

   Suggested time: about 3 minutes.

   Mark step 3 as done

4. Step 4

   Add 50 g eggs and 5 g vanilla extract to the butter and keep beating until fully combined. Room-temperature eggs blend into butter more easily than cold ones. The mixture is ready when it is glossy and smooth with no sign of curdling.

   Mark step 4 as done

5. Step 5

   Mix 190 g all-purpose flour, 4 g baking powder and 2 g salt, add them to the bowl along with the crushed cornflakes, then stir with a spatula into a dough. Mixing only as much as needed keeps the cookies soft rather than hard. The dough is ready when it is soft, slightly pliable and not too sticky.

   Mark step 5 as done

6. Step 6

   Divide the dough into equal portions, each about the size of a walnut, and roll them into balls between your palms. Evenly sized balls bake at the same rate on one tray. This step is done when you have about twenty-four smooth, round balls.

   Mark step 6 as done

7. Step 7

   Roll each ball in the larger cornflake pieces, pressing lightly so the cereal sticks, then arrange them on the trays about five centimeters apart and flatten them slightly. Pressing the cornflakes into the dough keeps the coating from falling off during baking. The balls are ready when they are completely covered in cornflakes.

   Mark step 7 as done

8. Step 8

   Bake at 180 degrees Celsius for about 12 to 15 minutes, rotating the trays halfway through if your oven heats unevenly. The cornflake coating will turn golden brown and smell like toasted cereal. The cookies are done when the edges are pale golden and the cornflakes on top are a glossy gold.

   Bake at 180°C for about 12 to 15 minutes.

   Mark step 8 as done

9. Step 9

   Leave the cookies on the tray for about five minutes, then move them to a rack to cool for another five minutes. Fresh from the oven they're still soft, so a little time on the tray firms them up without breaking. The cookies are ready when cooled, crisp outside and soft and tender inside.

   Suggested time: about 10 minutes.

   Mark step 9 as done