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This is the archived version of the Milk Street website and is no longer up to date.

Please visit 177milkstreet.com to see the current website with all of the latest recipes!

Corn and Cinnamon Butter Cookies (Galletas de Maíz)

By Paola Briseño-González - Friend of Milk Street

Makes about 3 dozen cookies

40 minutes plus cooling

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These buttery cookies, with the warm, sweet fragrance and flavor of cinnamon and the subtly nutty notes of ground corn, are food writer and recipe developer Paola Briseño-González’ re-creation of the galletas de maíz (corn cookies) from a home bakery in the town of Tuito, in the Mexican state of Jalisco. Made without wheat flour and therefore lacking gluten, the cookies’ texture is quite “short,” similar to shortbread, but more delicate. It’s important to use masa harina here, the type of ground-corn product used to make corn tortillas. Masa harina is processed differently from cornmeal or corn flour, and even from masarepa, which is used to make empanadas and arepas; these different meals and flours are not interchangeable. If masa harina is not sold near the all-purpose flour and cornmeal, check the international aisle. Maseca is a widely available brand. In an airtight container, the cookies will keep for up to four days.

Makes about

3 dozen cookies

Tip

Don’t worry if the dough feels softer than standard cookie dough, but it should not be wet and sticky. If it is, knead in a little more masa harina, adding only enough so the dough is workable during shaping. These cookies are wheat-free, so there’s no risk of overmixing and making the cookies tough.

40 minutes

plus cooling

Ingredients

  • 270

    grams (2¼ cups) masa harina (see headnote)

  • 1½

    teaspoons baking powder

Directions

Reviews
Diana S.
May 5, 2025
Texture is off
The cookies seemed to form and bake properly, and the taste was good, but they left a very dry taste almost like sawdust. I really wanted to love these, but every single one of the guests at our Cinco de Mayo party commented on the unpleasant texture. I ended up having to throw them away.
Seaneen W.
January 19, 2024
Tastes great, but needed lots more water.
Good afternoon. These cookies are a perfect cookie with afternoon tea or cocoa.....or even a bit of liqueur. But, using a high end masa harina, I had to use close to 2 cups of water before the dough wouldn't crack. Could you make any suggestions regarding what I should do differently? Thank you. Mrs. Seaneen M Wilson

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