Christmas Wreath Corn Cookies

Ingredients:

Cookie

• 2 and 1/4 cups wheat flour
• 1 cup yellow cornmeal
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 0.5 tsp fine salt
• 165 g of butter at room temperature
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp anise extract, optional
• 2 large eggs at room temperature

Decorating

• 1 cup cornflakes
• White of 1 large egg, beaten
• Powdered sugar for sprinkling

Preparation:

1. Combine the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. In another bowl, beat the butter with a hand mixer until smooth. Add the sugar, vanilla extract, and anise extract to the butter and continue beating until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes more. Then add the eggs one at a time and beat until combined, about 30 seconds. Using a wooden spoon or silicone spatula, fold the flour mixture into the butter.
2. Roll the dough into 34 balls, each 2.5 cm in diameter and weighing 20 grams (0.7 oz). Place the balls on two parchment-lined baking sheets, about 2.5 cm (0.9 in) apart. Use your finger or the tip of a wooden spoon to poke a hole in the center of each ball. Shape them into donuts, approximately 5 cm (2 inches) wide, with a 2.5 cm (0.9 in) diameter hole. Using scissors, make diagonal slits around the dough, 1 cm (0.5 in) long, about 1 cm (0.5 in) apart. Place the baking sheet in the freezer for about 10 minutes to firm up the dough.
3. Preheat oven to 175°C.
4. Dip a few oats into the beaten egg white and arrange them on the surface of the cookies, creating leaf-shaped patterns. Bake until golden brown around the edges, about 14-18 minutes. Transfer the cookies to a wire rack and cool. Dust with powdered sugar.