BON QUEQUE RECIPES

Steps:

• Place a rack in middle of oven; preheat to 325°. Lightly coat an 8½x4½" loaf pan with nonstick spray, then line with parchment paper, leaving overhang on long sides.
• Whisk flour, cornmeal, baking powder, and salt into a small bowl. Using an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar in a large bowl on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add eggs and egg yolk one at a time, mixing to fully incorporate before adding the next. Scrape down sides of bowl, add half of dry ingredients, and beat on low speed just to combine. Add sour cream and remaining dry ingredients and mix 1 minute. Scrape down sides of bowl, add ricotta and vanilla, and mix until well combined. Scrape batter into prepared pan; smooth surface.
• Bake cake 40 minutes. Rotate pan and continue to bake cake until golden brown all over and a tester inserted into the center comes out clean, 20–30 minutes more. (Baking the cake slowly at a lower temperature yields a tender and creamy crumb and will prevent it from drying out.) Let cake cool in pan on a wire rack, at least 1 hour.
• Carefully run an offset spatula or paring knife around sides of cake and use parchment paper to lift cake from pan; remove parchment. Cut cake into slices and serve topped with whipped cream and/or lemon curd if desired. Do ahead: Cake can be baked 2 days ahead. Store tightly wrapped at room temperature, or freeze up to 2 weeks.

Steps:

• Using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat granulated sugar, powdered sugar, salt, and 1 cup butter in a large bowl until creamy, about 2 minutes. Beat in vanilla; scrape down sides of bowl. Add flour and pulse mixer a few times, then beat on low speed until flour is almost fully incorporated, about 1 minute (don’t overbeat; dough should be more clumpy than smooth). Beat in chocolate and walnuts just to blend.
• Turn dough out onto a surface and knead gently to bring together. Divide in half and form into 6"-long logs about 2" in diameter (no need to be perfect about shape of logs). Wrap in plastic and chill until firm, at least 2 hours.
• Place racks in upper and lower thirds of oven; preheat to 350°. Butter 2 standard 12-cup muffin pans. Unwrap logs and mark at ½" intervals, then cut into rounds with a chef’s knife. Place rounds in muffin cups.
• Bake cookies, rotating pans top to bottom and front to back halfway through, until golden on top, browned around the edges, and slightly soft in the center (cookies will firm up as they cool), 20–22 minutes. Let cool in pans 3 minutes, then transfer cookies to wire racks and let cool completely. Do Ahead: Dough can be formed into logs 3 days ahead; keep chilled, or freeze up to 2 months. Thaw 1 hour at room temperature or overnight in the refrigerator before slicing and baking. Cookies can be baked 7 days ahead; store airtight at room temperature.