Wild Berry Corn Bread Thumbprints
Folklore & Recipe for Celebrating Lughnasadh
Unlike my previously published recipe for Blackberry Fool, this recipe has no historic origins. It started when I heard someone say they took a boxed corn bread mix and altered it slightly to turn it into a cookie. I then went to my husband and asked “Could you do that?”
For context, he’s a former pastry chef and not just some guy. So not only was he up for the challenge, he flew straight past using a boxed mix and created an entire scratch recipe. I can’t remember which of us thought to make them into jam thumbprints, but they’ve turned into a summertime staple and they’re a huge crowd pleaser.
I’ve been educating myself on the Pagan Wheel of the Year for a while now and this year’s Lughnasadh research made me fully realize just how seasonally appropriate this recipe truly is. My husband was gracious enough to allow me to publish it, and will henceforth be referred to as The Chef.
Photo by Nikolett Emmert on Unsplash
What is Lughnasadh?
Lughnasadh (LOO-na-sah) is a Gaelic festival historically celebrated in Ireland, Scotland, and the Isle of Man, taking place on August 1st & 2nd. This date marks the halfway point between the Summer Solstice and the Autumn Equinox, and celebrates the first harvest. The day is named for Lugh—a warrior-king god, often depicted as a spear-wielding horseman, associated with mastery of skills and craftsmanship.
Some Irish folklore suggests that Lughnasadh—a festival of athletic games, horse racing, matchmaking, trading, and feasting—also featured religious rites, such as a symbolic cutting of the first corn. The corn was carried up to a high place on a mountain or hilltop and buried as an offering to Lugh or other agricultural deities.
Photo by Wouter Supardi Salari on Unsplash
The date also corresponds to berry harvests across the Northern Hemisphere: bilberries in Ireland, blueberries in the Northeast United States, and blackberries in the Pacific Northwest.
There are loads of traditions across many cultures that take place on or near this date and several of them pertain to corn or berries, or both! Most are jubilant, indulgent celebrations, but many have more of a “Funeral Feast” vibe, mourning the death of the earth goddess or corn deities.
No matter the tone, the reverence for the earth and the gratitude for abundance remains the same.
I strongly encourage mindfulness when sourcing your produce. By this I mean, organic, regenerative, supporting local farmers, etc.—to the best of your ability, of course. Picking your own berries is an ideal way to connect with and give thanks to the earth. But living in New England gives us easy access to this and I understand not everyone has the same luxury. At the end of the day, the ingredients don’t matter as much as the intention does.
A Few Tricks & Techniques:
-When I asked The Chef for the recipe, he asked that I withhold only one tiny secret—nothing that compromises the taste in any way, it’s just something that adds a little extra oomph. Maybe some of you veteran bakers out there will think of it too. HINT: it’s a spice.
-Here’s a HUGE secret I can tell you: to achieve the perfect thumbprint…you shouldn’t use your thumb. I know—shocking!
The Chef is all about precision and consistency, so he got creative, looked around the kitchen, and spotted our marble mortar and pestle; he uses the perfectly round bottom of the pestle, which is about ½-inch in diameter.
But if you love that personal connection of using your own hands, please do so. They feel more rustic and homey that way.
-Again, with the precision—The Chef recommends weighing out your dough on a kitchen scale to ensure every cookie is the same size and the cookie : jam ratio stays consistent.
I’m tempted to rename this recipe “Lugh’s Thumbprints” as I’m sure the Gaelic god would appreciate the skill and craftsmanship that’s gone into perfecting these sweet and savory treats.
Tipperary, Ireland - Photo by Paul Imanuelsen on Unsplash
Notes on Ingredients:
-This recipe is surprisingly simple and really versatile; there’s a lot of room to experiment and tailor it to your tastes. The fruit for example, can really be whatever you like. We first started with blackberries (delicious) but I think most often we’ve used wild blueberries (also delicious). I’ve been rallying for cherries for a while but we still haven’t tried it for ourselves. Choose what you like! Be creative, have fun with it.
-You can use whatever citrus you like as well. Our usual combinations are orange with blackberries and lemon with blueberries, but an argument can always be made for lime.
-Personally, I love traditional yellow cornmeal. I like the gritty texture; it feels more savory, more folksy and homespun. But The Chef loves to experiment and has come to prefer using blue corn masa harina. It has a smoother texture and, he insists, a more robust, corn flavor. It also makes your dough slightly blue, which is fun.
-According to The Chef, the jam—which is technically more of a coulis—should be equal parts, 1 : 1 fruit and sugar, so depending on how much you want to make, the recipe is easily adaptable. He likes to make extra; there’s almost always a squeeze bottle in our fridge that he uses to put on pancakes or mix into milk for cereal or cookies. I’ve also squeezed some into my morning coffee. It’s the gift that keeps on giving.
Photo by Anne Nygård on Unsplash
Please note: This is a rather large recipe that yields approximately 50 - 60 1-inch cookies, so it’s ideal for parties, large groups, and sharing. Trust me, no one will want just one anyway.
The Recipe:
The Fruit Coulis:
1 cup fresh wild blueberries
1 cup sugar
1 lemon, zested and juiced
In a small saucepan, combine berries and sugar and heat on medium heat until thickened and bubbly.
Add lemon zest and juice to taste
Allow mixture to fully cool. Transfer to a blender or food processor—or use an immersion blender—and blend until smooth.
If you prefer a rustic jam over a coulis, skip the blending and mash with a potato masher until smooth-ish.
The Dough:
2 cups AP flour
1 cups cornmeal
1 tsp baking power
1 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract or powder (or, 1 vanilla bean)
1 cups softened butter
1 cups sugar
2 room temperature eggs
Preheat oven to 350℉ —if you have convection, use it.
Combine all dry ingredients—flour, cornmeal, baking powder & salt—in a large bowl
In a second large bowl (preferably of a stand mixer), cream butter and sugar at medium speed.
Add vanilla and eggs to creamed butter and sugar, one at a time until well combined.
Add dry ingredients little by little until fully incorporated.
Using a kitchen scale, weigh the dough to 27g. per cookie.
Roll into balls, place on a baking sheet lined with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper, and gently press your thumb—or any smooth, ½-inch round object or tool—into the center.
Fill each divot with prepared coulis
Bake for 15 - 20 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to fully cool.
Yields appx. 50 - 60 cookies. May be stored at room temperature. Enjoy within 3 days for optimum freshness, but they can be refrigerated to last a bit longer.
Happy Lughnasadh, everyone!
Enjoy!
