I love this cookie. I was wary of oranges with fennel. But it's a brilliant combination. The addition of fine cornmeal adds texture and a subtle crunch.
Orange Fennel Seed Bars are sophisticated in taste but easy to make. It's a good make ahead sweet as the flavors meld after a day or two.
Savor a bar with a hot cup of tea.
Orange Fennel Seed Bars
Text and Photo by Jac Kyles Baker
Makes one 9 inch round cookie
Ingredients
1 1/2 tsp crushed fennel seeds
1 TB orange juice
3/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp baking soda
1/4 cup fine yellow cornmeal
1/2 cup light brown sugar
8 TB salted butter, melted
1 tsp orange zest
1/4 tsp salt
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
For the orange icing (optional):
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1 1/4 tsp orange juice
Preparation
Lightly butter or oil a 9 inch round microwave safe pie pan. Alternatively, line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper.
In a small bowl, soak crushed fennel seeds in orange juice. Set aside.
Whisk flour, baking powder and baking soda together in a large bowl. Make a well in the bottom of the bowl.
In a separate bowl: mix brown sugar, salt, orange zest, cornmeal and melted butter together. Beat in egg. Stir in vanilla extract and fennel seeds with orange juice.
Add wet mixture to the well in flour bowl. Gradually stir flour into wet mixture.
Press dough evenly into the prepared pan. Microwave on HIGH 3 minutes and 30 seconds. A toothpick inserted in the cookie's center will pull out clean when done.
Cool on a wire rack. Spread orange icing over completely cooled bar cookies, if using (see recipe below). Allow icing to set before cutting into bars.
Store bar cookies in an airtight container.
Make orange icing:
Add powdered sugar to a small bowl. Stir in orange juice until icing is smooth and spreadable.