Back when there was still an Oakville Grocery at Stanford Shopping Center, I’d always stop in when I was in the area to pick up a polenta cookie. Heavy and round, buttery but not too sweet and slightly crunchy from the cornmeal, Larry and I would share the cookie bite by bite over the next couple of days. It was one of the few times I didn’t feel guilty about buying a cookie instead of making it.

Oakville closed the Stanford location a long time ago and I’ve never found another cookie like the one at Oakville. Well, I did – at JZ Cool Cafe in Menlo Park, but it’s not there anymore either. So I’m always hunting for the next great polenta cookie. This cookie isn’t exactly the same at the one we loved, but it’s excellent. I made it with lime as directed by the recipe, but it would be great without any citrus, or with Meyer lemon instead. The icing is nice, but not essential. This is definitely a new favorite cookie. For the recipe, click here.

• Cornmeal-Lime Cookies (Flour, p. 118)