Baked Cassava Cookies to Accompany Coffee

The dough

1. Take the butter and egg out of the refrigerator about 30–45 minutes in advance, so they are at room temperature. The butter should yield when pressed with a finger, but not be oily or melted.
2. In a large bowl, beat the butter with the sugar for 2–3 minutes using an electric mixer or beaters until you obtain a lighter, soft and fluffy cream.

   

3. Add the egg and the vanilla and beat until completely incorporated, approximately 1 minute. If the mixture looks a little curdled, do not worry: it comes together when adding the flour.
4. Incorporate the salt and 150 g of commercial cassava flour and mix with a spatula only until no dry bits remain, without over-kneading. The dough should be soft, like plasticine, and come away from the bowl. If it sticks to your fingers, add the reserved flour one tablespoon at a time, up to a maximum of 20 g.

   

5. Form a disk with the dough, wrap it in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes. This rest helps the cassava flour hydrate well and the butter firm up, so the cookies are easier to shape.

Shaping and baking

6. When about 15 minutes remain before the rest is finished, preheat the oven to 175 °C (350 °F) with the rack in the center. Line two trays with parchment paper.
7. Divide the dough into 20 portions of about 22 g (a heaping tablespoon) and roll each one between your palms until smooth balls are formed.
8. Place 10 balls on each tray, spaced about 3 cm apart, and flatten them with the bottom of a glass to achieve disks of about 5.5 cm in diameter and 8 mm thick, all equal so they bake evenly. If the edges crack, close them by pressing with your fingers. Leave the second tray in the refrigerator while the first one bakes.

   

9. Bake one tray at a time for 13–15 minutes, until the edges are lightly golden and the base is cooked and golden when lifting one with the spatula. The surface should look matte and firm to the touch, although the center still yields a little. Repeat with the second tray.

   

10. Leave the cookies on the tray for 5–10 minutes and then carefully transfer them to a rack until completely cooled, about 20 minutes. Fresh out of the oven they are soft and fragile; as they cool they acquire their consistency.

    

11. When completely cold, serve them with coffee with milk or store them in an airtight container.