Butter makes the world go round. Flavors swirl happily in it. We worship it. It’s a bit disheartening to see recipes using butter-flavored substitutes. It’s a marketing ploy to get people to eat healthy. Butter, another ingredient enjoyed for thousands of years, has been bullied into an unhealthy label. Guess what? Those butter-flavored substitutes are processed, artificial concoctions. Please serve the healthy and real dairy from the almighty golden cow (or goat). Besides, the health benefits of using real ingredients far exceed processed food.

Nicole Taylor of the online radio show, Hot Grease, recently asked me to define healthy. We both agree most people don’t read food labels, because they believe all the marketing propaganda. At my local grocery story, I watch people buy gallons of green tea, because it supposedly has anti-oxidants and vitamin C.* The tiny print on the label clearly reads it’s mostly sugar. In addition, the healthy benefits of green tea are actually found in the loose-leaf versions sold in specialty shops. Such misinformation happens when consumers leave their health into the hands of marketing professionals who want to increase their sales.

What’s healthy to me? I believe in the power of salt, wheat and white flour, butter, and cow’s whole milk. My diet is real. The stories behind the food purchased intrigue me. I shop at the local grocery and health food stores, the Farmers Market, and I’m a member of BedStuy’s Farm Share. Organic diary without growth hormones is my religion. Since most of my meals are consumed at home, salt is used without shame, but the amount will never equal the excessive quantity used in fast-food meals. As for wheat and white flour, if it’s been around for thousands of years, both types of flours will continue to do my body good. Unbleached white flour is a blessing in my household, for it’s a classic ingredient serving many generations that produced me. Unless a doctor specifically advises me not to consume a certain ingredient because of allergies, I believe all natural and real food deserves equal opportunity pleasure. Learning about food is how I stay healthy.

Real butter is better, which makes these Cornmeal Lime Cookies truly delicious. The taste is both citrusy juicy and buttery. The ingredients are mostly organic. Enjoy them as a small percentage of a daily balanced diet, and let’s start being real with our health.

* Fooducate.com has a great article about bottled teas sold in supermarkets: Another Health Halo Shattered – Bottled Teas Contain Virtually no Antioxidants.

Cornmeal Lime Cookies

Ingredients
1 cup white flour
1 cup finely ground cornmeal
1 pinch sea salt
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
8 oz./1 stick unsalted butter; room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
The juice of one lime
The zest of two limes
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 egg
1/4 cup organic milk; plus more as needed

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Combine flour, cornmeal, salt, baking powder, and ginger in a small bowl.
2. Cream butter and sugar for a few minutes until fluffy and light.
3. Add egg, vanilla, and lime juice. Mix until just incorporated.
4. Add half the flour and mix until just incorporated. Add half the milk. Repeat with the half of the flour and milk. Do not over beat the batter after each addition.
5. Add Cornmeal Lime batter by the teaspoons onto a lightly buttered baking sheet.
6. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown. Remove baking sheets from the oven. Let rest for a couple minutes. Remove cookies to a wire rack.
7. Enjoy.

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