Buttery Elbasan-style biscuits made with finely milled maize
Ballokume are associated with Elbasan and Albania’s Dita e Verës celebration. This smaller-batch adaptation uses fine whole-maize flour and a little milk. It does not use ash water. The source photograph illustrates a large ballokume; this recipe makes twelve smaller biscuits.
- Prep
- 25 mins
- Cook
- 25 mins
- Rest
- 30 mins
- Total
- 1 hour 20 mins
- Serves
- 12 biscuits
- Difficulty
- Moderate
The recipe
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Before you start
Use fine maize flour that contains the milled grain. In many shops, the product labelled cornflour is pure corn starch and is unsuitable here. Heat a conventional oven to 180°C and line two baking trays.
Ingredients
Quantities change with servings; cooking times stay the same.
Equipment
- Electric mixer or sturdy whisk paid link
- mixing bowl paid link
- two baking trays paid link
- baking paper paid link
- flat spatula paid link
- cooling rack paid link
- kitchen scale paid link
Method
Beat the soft butter and sugar for 10–12 minutes, scraping the bowl regularly, until noticeably lighter.
Beat in the egg gradually, allowing each addition to mix in before adding more. Stir in the milk.
Fold in the maize flour until evenly combined. Divide into twelve portions of about 60 g. Form loose rounds without packing tightly and place well apart on the trays.
Bake for 20–25 minutes, until the edges are pale gold and the tops have set and cracked. Rotate the trays if needed for even colouring.
Leave on the trays for 10 minutes, then transfer carefully to a rack and cool for another 20 minutes before handling.
Chef’s notes
Soft butter should yield to pressure without looking oily. Add the egg slowly to help the mixture stay combined. Freshly baked biscuits are fragile; cooling is part of the method.
Tips and variations
Do not substitute coarse polenta, masa harina or corn starch by equal weight. Each behaves differently. This milk variation avoids unstandardised homemade ash-water preparations.
Serve with
Offer one biscuit with coffee. The crumb is delicate, so use a flat spatula when moving them to a serving plate.
Storage
Once completely cool, store airtight in a cool, dry place for up to 4 days. Separate layers with baking paper. Discard biscuits that show dampness, mould or an off smell.
Nutrition per serving (estimated)
Nutrition has not been calculated. Portion size and the brands used will affect the final values.
Allergens
Contains milk and egg. Choose certified gluten-free maize flour and control cross-contact if serving someone who must avoid gluten; maize alone does not guarantee the finished biscuit is gluten-free.
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Questions
Is cornflour the same as corn starch? The naming varies by country. This recipe requires finely milled maize grain, not purified starch.
Why did the biscuits crumble when lifted? They need time to firm as they cool.
Why are mine smaller than the photograph? The source shows a different serving size; this recipe divides the mixture into twelve portions.
