Take the Cake

O’Neill alum takes the cake

Martin Sorge wins Great American Baking Show

Martin Sorge, MPA’11, founder and CEO of Argyle Advising, was one of nine contestants to compete in The Great American Baking Show that aired in May on the Roku Channel. Not only did he compete, he won! The show is the American version of the beloved Great British Baking Show and brought together passionate, talented bakers from around the country to see who would be named America’s best amateur baker.

Sorge was willing to share one of his winning recipes with the O’Neill family.

“Shortbread is my ideal cookie: not too sweet, very buttery, simple to make, and easy to share,” Sorge said. “This version of shortbread was inspired by my most indelible Hoosier food memory: summer sweet corn. Slathered with butter and sprinkled with salt, nothing tastes better than corn on the cob. These cookies come close.

“I have one tip for aspiring or seasoned bakers: get a scale and weigh your ingredients. O’Neill students will appreciate the importance of accuracy. Professional bakers and home bakers in almost every other country measure ingredients in grams, so let’s get on board. The magic ingredient in these cookies is freeze-dried sweet corn, which imparts that fresh sweet corn flavor. You can buy it online or from some grocery stores.”

For more recipes and baking adventures, follow Sorge on Instagram at @martinsorge or visit martinbakes.com.

Sweet Corn Shortbread Cookies

By Martin Sorge
  • 115 grams (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 50 grams (1/4 cup) plus 1 tablespoon sugar, divided
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 40 grams freeze-dried sweet corn powder or 40 grams freeze-dried sweet corn, very finely ground in a spice grinder or food processor
  • 40 grams finely ground cornmeal
  • 120 grams (1 cup) flour
  • Pinch of flaky sea salt, for sprinkling (optional)

In a large mixing bowl, stir the butter vigorously with a wooden spoon until smooth and very creamy, about 2–3 minutes. Then add the salt, 50 grams of sugar, and vanilla extract and stir until evenly combined, about 1 minute. (You do not want to beat in any air like with most other cookies.) In a medium bowl combine the freeze-dried sweet corn powder, cornmeal, and flour then whisk to combine. Add all of the dry mixture to the butter and stir to combine. Stop mixing when you don’t see any streaks of butter. (You can also do this mixing with a stand mixer if you have one.) Gather the dough up into a ball and place it on a piece of parchment paper about the size of your baking sheet. With your hands, flatten the dough into a rough rectangle. Put another sheet of parchment on top of the dough, and use a rolling pin to roll it until it’s 1/4-inch thick. Slide the parchment and dough onto the baking sheet, and chill it in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes (up to 4 hours), until it feels firm.

Remove the dough from the refrigerator and carefully slide the sheet of dough from the baking sheet to your counter. Peel off the top layer of parchment paper and place it back onto the baking sheet. Use a round cookie cutter and cut out 1 1/2-inch circles. (If you don’t have cookie cutters, use a long knife or pizza wheel and simply cut the dough into rectangles, about 1 inch by 2 inches.) After cutting the cookies, place them on the parchment-lined baking sheet and refrigerate the cookies for at least 30 minutes. Take the scraps of dough and re-roll it to cut out more cookies.