Judy's Cornmeal Cookies

I had a visit with my friend Judy the other day and she gave me a container filled with these fantastic cookies. She shared the recipe with me and told me that it was originally Martha Stewart's recipe. For me, they'll always be known as Judy's cornmeal cookies.

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup stone-ground yellow cornmeal
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 ounces (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 1/4 cups sugar
2 large eggs
3/4 cup dried currants (Judy omits these)
1 tablespoon plus 1/2 teaspoon finely chopped fresh thyme

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees, with racks in upper and lower thirds. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside. Whisk together flour, baking soda, cornmeal, and salt in a medium bowl.
2. Put butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; cream on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Mix in eggs, 1 at a time. Add flour mixture; mix on low speed until just combined. Mix in currants and thyme.
3. Using a tablespoon or a 1 1/2-inch ice-cream scoop, drop rounded balls of dough onto lined sheets, spacing them 2 inches apart. Bake, rotating and switching positions of sheets about halfway through, until pale golden, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer cookies, on parchment, to a wire rack. Let cool completely. Makes about 3 dozen.