COOKIE OF THE WEEK: Poppy Seed Sand Cookies

Poppy Seed Sand Cookies

This recipe was taken from a “chef’s secrets” column in the Albany Times Union many years ago. These cookies were sold at gourmet food market Cowan & Lobel. The store, unfortunately, closed after a 10 year run in 2001. Rachael Ray’s first “30-Minute Meals” were devised for a series of cooking classes she taught at Cowan & Lobel, but if you are not a Rachael fan, don’t let this morsel of trivia turn you away from my blog!

I use butter for all my cookies and for this recipe, it is a must. I do not promote the use of imitation flavorings. Spend the extra money on pure extracts and for the almond flavor in this cookie, you won’t regret it. You can roll the dough in these cookies in waxed paper or put them in some sort of mold before chilling. I recently experimented by making a mold of roof flashing purchased at my local home improvement store. I rolled the flashing and sealed it on the outside with duct tape, making these perfectly round and pretty cookies in this photo above.

Poppy Seed Sand Cookies

1 pound unsalted butter, softened

2 cups granulated sugar

1 teaspoon salt

5 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 cup poppy seeds

1 1/2 teaspoon almond extract (I use more)

Whip butter, sugar and salt till fluffy and it is the texture of mayonnaise. This will take 10-15 minutes.

Add flour and baking soda and blend.

Add poppy seeds and almond extract and mix.

Divide batter and form logs and wrap in wax paper or mold.

Refrigerate till firm or freeze till ready to use.

Slice logs in 1/4 -inch slices.

Bake for at 350 for 8-10 minutes until barely brown.

I have also cut this recipe in half with success.