Poppy Seed Squares with Chocolate Tips
Photo: Tara Striano
Some people might think poppy seeds aren't the sexiest of cookie mix-ins. These crispy, poppy-flecked cookies beg to differ. The little blue-gray beads add both a nutty flavor and a crunchy texture, bringing a savory depth to this shortbread-style dough. Balance it all out with a healthy dunk into sweet melted chocolate.
Makes 3 dozen
Preheat oven to 275°F.
Beat the butter until very light and creamy. Sift the flour into a separate bowl, then add it to the butter and continue to mix until it looks crumby.
Add the rice flour, sugar, poppy seeds, and a pinch of salt. Mix until all is blended thoroughly. The mixture will still look like loose crumbs.
Use the warmth of your hand to form the dough into a ball. Divide it in half and roll out the first half on a floured surface to 1/2 inch thick. Cut the dough into squares or rectangles, then scoop up the scraps and add them to the remaining dough. Roll out the remaining dough and cut it into more squares.
Lightly butter and flour a cookie sheet and place the cookies on the sheet. They can be pretty close together. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until they just start to take on a brown tinge. Remove, let cool for a few minutes, then transfer to a rack to finish cooling.
Break up the chocolate into a bowl and set it over a small pot of simmering water. Add the butter and stir until it's finally melted and looks glossy and smooth. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
One by one dunk cookies in chocolate, pulling away to let the excess drop off. Lay them on parchment-lined sheets (or wire racks with parchment under them) to set.
Variations
Makes 3 dozen
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 5 Tbsp rice flour
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1 Tbsp poppy seeds
- Pinch salt
- 12 ounces (about 1 bar) chocolate
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter
Directions
Preheat oven to 275°F.
Beat the butter until very light and creamy. Sift the flour into a separate bowl, then add it to the butter and continue to mix until it looks crumby.
Add the rice flour, sugar, poppy seeds, and a pinch of salt. Mix until all is blended thoroughly. The mixture will still look like loose crumbs.
Use the warmth of your hand to form the dough into a ball. Divide it in half and roll out the first half on a floured surface to 1/2 inch thick. Cut the dough into squares or rectangles, then scoop up the scraps and add them to the remaining dough. Roll out the remaining dough and cut it into more squares.
Lightly butter and flour a cookie sheet and place the cookies on the sheet. They can be pretty close together. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until they just start to take on a brown tinge. Remove, let cool for a few minutes, then transfer to a rack to finish cooling.
Break up the chocolate into a bowl and set it over a small pot of simmering water. Add the butter and stir until it's finally melted and looks glossy and smooth. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
One by one dunk cookies in chocolate, pulling away to let the excess drop off. Lay them on parchment-lined sheets (or wire racks with parchment under them) to set.
Variations
- Add (More) Seeds: Lightly sprinkle sesame seeds onto the chocolate before it hardens
- Top with Nuts: Dunk each chocolate-coated cookie end into a bowl of chopped, toasted almonds before laying it to dry
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