Poppy seed Almond Shortbread, the best cookie ever

Just got home from holding the final for my Developmental Psychology Class, grading the tests, reviewing the students performance and attendance, and submitting the final grades for the class. Now I will treat myself by making some easy yummy cookies as follows:

Ingredients:

1. 1/2 cup butter - one stick, cool room temperature
2. 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed in the cup
3. 2 cups unbleached white flour
4. 1 tsp almond extract
5. 1 egg white, separated from the yolk. Reserve the yolk for something else.
6. 1 TBL poppyseeds, more or less

Makeing the cookies:

1. Heat the oven to 400 F. Wipe off a very clean sturdy cookie sheet and have ready.

2. Beat the egg white with 1 tsp cold water until it is frothy and the protein mass has broken down, and set aside.

3. Cream the butter with a wooden spoon in large heavy ceramic bowl. When softened, stir in brown sugar until well incorporated. Work quickly, you don't want the mixture to get very warm.

4. Stir in almond extract. Add 1 cup of flour, stir well. Add second cup of flour and mix with your hands to the texture of cornmeal. It will be dry, and just barely stick together when you squeeze a handfull in your fist.

5. Turn the cookie mixture out onto the cookie sheet. Shape it into a circle, about 5-6 inches in diameter and about 1/2 inch thick, by pressing it together with the sides and palms of your hands. You will be able to compress it to where it holds it's shape, but it will be fragile and easily crumble, which is why you want your pan to be sturdy, without any flex in it.

6. Brush the top of the cookie with the egg white (this will make the top of the cookie shiny when it comes out of the oven and help the seeds stick). Sprinkle generously with poppy seeds.

7. Turn the heat down in the oven to 350 F, and put the cookie sheet in the middle of the oven. Bake until the top looks set and it is just starting to brown around the edges, maybe 10 minutes. Once it starts to brown at all it will get over done rapidly, so watch it like a hawk and start checking it early until you know what your oven does.

8. Remove from oven, set on a stable surface and cut the hot cookie into 1 1/2 inch squares (it is very rich). A pizza cutter will work well for this - make four cuts one way, and then four cut at an angle. The cookie will seem very soft at this point. Move the cookie sheet onto a cooling rack and let sit at least 10 minutes for the cookie to cool off and firm up.

9. When cool enough to handle, break the cookie up - it will probably have stuck back together a little bit, and cool completely. Except for the piece you eat right there with a little glass of really cold milk. MMmmmm!

10. Store cookies at room temperature in an air tight container, like tupperware. If you have any left. These freeze well. You can substitute other flavorings for the almond - vanilla, lemon, etc. You can sprinkle it with slivered almonds or sesame seeds or cinnamon sugar or a dusting of nutmeg or cardamom instead of the poppy seeds. You can add texture and change the flavor by substituting 1/2 cup whole wheat flour for some of the regular flour, or mix some of seeds or a TBL of coarse cornmeal into the cookie, or some oat bran, or rice or soy flour or whatever you want to try.

All right, I've talked about it, Now I am going to make some.