Almond Poppyseed Shortbread Cookies

Let me just disclaim right off the bat that I really hate these photos. But I love the cookies – or, I should say, loved the cookies. They’re long gone, and only these crappy photos remain. And is “disclaim” even a word? Never mind that. Cookies.

Almond poppyseed shortbread cookies | Kitchen Treaty

Forgive the horrible outdoor light and the messed-up exposure.

Almond poppyseed shortbread cookies | Kitchen Treaty

Forgive the composition. Forgive the fact that this normal, 6-ounce coffee glass looks like a gallon-sized urn next to these cookies, for some strange reason. I was on an almond-poppyseed-butter-sugar high. I really can’t come up with a better excuse than that.

Almond poppyseed shortbread cookies | Kitchen Treaty

I hope you can see that they’re actually rather pretty cookies, despite my best efforts to capture otherwise. They’re almond-flavored, poppyseed-speckled shortbread dough rolled in more poppyseeds. Then, after these bad boys are sliced, baked, and cooled, they’re dipped in an almond-vanilla glaze and sprinkled with crushed sliced almonds.

That sounds like a bit of work, but I promise these come together really quickly and are worth every minute. Sweet, nutty poppyseeds. Crunchy almondy goodness. Buttery shortbread.

Yeah, the photos suck, but these cookies? They rock.

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Almond Poppyseed Shortbread Cookies

Prep: 2 hours 15 minutes
Cook: 15 minutes
Total: 2 hours 30 minutes
Author: Kare
Sweet, nutty poppyseeds. Crunchy almondy goodness. Buttery shortbread. This recipe makes a small-ish batch (about 15 cookies), so be sure to double it if you're feeding a crowd.

Ingredients

  • Cookies
  • 1/2 cup 1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
  • 2 teaspoons poppyseeds + 1/4 cup for rolling
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • Topping
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 2 tablespoons milk
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/8 teaspoon almond extract
  • Small pinch salt
  • 1/2 cup sliced almonds

Instructions

  • With an electric stand or hand mixer on medium speed, beat together the butter, sugar, almond extract, and salt until smooth.
  • Turn mixer to low and add the flour and 2 teaspoons poppyseeds, mixing just until the dough forms.
  • Place the dough on a piece of waxed or parchment paper sprinkled with a little flour. Put a little flour on your hands and gently roll the dough into a 1 1/2 inch diameter log.
  • Sprinkle the 1/4 cup poppyseeds on the paper and roll the log in the poppyseeds, pressing gently, until the log is well-coated with the seeds.
  • Wrap the log tightly in the paper and twist the ends.
  • Refrigerate until firm, about an hour.
  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • Unwrap the log, and slice with a serrated knife about 3/8 inch thick. If the dough is crumbly, wait a few minutes for it to soften slightly and try again.
  • Place slices about 1 inch apart on your baking sheet and bake until lightly golden around the edges, about 15 minutes.
  • Remove from oven and let sit for about five minutes, then move the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.
  • Make the glaze. In a small bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, milk, vanilla extract, almond extract, and salt until smooth.
  • Carefully dip the tops of each cookie in the glaze, then set back on the wire rack.
  • Grab a handful of almonds and, using your hands, crumble the sliced almonds directly over the tops of the cookies.
  • Allow glaze and almonds to set, about 30 minutes. Gently shake any excess almonds off the cookies, and serve.