Pisochni Korzhyky z Makom (пісочні коржики з маком, poppy seed shortbread cookies)

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •A wide mixing bowl
• •A rolling pin
• •Cookie cutters or a sharp knife
• •Two baking sheets

Instructions

1. 1

   Rub the butter

   Whisk the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar in a wide bowl. Drop in the cold butter and rub it through your fingertips until the mixture looks like pale sand with a few pea-sized flakes left. Those flakes are good. They make the cookie crumble instead of turning tough.

   If your kitchen is warm, put the bowl in the fridge for ten minutes before you continue. Shortbread forgives uneven shapes, but it does not love melted butter.
2. 2

   Bring it together

   Beat the egg with the sour cream and vanilla, then pour it into the sandy flour. Add the poppy seeds and stir with a fork until clumps form, then press the dough together with your hands. Do not knead it smooth. Stop as soon as it holds, when it feels cool and slightly stubborn.

3. 3

   Chill the dough

   Pat the dough into a flat disc, wrap it, and chill until firm enough to roll without smearing. It should bend a little at the edges but not stick to your fingers. This rest lets the flour drink in the moisture and keeps the korzhyky tidy in the oven.

4. 4

   Roll and cut

   Heat the oven to 180C and line two baking sheets with parchment. Roll the dough on a lightly floured surface to about 5mm thick, turning it as you go so it does not grab the table. Cut rounds, fluted circles, diamonds, or whatever cutter you have. This is home baking; the tin does not care.

5. 5

   Glaze the tops

   Lay the cookies on the sheets with a little space between them. Brush the tops lightly with egg yolk and milk, then scatter with coarse sugar if you want a little crunch. Keep the glaze thin. A heavy coat puddles at the edges and hides the poppy seeds.

6. 6

   Bake until fragrant

   Bake until the edges are golden and the kitchen smells of toasted poppy, warm butter, and sugar, about fifteen minutes. Trust the smell before the timer. The centers should still be pale gold; they firm as they cool, and a dark shortbread tastes tired.

7. 7

   Cool and store

   Let the korzhyky sit on the tray until they stop feeling fragile, then move them to a rack. Store completely cooled cookies in a tin. They are good on the first day and better on the second, when the butter settles and the poppy seed flavor comes forward.

Chef Tips

• •Use poppy seeds that smell sweet and nutty, not dusty. Old poppy seeds go bitter, and no amount of sugar will hide it.
• •Smetana gives a slightly softer, more tender crumb than milk. Sour cream works perfectly; thick yogurt makes it a bit more modern and still very good.
• •The dough scraps can be pressed together and rolled again once. After that, bake the odd bits for the cook. Too much rerolling makes the cookies firm.

Advance Preparation

• •The dough can be made 2 days ahead and kept wrapped in the fridge. Let it sit at room temperature just until it rolls without cracking.
• •The baked cookies keep well in a tin for 5 to 7 days, which is the theory. In a real kitchen, make a double batch.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 17g)