Laurie A. Jacobs

Grandma Gussie is a good cook. My grandmother Ida Rapoport was also a good cook. One of my favorite treats was her poppy seed cookies. My family did not get her recipe but several years ago I found a recipe in The Boston Globe that makes cookies very similar to those my grandmother made. My children love them.

Ingredients:

4 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup oil (I use canola oil)
1 cup sugar
5 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 heaping teaspoons baking powder
1/2 cup poppy seeds

Mix eggs, vanilla and oil with the sugar. Add flour, salt, baking powder and poppy seeds. The mixture will be very thick. For sliced cookies, form the mixture into logs, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate a few hours or overnight, then slice the cookies 1/4 inch thick. For rolled cookies, form the dough into two balls, flatten slightly, wrap and refrigerate for several hours, then roll out and cut into 2 inch rounds. Sprinkle the tops with sugar. Bake on an ungreased sheet at 375 degrees for 10 minutes or until golden brown. These cookies taste better the next day.