Watermelon Cookies - I entered this recipe in the My Wooden Spoon Food Challenge - see the link below

¾ cup butter, softened 
¾ cup sugar
1 egg
½ tsp. almond extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
¼ tsp. baking powder
1/8 tsp. salt
red and green gel food coloring
1/3 cup raisins
1 tsp. sesame seeds



1.     In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar.  Beat in egg and extract.  Combine the flour, baking powder and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture.  (I used my electric mixer to make dough.)  Set aside 1 cup of dough.  

2.     Tint remaining dough red;  shape into a 3 ½ in. log.  Wrap in plastic wrap.  Tint 1/3 cup of the reserved dough green; wrap in plastic wrap.  Wrap remaining plain dough.  Refrigerate for 2 hours or until firm. 

3.     On a lightly floured surface, roll plain dough into an 8 ½ in. X 3 ½ in. Rectangle.  Place red dough log on the end of a short side of the rectangle; roll up.  Roll green dough into a 10 in. X 3 ½ in. rectangle.  (Don’t worry about exact measurements, just roll until it looks like it will cover the dough log.)  Place red and white log on the end of a short side on green dough; roll up.  Wrap in plastic wrap; refrigerate for a few hours or overnight.  

4.     Unwrap and cut into 3/16-in. slices (just less than ¼ in.).  Place 2 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets.  Cut raisins into small pieces.  Lightly press raisin bits and sesame seeds into red dough to resemble watermelon seeds.  (I omitted the sesame seeds.)

5.  Bake at 350 degrees for 9 -11 minutes or until firm.  Immediately cut cookies in half.  Remove to wire racks to cool.  Yield 3 doz.  (I double the recipe)


This recipe came from a Taste of Home Summer Grilling cookbook - one of my favorites!  They have a wonderful delicate almond flavor.  I left the sesame seeds out when I made these so they are an optional ingredient.

I am entering this recipe in the My Wooden Spoon Food Challenge for February.  http://mywoodenspoon.com/february-food-challenge/

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