A special holiday in Kansas this month is KANSAS DAY! I don't know that other states celebrate their statehood quite as much as Kansas does. Maybe it is because Kansas Day comes at the end of January when we've settled into a glum mood after a month of cold, muddy, icy, snowy days. Sometimes those days all happen in the same day.
So this year a friend and I are planning a Kansas Day party. Complete with Kansas trivia facts, sunflower decorations, and special cookies. Here is the recipe for the Sunflower Seed cookies that have been my favorite for years.
I keep sunflower seeds and wheat germ in the freezer to keep these ingredients fresh since I don't use them often.
SUNFLOWER SEED COOKIES
1 cup butter (2 sticks)
1 ¼ cup brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp. almond extract
1 ⅓ cup flour
1 tsp. baking soda
3 cups oatmeal
¾ cup unsalted sunflower seeds (if using salted seeds, omit the 1 tsp. salt)
1 tsp. salt
½ cup wheat germ
Preheat oven to 375 °. Cream butter and brown sugar together. Beat in eggs and almond extract. Sift together flour, salt, and baking soda, and stir into creamed mixture. Fold in sunflower seeds and wheat germ, then oats. Drop scoops of dough 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake 9-10 minutes.
