Lemon Poppy Seed Cookies (Printable)

Zesty, buttery cookies with fresh lemon and poppy seeds, finished with optional glaze.

# What You Need:

→ Wet Ingredients

01 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
02 - 1 cup granulated sugar
03 - 1 large egg
04 - 2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
05 - 2 tsp lemon zest
06 - 1 tsp vanilla extract

→ Dry Ingredients

07 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
08 - 1/2 tsp baking soda
09 - 1/4 tsp salt
10 - 1 tbsp poppy seeds

→ Optional Lemon Glaze

11 - 1 cup powdered sugar
12 - 2-3 tbsp lemon juice

# How-To Steps:

01 - Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
02 - In a large bowl, cream together the softened butter and sugar until light and fluffy using an electric mixer or whisk.
03 - Beat in the egg, lemon juice, lemon zest, and vanilla extract until well combined.
04 - In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, and poppy seeds until evenly distributed.
05 - Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, mixing until just combined. Do not overmix.
06 - Scoop rounded tablespoons of dough onto the prepared baking sheets, leaving 2 inches between each cookie.
07 - Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden.
08 - Let the cookies cool on the pan for 2 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
09 - For a glaze, mix powdered sugar with lemon juice until smooth. Drizzle over cooled cookies and let set.

# Helpful Tips:

01 -
  • The texture walks this perfect line between chewy center and crisp edges that makes them impossible to stop eating
  • Fresh lemon gives you this brightness that hits you first, then vanilla warmth follows through
  • They come together in under 30 minutes but taste like you fussed over them all afternoon
02 -
  • Room temperature ingredients combine better, so pull your butter and egg out about 30 minutes before you start
  • Over-mixing the dough once the flour is added makes tough cookies, stop as soon as you see no white streaks
03 -
  • Roll your lemons on the counter before zesting to release more essential oils
  • Use a microplane instead of a box grater, you get zest without any bitter white pith

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