These cookies are everything that I have been craving to help brighten up these short winter days. I recently bought mini grocery store lemon poppy seed muffins for my coworkers and I haven’t been able to stop thinking about the lemon and poppy seed combination–such a classic, yet a combination that I haven’t eaten in years and that I had truly forgotten about.
I desperately wanted to bring lemon and poppy seed out of the muffin realm and recreate it in another form, one with a bit more chew to it and a deeper flavor profile. These cookies are it. They are soft and chewy, with a lovely crunch from the poppy seeds and lemon sugar, and a barely perceptible salty and complex note from the preserved lemon that puts these cookies squarely in the irresistible camp.
You may doubt whether a chewy lemon cookie can be all that–I myself started doubting my judgment when I first made this recipe but let me tell you, these cookies are a 10/10 delight. The sugar cookie recipe from Handle the Heat served as the inspiration for the base sugar cookie, which I then adapted and layered flavor onto. You can use homemade preserved lemons like I did (although you have to wait about a month for them to be ready) or feel free to buy some in a jar at the grocery store. In a pinch, you could substitute for regular lemon zest but the flavor won’t be the same–and you definitely need to add some salt to the recipe if you do that.
Preserved lemon poppy seed cookies
Course: Cookies and barsDifficulty: Quick bake36
cookies20
minutes8
minutesThese preserved lemon poppy seed cookies are delightfully chewy with a complex lemon flavor, just enough saltiness to balance the sweet, and a subtle crunch from the poppy seeds and lemon sugar. It is nearly impossible to eat just one!
Ingredients
2 1/2 (312g) cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
3 Tbsp poppy seeds
1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
2 Tbsp packed brown sugar
2 sticks unsalted butter at room temperature
1 large egg, room temperature
1 large egg yolk, room temperature
2 Tbsp very finely diced preserved lemon zest
1 Tbsp fresh lemon zest
1 tsp vanilla extract
- For the optional topping
1 tsp lemon zest
1/4 cup granulated sugar
Instructions
- Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and poppy seeds in a medium bowl. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, add the room temperature butter (should leave an indent if you gently press down on it), granulated sugar, and brown sugar. For the preserved lemon zest, separate the flesh from the lemon peel and rinse the peel with water to remove some of the excess salt. Then chop as finely as you can, or you can puree in a small blender, until you have 2 tbsp worth. Then add to the butter and sugar along with the fresh lemon zest. Using an electric mixer or by hand, cream together until the mixture is uniform and is light and fluffy.
- Then, beat in the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla until well combined. Add in the flour and mix just until there are no more visible patches of flour. Do not overmix. Cover the bowl and refrigerate at least two hours or overnight.
- After the dough has rested, set out for about 10-15 minutes until it has softened enough to scoop. While it is softening, add 1/4 cup granulated sugar to a small bowl along with the lemon zest. Massage the zest into the sugar for about one minute until the texture changes to that of moist sand.
- Preheat the oven to 350F. Scoop out the cookie dough with a spoon and gently roll between your palms until you have a ball that’s about 1″ in diameter. Roll each cookie gently in the lemon sugar mixture and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Continue with all of the cookies, spacing them 2″ apart. Flatten each cookie slightly by gently pressing down on the tops with the bottom of a measuring cup or glass. Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until the bottoms of the cookie are a light golden. They will appear slightly underbaked but will finish cooking from the residual heat in the pan after they’re removed from the oven. Remove from the oven and let cool. If you’re cooking several batches and your cookie dough is getting very warm and soft, chill the dough for a few minutes before baking. Cookies can be stored for several days in an airtight container.
Notes
- Preserved lemons can be found in a jar in most grocery stores or can be made from scratch. There are a plethora of recipes online for preserved lemons. If you choose to make these without preserved lemon, you’ll need to add back in about 1/2-3/4 tsp of salt.
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