Lemon Poppy Seed Shortbread Cookies Recipes

LEMON POPPY SEED SHORTBREAD COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°F.
• Cream confectioners' sugar and butter together until fluffy.
• Stir in poppy seeds and lemon juice.
• Gradually add flour and mix well.
• Divide dough into 4 equal portions and roll each into a 4 inch circle on a lightly-floured surface.
• Transfer each dough portion to an ungreased cookie sheet; cut each circle into 6 wedges.
• Prick each wedge several times with a fork and sprinkle with sugar.
• Bake for about 20-25 minutes or until golden.
• Cool for 4-5 minutes before moving to wire racks to cool completely.
• When cool, break each circle apart into wedges.

LEMON-POPPY SEED COOKIES

Steps:

• Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven; preheat to 350 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Whisk the flour, poppy seeds, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl. Beat the butter and granulated sugar in a large bowl with a mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Add the egg, vanilla and 1 tablespoon lemon zest and beat until combined. Reduce the mixer speed to low; beat in the flour mixture, then increase the speed to medium high and beat until just combined.
• Roll tablespoonfuls of dough into balls and arrange 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. Bake, switching the pans halfway through, until the cookies are light golden and just set, 15 to 20 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes on the baking sheets, then transfer to racks to cool completely.
• Make the glaze: Whisk the confectioners' sugar, the remaining 1 teaspoon lemon zest and enough lemon juice to make a spreadable glaze. Spread on the cookies; sprinkle with nonpareils and let set, about 20 minutes.

LEMON POPPY SEED SANDWICH COOKIES

Steps:

• For the filling: Combine the cranberries, water or juice and the sugar in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir until the sugar has dissolved. Once the liquid has come to a boil and the berries have popped, reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for 4 or 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened. Remove from the heat and transfer to a blender or bowl of a food processor; let cool for 10 minutes, then puree until almost smooth. Strain out or remove any whole bits, then cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
• For the cookies: Combine the butter and confectioners' sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer or hand-held electric mixer; beat on low speed to blend, then on medium-high speed for about 3 minutes, until light and fluffy. Reduce the speed to low, then add the lemon zest, vanilla extract and the tablespoon of poppy seeds, beating to incorporate.
• Combine the flour and salt in a bowl or on a sheet of wax paper. Add to the butter-sugar mixture and beat on low speed just until a dough forms into large clumps (on the way to becoming a ball).
• Divide in half; wrap each half in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 20 minutes.
• When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone liners.
• Lightly flour a work surface, or place the dough between sheets of plastic wrap or parchment paper. Divide each portion in half (again, to form quarters of dough). Working with one quarter at a time, roll out the dough to a thickness of 1/16 inch (or as thin as possible). Use a 3- to 3 1/2-inch cookie cutter to cut out 12 cookies, or a 2 1/2-inch cookie cutter to cut out 18 cookies, transferring them to the baking sheets with an offset spatula. It's best to re-roll the dough only once.
• Sprinkle the cut-out cookies lightly with poppy seeds. Bake for 11 to 13 minutes, or until just set but not browned. Let cool on the baking sheet while you roll and cut out the remaining portion of dough, using the same-size cookie cutter to make 12 large or 18 medium cookies. If desired, use a smaller cookie cutter to create a center "window" in each of these cookies so the filling will show through. (Bake the mini rounds as well.) Sprinkle the cookies lightly with poppy seeds. Repeat the baking and cooling steps.
• At this point, the cookies can be frozen until they are assembled into sandwiches.
• Spread the first batch of cookies with a thin layer of homemade or store-bought cranberry jam, leaving a narrow margin at the edges. Top with the cooled cookies from the second batch, pressing together gently to form cookie sandwiches. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

LEMON POPPY-SEED SHORTBREAD BARS

Steps:

• In a bowl with an electric mixer cream the butter with 1/2 cup of the confectioners' sugar and beat the mixture until it is light and fluffy. Beat in the zest and the vanilla, add the poppy seeds, the flour, and the salt, and beat the mixture until it is just combined. Press the mixture evenly into a buttered 8-inch-square baking pan and bake it in the middle of a preheated 300°F. oven for 30 to 35 minutes, or until it is pale golden. Let the shortbread cool in the pan on a rack for 10 minutes, cut it into 24 bars, and let the bars cool completely in the pan. Sprinkle the bars with the additional confectioners' sugar.

LEMON SHORTBREAD COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. In a small bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, 3-5 minutes. Beat in lemon zest and vanilla. Combine the flour, cornstarch, nutmeg, and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well. (Dough will be crumbly.) Shape into a ball., On a lightly floured surface, press dough to 1/2-in. thickness. Cut with a floured 1-in. fluted cookie cutter; place 1 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Prick cookies with a fork. Reroll scraps if desired. , Bake until firm, 12-15 minutes. Cool for 2 minutes before carefully removing to wire racks to cool completely. , Combine confectioners' sugar and lemon juice; drizzle over cookies. Store in an airtight container.

LEMON POPPY SEED SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°. In a bowl, beat butter and confectioners' sugar until blended. Beat in poppy seeds and lemon juice. Gradually beat in flour., Divide dough into four portions. On a lightly floured surface, roll each portion of dough into a 4-in. circle. Transfer to ungreased baking sheets. Cut each circle into six wedges, but do not separate. Prick tops with a fork. Sprinkle with sugar., Bake 20-25 minutes or until light brown. Cool on pans 10 minutes. Transfer shortbread to a cutting board; recut into wedges. Cool on a wire rack.

LEMON-BUTTER SHORTBREAD COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Sift or whisk flour, salt, and baking powder together in a bowl.
• Place butter in a large mixing bowl and mix with a wooden spoon until very creamy. Add confectioners' sugar, lemon juice, and flour mixture; mix until well combined.
• Roll dough out on a lightly floured surface to 1/4-inch thickness. Cut into rounds using a round cookie cutter. Transfer cookies to ungreased baking sheets.
• Bake in the preheated oven until cookies are light brown on the bottom but still very light on top, about 10 minutes. Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheets for about 2 minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.
• Whisk melted butter and lemon juice together in a small bowl. Add lemon zest and whisk again. Whisk in confectioners' sugar 1 cup at a time. Add more lemon juice if necessary for a thin consistency.
• Dip the top of each cookie in the glaze and transfer to a wire rack placed over waxed paper or parchment paper. Allow cookies to sit until glaze has set, about 2 hours.
• Store cookies in an airtight container between layers of waxed paper.

POPPY SEED SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
• Combine flour, butter, confectioners' sugar, poppy seeds, vanilla extract, and salt in the bowl of a food processor; pulse to combine. Dough will be dry and crumbly.
• Press dough into a 11x7-inch baking pan. Pierce entire surface with a fork to prevent the dough from rising during baking.
• Bake in the preheated oven until edges start to turn slightly brown, 30 to 40 minutes.
• Remove shortbread from pan and cut into 12 equal-sized bars while still warm. Place on a wire rack to cool.

CRISP LEMON COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Bring lemon juice to a simmer in a small saucepan over medium heat; cook until reduced by half. Add 1 stick butter; stir until melted.
• Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Cream remaining stick butter and 1 cup sugar on medium speed in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix in egg and lemonbutter. Mix until pale, about 3 minutes. Mix in vanilla and 2 teaspoons zest. Mix in flour mixture and poppy seeds.
• Stir together remaining 1/2 cup sugar and 1 1/2 teaspoons zest. Roll spoonfuls of dough into 1 1/2-inch balls; roll them in sugar mixture. Place 2 inches apart on baking sheets. Press each with the flat end of a glass dipped in sugar mixture until 1/4 inch thick. Sprinkle with seeds.
• Bake until just browned around bottom edges, 10 to 11 minutes. Transfer to wire racks; let cool completely. Store in an airtight container up to 1 week.