Poppy Seed Cookies With Meyer Lemon Curd And Swiss Meringue Recipes

POPPY SEED COOKIES II

Steps:

• Combine the butter, sugar, egg yolks, lemon or orange zest, nutmeg and salt. Beat until light and fluffy.
• Sift the flour, then add it and the poppy seeds to the butter mixture. Mix until just combined.
• Divide dough into 4 equal parts. Form each piece into a 2 inch diameter cylinder and wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 2 hours or until firm. At this point you can freeze the dough for later use.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Cut dough cylinders into 1/4 inch thick slices and place on ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 9 minutes. Let cookies cool on sheets for 2 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool. Once cool, store in an airtight container.

POPPY-SEED COOKIES WITH MEYER LEMON CURD AND SWISS MERINGUE

Steps:

• Cookies: Whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and poppy seeds in a large bowl. Make a well in center of mixture. Add butter, egg yolk, and vanilla to well, stirring with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula to combine. Knead a few times to form a cohesive dough, then transfer to a sheet of parchment or waxed paper. Form dough into a 12-inch-long, 1 1/4-inch-diameter log. (It's okay if it cracks in places.) Wrap in parchment, pressing top and sides to ensure a tight, uniform log. Refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour and up to 2 days.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees with racks in upper and lower third. Unwrap dough, cut into 1/4-inch-thick rounds, and space 1 inch apart on parchment-lined baking sheets. Bake, rotating pans halfway through, until cookies are firm in center and golden brown around edges, 12 to 15 minutes. Cool on baking sheets 5 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.
• Curd: Beat together butter and sugar with a mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy. Reduce speed to low and add whole egg. When thoroughly combined, gradually add egg yolks, then lemon juice. (Mixture will appear curdled.) Transfer to a medium saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture has thickened and coats the back of a wooden spoon, 5 to 7 minutes. Refrigerate curd until cold, about 2 hours.
• Swiss meringue: Whisk together egg whites, sugar, cream of tartar, and salt in a bowl set over a pot of simmering water until sugar is dissolved and a candy thermometer inserted into mixture reads 160 degrees. Remove from heat and beat with a mixer on high speed until stiff, glossy peaks form and mixture is cool, about 10 minutes.
• Assembly: Place cookies side by side on a baking sheet. Top each with 1 teaspoon curd. Place meringue in a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch round tip (Ateco #806) or a gallon freezer bag with 1 corner snipped to make a 1/2-inch hole. Pipe spirals of meringue on top of each cookie. Lightly brown meringue in places with a small kitchen blowtorch.

LEMON POPPY SEED COOKIES WITH MEYER LEMON CURD

Steps:

• Working ahead, make the lemon curd or source store-bought curd. I used this recipe, trading Meyer lemons for regular ones. If using homemade, chill curd overnight.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter on medium-low speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add sugar and beat 2 minutes more. Beat in egg, stopping to scrape down sides as needed. Beat in vanilla, lemon zest, nutmeg, and sea salt. Switch mixer to low and add flour in two batches, mixing just until incorporated. Fold in poppy seeds
• Divide dough into 4 discs, wrap tightly with plastic, and chill at least 2 hours or preferably overnight.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment. Set up a large piece of parchment dusted with flour. Working quickly, and using plenty of flour as you go, roll chilled dough into a 1/4-inch thick rectangle. Dip cookie cutters in flour, and cut out cookies. Arrange on cookie sheets, spacing 1/2-inch apart. Keep count and create an equal number of round bases and cut out window cookies.
• Chill cookies in the fridge for 10 minutes before baking.
• Bake 7 - 10 minutes, or until cookies have puffed up slightly and edges turn a very light golden hue. As they bake, keep a close eye, especially on the windows. If needed, rotate pan halfway through cook time.
• Cool on cookie sheet 5 minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.
• When ready to serve cookies, spread each round with 1 teaspoon curd, leaving 1/4-inch border near the edges. Place the window cookies on top. Dust cookies with powdered sugar and add poppy seeds and sprinkles to the middle.
• Serve right away or keep cookies loosely covered in the fridge for up to three days.

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 AND POPPY SEED MELT AWAY COOKIES

Steps:

• In medium mixing bowl beat butter with electric mixer on medium to high for 30 seconds.
• Add granulated sugar, poppy seeds, and baking soda and beat until combined.
• Beat in egg yolk, milk, lemon peel, and vanilla until combined.
• Beat in as much of flour as you can with electric mixer, then using wooden spoon, stir in any remaining flour.
• Divide dough in half.
• Shape each half into 9 inch long roll.
• Wrap both "logs" in plastic wrap.
• Chill in refrigerator for 4 or more hours (up to 24).
• Using a sharp knife (or string/dental floss) cut dough into 1/2 inch slices.
• Place slices 1 inch apart on ungreased baking sheet.
• Bake at 375°F for 7-9 minutes or until edges are firm and bottom is light brown.
• Place powdered sugar in plastic bag. While still warm transfer several cookies at a time to bag and shake gently until coated. Transfer to wire rack to cool completely. When completely cool, shake cookies in powdered sugar one more time.

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.