Lemon Poppy Seed Cookies (Printable)

Bright, zesty cookies with fresh lemon and subtle poppy seed crunch

# What You'll 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 Make It:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
02 - In a large bowl, cream softened butter and sugar until light and fluffy using electric mixer or whisk.
03 - Beat in egg, lemon juice, lemon zest, and vanilla extract until well incorporated.
04 - In separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, and poppy seeds until evenly distributed.
05 - Gradually add dry ingredients to wet mixture, mixing until just combined. Avoid overmixing.
06 - Scoop rounded tablespoons of dough onto prepared baking sheets, spacing 2 inches apart.
07 - Bake for 10-12 minutes until edges are lightly golden.
08 - Let cookies cool on pan for 2 minutes, then transfer to wire rack. For optional glaze, mix powdered sugar with lemon juice until smooth and drizzle over cooled cookies.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • These cookies strike that perfect balance between tangy and sweet without being too heavy or rich
  • The dough comes together in under fifteen minutes, so you can have warm cookies in the oven before your tea water even boils
02 -
  • Room temperature ingredients matter more here than in almost any other cookie recipe, so take your butter and egg out at least an hour before baking
  • The dough might seem slightly sticky compared to other cookie doughs, which is perfectly normal and actually part of what makes these so tender
03 -
  • If your dough feels too warm and sticky to scoop, pop it in the refrigerator for 15 minutes and it will behave much better
  • The glaze is completely optional, but it adds such a beautiful finishing touch and an extra punch of lemon that really makes these special

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