Say hello to my new favorite cookies. I know, you’re not surprised, because you know how much I love lemon. But these(!) lemon cookies have that bakery-perfect chewy middle with a lightly crisp edge and a perfect balance of light & bright citrus flavor. A real treat, especially now that we’re entering the holiday season, although I would happily take one of these lemon cookies any day of the year.
This lemon cookie recipe comes from my friend Melissa Coleman’s book The Minimalist Kitchen. You may know of her blog, The Faux Martha. If you don’t, go check it out – you’ll absolutely love her. She has wonderfully approachable meal-time recipes, highly do-able organizational tips (check out her pretty pantry), and, man, can that girl bake.
What I love about these lemon cookies is that they have substance – particularly from the cornmeal and poppy seeds. Plus, the mix of olive oil with butter gives them a bright flavor that brings out the citrus essence so well.
These photos actually make them look kind of small, but made with a 1/4-cup cookie scoop, these lemon cookies are a perfect 1-cookie afternoon indulgence with a cup of coffee or tea.
For more cookie recipes, check out the dessert section of our recipe index!
Citrus Poppyseed Lemon Cookies
Author: Jeanine Donofrio
Recipe type: Dessert
- 2¼ cups-all purpose flour
- ¼ cup cornmeal
- 2 tablespoons poppy seeds
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter, at room temp
- 1 cup sugar, more for sprinkling
- 1½ teaspoons lemon zest
- 1½ teaspoons orange zest
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 large egg
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, poppy seeds, baking soda, and salt.
- In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter, sugar, and zests on medium speed until well combined. Add the oil, egg, and lemon juice. Continue mixing until pale and evenly combined, about 1 minute, scraping down the sides as needed.
- Add the dry ingredients to the creamed ingredients, mixing on low speed until just combined. The dough will be somewhat dense.
- Using a ¼-cup sized cookie scoop, scoop the dough onto the prepared baking sheet (note: these cookies will spread, so leave some room in between each one), and sprinkle the tops with sugar. Bake for 12 to 13 minutes. The cookies will seem like they need a minute longer, but take them out anyways. Let cool on the pan for 1 minute before transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Tip: to bring butter to room temperature more quickly, cut it into skinny shreds, exposing as much of the surface area as possible.
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