Best Poppy Seed Cookies With Meyer Lemon Curd And Swiss Meringue Recipes

LEMON MERINGUE BARS WITH POPPY SEED CRUST

Steps:

• To make the crust: Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line the bottom and sides of a 9-inch-by-13-inch baking dish with foil, taking care to cover the corners as well. Lightly butter the foil.
• Whisk the flour, sugar, poppy seeds, cornstarch, lemon zest and salt together. Add the butter and mix until well combined. Press the dough evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan. Bake until deep golden brown, about 25 minutes.
• Just before the crust is finished baking, prepare the filling: Combine sugar and lemon zest in a large bowl. Rub zest into sugar with your fingertips until well combined and fragrant. Add flour and salt. Whisk in eggs and egg yolks, followed by the lemon juice.
• When the crust is finished baking, turn the oven down to 300 degrees. Pour the filling over the hot crust and return the pan to the oven. Bake until filling is set, but just slightly wiggly in the center, about 23 to 25 more minutes. While the bars are baking, prepare the meringue.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, combine the egg whites and cornstarch. Whip on medium-high speed until the mixture is foamy. With the mixer running, slowly add the sugar, about 1 tablespoon at a time, and whip until soft peaks form. Add the vanilla and salt and mix briefly to combine.
• When filling is set, remove pan from the oven and switch the oven to broil. Carefully spoon and spread the meringue over the hot bars, then set it under the broiler until the meringue is deep golden brown, 1 to 3 minutes, depending on the heat of the broiler. Keep a close eye on the meringue during this process. It can go from perfectly golden to scorched in mere moments. Cool completely before slicing and serving.

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 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.

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.

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.

LEMON POPPY SEED COOKIES

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cream of tartar and baking soda. Set aside.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer (or a large bowl, if using a hand mixer), combine sugar and salt. Zest both lemons over the sugar, then rub the zest into the sugar using your fingertips until moistened. (It will lightly stain the sugar yellow and release a strong lemony aroma.)
• Beat the butter and sugar on medium until light and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes, stopping and scraping the bowl at least once in the process.
• In a small bowl or large measuring cup, whisk together the whole egg, egg yolk and limoncello. With the mixer on low speed, stream the mixture into the creamed butter. Stop and scrape the bowl with a spatula, then increase the speed to medium and beat for another 30 seconds.
• With the mixer off, add the flour mixture, then mix on low speed until combined. Remove the bowl from the mixer and, working in the bowl, fold the dough over several times with your hands to ensure it is uniform.
• Fill a small bowl with the poppy seeds. Portion the dough into heaping tablespoons (about 25 grams each) and set them on a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Round each piece of dough into a ball, then roll in the poppy seeds until completely coated.
• Transfer back to the baking sheet, setting at least 1 inch apart. Cover the surface with another sheet of parchment and press down with a second cookie sheet to evenly flatten cookies to about 1/2-inch thick.
• Chill in the freezer for at least 15 minutes. Meanwhile, heat the oven to 375 degrees, and line baking sheets with parchment (or grease with butter). When cookies have chilled and oven is ready, transfer cookies to prepared baking sheets spaced about 3 inches apart. (Keep remaining cookies in the freezer until ready to bake.)
• Working in batches, bake cookies for 10 to 12 minutes, rotating baking sheets after 8 minutes from front-to-back and bottom-to-top. Cookies will be just golden on the edges and puffy in the center but should no longer look wet.
• Let cool for 2 minutes on baking sheets, then transfer to cooling racks. Store cookies in a sealed container, and enjoy within 1 to 2 days. Bake remaining cookies, or wrap and freeze chilled cookie dough. Once firm, transfer cookie dough to a covered container or sealed bag. Freeze for up to 1 month. You can bake the cookies straight from the freezer.