I love Meyer lemons and with a little zest and fresh squeezed Meyer lemon juice these cookies have a delicious flavor.  They are crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside with a hint of citrus and poppy that makes them perfect to enjoy with a hot cup of tea.  The lemon extract adds extra lemony flavor. There are many lemon cookies that have a yellow hue, but that is due to the addition of food coloring.  I did not want to add that, but if you are wanting the added dimension of color, it won’t change the flavor.

Yield about 20 cookies

Ingredients:

  • 1 stick unsalted butter, softened
  • 2 cups flour (I use Bob’s Red Mill pastry flour)
  • 3/4 cups light brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 3 teaspoons Meyer lemon zest, plus more for garnish
  • 2 tablespoons fresh squeezed Meyer lemon juice
  • 2 tablespoons poppy seeds, plus more for garnish
  • 2 teaspoons pure lemon extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

for glaze:

  • 1 cup confectioners sugar
  • 2-3  tablespoons Meyer lemon juice

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 325.  Line an air-insulated baking sheet with parchment.  In a small bowl, combine flour, poppy seeds, baking soda, baking powder and salt and whisk to combine.  In a standing mixer with paddle attachment, cream butter, sugars and lemon zest until smooth and creamy.  Add egg, lemon extract and lemon juice and mix until combined, then slowly add dry ingredients and blend until well incorporated.  Take heaping tablespoons of dough and roll in the palm of your hand.  Place cookies on baking sheet about 1 1/2 inches apart.  Cook for about 12 minutes until cookies are beginning to crack, but center still appears a bit moist (longer if you prefer a crispy cookie).  Allow to cool for 5 minutes, then transfer to a rack over a baking sheet.  Allow cookies to cool completely.  Once cooled, mix together ingredients for the glaze in a small bowl, adding a bit of additional juice if glaze needs thinning. Drizzle glaze over each cookie. Sprinkle with additional lemon zest and poppy seeds. Enjoy!