Lemon Poppy Seed Cookies

I’m ashamed to admit it, but  I’ve been slacking on my blogging for the past few weeks.  I’m sure you’ve noticed.  Posts have been coming in late (if at all), and the accompanying cookies have been a little on the weak side.

The hours at my new job are a little wonky (my shifts run from 4:30 in the afternoon until about midnight, or from 10:30 in the morning to 11 at night) and I haven’t really adjusted to the schedule.  Most people think that this schedule should allow for plenty of time for baking. If you wake up before 1 in the afternoon, I’m sure it does. But I really enjoy my sleep. In fact, I often sleep for 9 or 10 (it’s actually closer to 11) hours a night.  And it’s blissful.  There is nothing better than waking up to the bright warm sun streaming through your window and knowing that you don’t have to wait 4 hours to get tacos.

But this project means more to me than tacos (and those are my hands-down favorite food). Since I’m making up the rules as I go, the past few weeks can be forgiven.  But I won’t tolerate this kind of half-ass output from myself any longer! If I’m going to see this baking project through to the bitter end, I’m going to do it justice.  If that means giving up a few precious hours of sleep a night and waking up around dawn (7AM) to complete my baking before I have to start work, then so be it.

Oh, and this is day 2 of the lemon trend.

Lemon Poppy Seed Cookies

Lemon Poppy Seed Cookies

Yield: 24 cookies

Cookies:

• 1¼ cups all-purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon  baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
• 2/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1 egg
• 2 teaspoons grated lemon peel (zest of 1 large or 2 medium lemons)
• 1 tablespoon poppy seed

Glaze:

• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 2-3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.  Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone liners.
2. Sift flour, baking soda, and salt together onto a sheet of parchment paper; set aside.
3. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar together on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.  Add in the egg and lemon zest; beat until smooth, about 2 minutes. Adjust the speed to low.  Slowly add in the flour mixture and stir until just combined.  Fold in the poppy seeds.
4. Drop dough by rounded teaspoonfuls onto prepared baking sheet about 2 inches apart.  Bake for 11-12 minutes, or until edges are lightly browned.  Let cookies rest on baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to wire rack to cool completely.
5. Make glaze: whisk together powdered sugar and lemon juice, adjusting the amount of lemon juice to achieve desired consistency.    Transfer glaze to a pastry bag.  Pipe glaze onto cooled cookies in a zig-zag pattern.  Let glaze set for about 20 minutes before serving.

Lemon Bars

After rereading the posts from earlier this week, I realized that I was baking only “double” desserts. Part of me wanted to continue the trend that I had inadvertently started, but I just had to use up the piles of  big beautiful lemons in my fruit basket. Even though this is a technically a two layer dessert, I didn’t put any sort of lemon flavoring into the tender crust. Therefore I can’t in good conscious call these “Double Lemon Bars.”  I’m afraid to say that the short lived double trend died on this day, but I’m happy to announce the birth of the lemon trend.  Please welcome the sweet-tart lemon dessert with open-arms.

Lemon Bars

Lemon Bars

Yield: 36 bars

Crust:

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• ½ cup powdered sugar, plus extra for dusting
• 2 tablespoons corn starch
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¾ cup butter

Filling:

• 4 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1½ cups granulated sugar
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon finely shredded lemon peel (the zest of 1 medium lemon
• ¾ cup lemon juice (fresh squeezed is best, but if you don’t want to sacrifice 4-5 lemons  bottled can be used with little difference in flavor)
• ¼ cup heavy cream (or half-half, light cream, or milk)

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a 13 x 9 inch baking pan.
2. Make Crust:  In a large mixing bowl, stir together flour, powdered sugar, corn starch, and salt.  Cut in butter with a pastry blender (or if you’re like me and haven’t invested in one of these nifty tools, use two butter knives and literally cut the butter into the flour) until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.  Pour the entire mixture into the prepared  pan.  Firmly and evenly press the crumbs into the pan, making sure to get it into all the corners (if desired, use the bottom of a juice glass to press the crumbs into the pan).  
3. Bake crust for 18-20 minutes, or until edges are pale golden.
4. Make Filling:  In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, sugar, flour, lemon peel, and lemon juice, and heavy cream.  Pour filling over hot crust.  Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until filling is just set in the center.
5. Cool completely in pan on wire rack.  Sift with powdered sugar.  Cut into 36 bars (9 x 4).

Lemon-Thyme Cookies

I’m really sick, and I think it’s just going to get worse. 

Blarg.

Lemon-Thyme Cookies

Lemon-Thyme Cookies

Yield: 36 cookies

• ½ cup butter, softened
• ¼ cup granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon snipped fresh thyme
• 2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest
• 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
• ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
• 1¼ cups all-purpose flour
• sanding sugar or granulated sugar

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.  Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone liners.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter on medium-high speed for 30 seconds, or until fluffy.  Add in the sugar, and continue to cream until thoroughly combined, about 1 minute.  Add in the fresh thyme, lemon zest, and lemon juice; beat until smooth, about 2 minutes.  Adjust the mixer to low; slowly stir in the flour until just combined.  
3. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured work surface.  Knead dough until smooth, elastic, and no longer sticky, working in a bit more flour as needed.  This will take about 3 minutes of moderately vigorous kneading.  Divide dough into thirds.
4. Working with one third of the dough at a time, roll out dough into a 6 x 4½ inch rectangle.  Using a fluted pastry wheel, cut out 12 1½ inch squares from the dough rectangle.  Place the squares on prepared baking sheets, leaving about 1 inch of space in between. Lightly dust cookies with sanding sugar (or granulated-whatever you have on hand will work).  
5. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until edges are just golden.  Let cookies rest on baking sheets for 5 minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.

Recipe adapted from Better Homes and Gardens

Lemon-Cream Sandwich Cookies

These are not the sort of cookie you make when you have an hour or two to kill. These babies are an all-day affair!  I have been actively working on these cookies for at least four hours.  Combine that with the four hour chill time needed for the dough, and making these is practically a full time job!!  But the end result is completely worth the effort; they taste like springtime.

Lemon-Cream Sandwich Cookies

Yield: 24-36 cookies

Cookies:

Lemon-Cream Sandwich Cookies

• ½ cup fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon finely grated lemon peel
• 3¾ cups all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1½ cups sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 large egg yolks

Filling:

• 1½ tablespoons finely grated lemon peel
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 2 cups powdered sugar

Cookies:

1. Boil lemon juice and lemon peel together in a small saucepan over medium-high heat until reduced to 2 tablespoons, about 4 minutes.  Pour into a small bowl; set aside.  Sift flour, salt, and baking soda together; set aside.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 1 minute. Add in the sugar, beat until fluffy and well-combined, about 2 minutes, occasionally scraping down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula (or the spatula-like thingy from the Foreman Grill–whatever is handy).  Add in the eggs, one a time, beating well after each addition.  Add in the egg yolks; beat well.  Add in the cooled lemon mixture, and beat until well combined.  Adjust the mixer to low; slowly add in the flour mixture, stirring until just incorporated.
3. Divide the dough into thirds.  Pat each third into a disk; wrap in plastic wrap.  Place dough in the fridge and chill for 4 hours, or until firm (dough can keep fresh for up to a day in the fridge).
4. Preheat the oven to 375°F.  Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone liners.
5. Working with one disk at a time, roll out dough to a 1/4 inch thickness.  Cut out shapes with 2 inch round (or star shaped!) cookie cutter.  Place cookies on prepared baking sheets leaving an inch or so around each cookie.  Bake one sheet at a time in the center oven rack for 8-10 minutes, or until just golden around the edges.  Let cookies rest on baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to wire rack to cool completely.

Filling:

1. Using the back of a spoon, mash lemon peel and salt into a paste in a large mixing bowl.
2. Add in the butter; using an electric mixer, beat on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.  Add in the powdered sugar ½ cup at a time, beating well after each addition. Whip for 2-3 minutes, or until very fluffy.  If filling is too thick, thin with a bit of lemon juice, cream, or water; rewhip.  (Filling can be refrigerated for up to two days.  Bring to room temperature before using).
3. Spread filling onto the bottom half of the cookies.  Sandwich the top halves onto the cookies.

From Citizen Cake in San Francisco, California

Buttermilk Tea Cakes

These are as delicate as they are pretty, just like a true southern belle.  Baking these little beauties makes me want to don my best party frock and prettiest straw hat and serve high tea in the garden of my country estate.  Too bad I live in an apartment in New Jersey.

Buttermilk Tea Cakes

Yield: 5 dozen

Cookies:

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• Zest of one lemon
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1½ sticks (¾ cup) unsalted butter, softened
• 1½ cups white sugar
• 2 eggs
• ½ teaspoon almond extract
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2/3 cup buttermilk, well shaken

Glaze:

• 1½ cups powdered sugar
• 3 tablespoons buttermilk, well shaken
• ½ teaspoon almond extract
• 3 drops vanilla extract

1. Place rack in middle of oven.  Preheat oven to 350°F.  Line two baking sheets with parchment or silicone liners.
2. Whisk together flour, lemon zest, baking soda, and salt.  Set aside.
3. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.  Add in the eggs, one at time, beating well after each addition.  Add in the almond and vanilla extract, beat until smooth.  Adjust the mixer to low; alternately add in the flour mixture and buttermilk, starting and ending with the flour mixture, mixing well after each addition.
4. Drop the dough by level tablespoonfuls onto prepared cookie sheets, leaving 1½ inches between each cookie.  Bake one sheet at a time for 12-15 minutes, or until pale golden around the edges. Let cool for one minute on baking sheets before transferring to wire racks.
5. Meanwhile (i.e., while first batch is in the oven) lay out a sheet of parchment or wax paper on counter-top.  Place wire racks on top of paper (this will protect your counter from the stickily-delicious glaze). To prepare glaze:  in a small bowl whisk powdered sugar, buttermilk, and extracts together until smooth.
6. Brush glaze over the tops of warm cookies immediately after you transfer them to the wire racks (I like to spread a circular dollop in the middle of the cookie and let whatever glaze that feels like it trickle down the sides).  Let cookies cool completely on wire racks before storing in an airtight container.

Lemon Poppy Seed Muffin-Bites

I have had a rough couple of days.  It all started innocently enough with just one mojito in Leigh’s kitchen.  I know what you’re thinking, “How bad can one mojito really be? I mean, it has leaves in it! It has to be less toxic than a Jagerbomb, right?”  Wrong. Super-wrong.  Especially when said mojito is quite possibly bigger than your head, and is preceded by a nearly bottomless glass (or five!) of sangria.  Fast forward about an hourish or so, and I’m puking into a corner and I swear Leigh’s pet turtles are silently judging me. I don’t remember much after that.  Somehow,  I woke up on her futon with Blades of Glory playing on the television, a nasty bump on my head, a few cuts on my hands, and a really sore chest area that absolutely refuses to validate my pain with visible bruising.  Did I fall down? Did I challenge Lindsey to a swing dance contest? Did I start a physical altercation with Inga’s mom over David Hasselhoff’s chest hair? I don’t know how I got into this state. I just know that my head hurts. And these count as cookies damn-it!

Lemon Poppy Seed Muffin-Bites

Yield: 36 Muffin-Bites

Lemon Poppy Seed Muffin Bites

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• ¾ cup granulated sugar
• 3 tablespoons poppy seeds
• Zest of two lemons
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon  salt
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• 1 egg
• 1 yolk (reserve the white for a very small omelet)
• ½ cup (1 stick) butter, melted
• ¾ cup  milk
• Juice of two lemons
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.  Generously spray 2 mini-muffin pans with non-stick cooking spray (place pans on a rimmed baking sheet to allow for easier transfer to and from oven).  Set aside.
2. Whisk together flour, sugar, poppy seeds, lemon zest, baking powder, salt, and baking soda in a large bowl. Set aside.
3. In a medium sized bowl, whisk egg, egg yolk, and melted butter together until smooth.  Add in the milk, lemon juice, and vanilla extract. 
4. Pour liquid into flour mixture and stir until just combined (do not over-mix!).  
5. Fill muffin cavities ¾ full.  Bake for 18-22 minutes, or until cake tester inserted into center comes out clean.  Let muffin-bites cool in pans for 5 minutes before either serving or transferring to wire racks to cool completely.

Sunshine Dream Bars

I’ve kinda been in a funk these past few days. I haven’t wanted to do much of anything, least of all bake cookies that are just going to put me further into debt and make my ass grow by leaps and bounds.  While perusing a decrepit copy of Cookies, Cookies, and More Cookies from 1982 that more closely resembles a pile of rotten newspaper than a book, I discovered a bar cookie with a name so magical that it promised to rescue me from my pit of despair:  Sunshine Dream Bars.  I’ll let you know if they’re really as dreamy as they claim; these things take forever to cool and I need to get an early start tomorrow (I think they’ll make a great breakfast)! 

EDIT:  These are Adrian Brody dreamy. Heck, they’re Jim from The Office dreamy!

Sunshine Dream Bars

Yield: 36 Bars

Sunshine Dream Bars

CRUST:

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup sugar
• ¼ cup unsalted butter, chilled
• 2 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest

FILLING:

• 1/3 cup sugar
• 6 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 2 tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
• 2 eggs

TOPPING:

• 1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup chopped nuts

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a nonstick 9 x 13 cake pan with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
2. Combine all ingredients for crust in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.  Beat on medium speed until cream cheese thoroughly incorporates into the mixture and the butter is the size of rice grains, about 3½ minutes.  Press into bottom of prepared pan.  Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until edges are just golden.
3. Using the same bowl, combine all ingredients and beat until smooth.  Pour filling over hot crust.
4. In a small bowl, combine brown sugar, flour, baking powder, salt, vanilla and eggs; beat until smooth. Stir in 3/4 cup of the chopped nuts.  Spoon topping over filling; smooth with a spatula. Sprinkle remaining nuts over topping.  Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until crust is a deep golden brown.  
5. Cool completely; cut into bars.  Store in the fridge.

Lemon Drop Cookies

Lemon Drop Cookies

Lemon Drop Cookies

Yield: 30 cookies

Cookies:

• 1¾ cups cake flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 stick  unsalted butter, softened
• ½ cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• Zest of one lemon, finely grated
• 1 teaspoon lemon extract
• 1 egg
• ¼ cup plain yogurt

Glaze:

• 1 cup confectioners sugar
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• Zest of one lemon, cut into inch long curls

1. Place oven racks in top and bottom thirds of the oven. Preheat oven to 350°F.  Line two baking sheets with parchment or silicone liners.
2. Sift cake flour, baking soda and salt together; set aside.
3. Cream butter with an electric mixer on medium speed until fluffy, about 1 minute.  Add in the sugars, lemon zest, and lemon extract.  Beat until smooth, about 2-3 minutes.  Add egg; beat for 1 minute.
4. Using a rubber spatula, stir in half of the flour mixture.  Stir in the yogurt, and then the remaining flour.
5. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto baking sheets, leaving about 2 inches between each cookie, with 15 cookies on each sheet.  Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until barely golden, being sure to rotate sheets from top to bottom and front to back half-way through baking time.
6. While cookies are baking, whisk together confectioners sugar and lemon zest until smooth.  Cover tightly.
7. Immediately after cookies come out of the oven, spoon glaze over the tops of each cookie and place one or two lemon curls on top.  Carefully remove to wire racks to cool completely.