Lemon Poppyseed Cookies

Fabulously vegan lemon poppyseed shortbread cookies speckled with tons of lemon zest and poppyseeds + a secret festive ingredients to make them exquisite (hint: it's rosemary and it's amazing).

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword lemon poppydees cookies, vegan shortbread cookies

Prep Time 20

chill 20

Total Time 40

Servings cookies

Calories 106kcal

Author Florentina

Ingredients

1.75 cups all purpose flour (or whole wheat pastry flour)
1/2 cup powdered sugar
2 Tbsp poppyseeds
4 large lemons - zested
1 sprig rosemary (leaves only - OPTIONAL)
12 Tbsp vegan butter (chilled, salted + cultured if available)

Instructions

To the bowl of a food processor add the flour, sugar, zest from 4 lemons and poppyseeds (+ rosemary if using). Press the pulse button 3 or 4 times until combined.
1.75 cups all purpose flour, 1/2 cup powdered sugar, 4 large lemons - zested, 2 Tbsp poppyseeds
Cut the chilled butter into small cubes and add it to the bowl with the rest of the ingredients. Use the pulse button a few times until a dough forms.
12 Tbsp vegan butter, 1 sprig rosemary
Prepare a 16 inch piece of parchment paper. Transfer the cookie dough on top and using your hands press it into a flat surface. Cover with another piece of parchment paper and using a rolling pin roll the dough to a 1/4 inch thickness. Pop the dough in the fridge or freezer for 10 minutes to set and firm up again.
Remove the top sheet of parchment paper and using your favorite cookie cutter stamp out your cookies and place them on a parchment lined baking sheet an inch apart from each other. Collect any dough scraps and roll them out again making more cookies. You might need to use 2 trays or bake in batches depending on the size of your baking sheet. (Depending on the size of your cookie cutter you can get tons of little cookies or fewer larger cookies).
Pop the tray with the cookies in the fridge or freezer for about 10 to 15 minutes for the butter in the dough to firm up and set beautifully in the precut shapes. (This will also prevent spreading of the dough during baking).
Meanwhile preheat your oven to 350”F.
Remove the cookies from the fridge and pop them in the oven. Bake until the cookies are golden around the edges between 12 to 15 minutes depending on how thin you rolled out the dough to begin with, so keep a close eye on them. You want them golden around the edges and the bottoms are toasty.
Transfer the tray to a cooling rack and allow to cool off completely.
Store at room temperature in an airtight sealed jar or container to keep fresh for days.

Video

Notes

Baking Time - This will depend on how thin you rolled the dough. The cookies should be lightly golden around the edges when done, mine were rolled out to 1/4 inch thickness and ready in 12 minutes @350"F. It's best to keep an eye on them from the 10 minute mark but don't take them out too soon, you want them golden and toasty.
How many cookies does this recipe make? - Deepening on the size of your cookie cutter you can get tons of little cookies or fewer larger cookies.
Stamping the cookies - For easiest release make sure to dip your cookie cutter in some flour before stamping out each cookie. The more complex the shape you are working with the more careful you need to be not to break off skinny tiny pieces of dough like in the antlers of a reindeer for example.
To glaze or not to glaze? - You sure can whip up a nice smooth lemon glaze by whisking together 1 cup confectioner's sugar + 3 Tbsp lemon juice. Personally I prefer these as is or sandwiched together with a a generous smear of vegan Nutella! Dreamy!
Storage - After completely cooled, store your cookies at room temperature in an airtight sealed jar or container to keep fresh for days. Alternatively you can freeze them in freezer proof glass containers for up to 4 months.

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