Lemon and poppy seed are a duo made for each other. The two flavors go so well together, no matter what you’re putting them in. Like this Lemon Poppy Seed Snacking Cake for instance, or these Lemon Poppy Seed Coffee Cake from a while back. It’s tart and sweet and poppy seedy. I really don’t know how to describe the taste of poppy seeds, sorry. This time around, I’m bringing you these Lemon Poppy Seed Thumbprint Cookies. They’re the perfect holiday cookie recipe to try, especially because I feel like thumbprints are such a classic holiday cookie. You can’t go wrong with them, and these are definitely no exception. Give them a try because I know you’ll love them!
In a large bowl, cream together the butter and powdered sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in the egg, oil, lemon zest and vanilla and stir until smooth.
**Note: To ensure a perfectly tender cookie, make sure you A). use room temperature butter and B). beat the butter and sugar fully for the three minutes until actually light and fluffy.**
In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, poppy seeds and salt. Gradually beat into the butter mixture until well combined.
Shape the dough into 1-inch balls and place onto the prepared baking sheets, about 1-inch apart. Press a deep indentation in the center of each with the end of a wooden spoon handle. Fill with the lemon curd.
**Tip: The key to making these cookies super easy and fast is store-bought lemon curd. But if you have some homemade or actually enjoy making it yourself, by all means use that! These would also be great with raspberry preserves instead!**
Bake until lightly golden brown, about 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes in the pan before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Store leftovers in an airtight container, at room temperature, for up to 3 days. Or you can freeze cookies, layered between waxed paper, in freezer containers for up to 3 months. Thaw before eating.
I like to dust the cookies with a bit of powdered sugar right before serving. Its definitely not necessary but a nice touch especially because these sort of remind me of lemon bars and I love powdered sugar on my lemon bars.
If you a fan of lemon poppy seed, then you’ll definitely fall in love with these cookies. They’re super fast and easy to make, thanks to store-bought lemon curd. Take advantage of it when you can is what I always say. Let me know what you think below, and as always, thank you so much for reading and following along. Also, Happy Holidays my friends. Thank you for following this year’s holiday content. I hope you enjoyed it all. Have a safe and wonderful holiday with your family and friends!
Lemon Poppy Seed Thumbprint Cookies
Equipment
- Mixing Bowls
- Electric Mixer
- Baking Sheets
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter softened
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 1/2 cup canola oil
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon zest
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons poppy seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup lemon curd
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a large bowl, cream together the butter and powdered sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in the egg, oil, lemon zest and vanilla and stir until smooth
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, poppy seeds and salt. Gradually beat into the butter mixture until well combined.
- Shape the dough into 1-inch balls and place onto the prepared baking sheets, about 1-inch apart. Press a deep indentation in the center of each with the end of a wooden spoon handle. Fill with the lemon curd.
- Bake until lightly golden brown, about 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes in the pan before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Store leftovers in an airtight container, at room temperature, for up to 3 days. Or you can freeze cookies, layered between waxed paper, in freezer containers. Thaw before eating. Enjoy!
Can I use sunflower oil instead of canola oil?
You definitely can!