I’m not a big fan of sweets made with our lemon, tahiti. Which is actually a sour lime. I prefer it to be used in savory dishes. However, I fall to my knees in dishes with real lemon, the Sicilian (Citrus limon).
It is more aromatic and less acidic, I would even say smooth. Of course, compared to its Tahiti cousin.
Unfortunately, its price is not the most friendly, at least where I live. The normal price is R$6/kg for more, there is something like chile that costs R$15/kg! Yes, you did not read it wrong.
Luckily I found promotion At R$4.50/kg, it’s not a super bargain, but it’s buyable. I hardly bring any, most of them already had climbed on the roof of Sicilian lemons… that is, spoiled ones. A feather!
So, nothing better than taking the ingredient to another level and for that, butter and sugar do an exceptional job. Along with the poppy seeds that add more grace to the look, right? 🙂
Lemon and Poppy Seed Cookies
Makes: 25 – 30 cookies
- 280 g wheat flour
- 250 g crystal Sugar
- 226 g butter without salt (room temperature, 25-30ºC)
- 2 Sicilian lemons (just the zest)
- 60 mL lemon juice (about 1½ lemons)
- 1 ovo
- 1 soup spoon poppy seed
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon chemical baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon refined salt
1 cup: 250mL | 1 tablespoon: 15mL.
- Heat the oven to 180ºC and line baking trays with baking paper.
- In a pan over low heat, add the lemon juice and let it reduce by half. Add the lemon zest and half the butter (113g), let it melt. Be careful not to burn, set aside to cool.
- Mix the wheat flour, chemical yeast and salt. Reserve.
- Beat (mixer or by hand) the butter with the sugar until creamy, add the egg and melted lemon butter. Always beating to homogenize well until it turns slightly pale.
- Add the wheat flour mixture little by little and the poppy seeds. The dough will be soft, but moldable.
- Using a dessert spoon, portion the dough into small balls and place them on the prepared baking sheets and flatten them with your fingertips, leaving a space of 3cm, as the dough spreads. If you like, you can roll the balls in sugar before placing them on the baking tray.
- Bake for 10-15 minutes or until the edges are lightly golden, rotating the pan halfway through baking. Let cool for 5-10 minutes on the baking sheet, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in a well-closed container that can last up to a week (but I bet it runs out sooner!).
