Description
These Lemon Poppy Seed Cheesecake Cookies combine soft, zesty lemon cookies packed with poppy seeds and are topped with a fluffy cheesecake frosting. Perfectly balanced between tangy and sweet, they make a delightful treat for spring or summer occasions.
Ingredients
Scale
- 200 g granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 110 g butter
- 1 large egg (59–60 g with shell)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 210 g all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 tablespoon poppy seeds
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 200 g cream cheese, cold
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (for frosting)
- 75 g powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon agave or honey
- 120 g heavy cream
- Poppy seeds for sprinkling (optional)
- Lemon slices for decoration (optional)
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a microwave or saucepan over low-medium heat, ensuring it doesn’t bubble. Pour into a bowl and let it cool in the fridge for 20 minutes.
- In a separate bowl, mix the granulated sugar and lemon zest by rubbing them together until the mixture resembles wet sand.
- Once the butter is cooled, add the lemon sugar to it and whisk together with a spatula or stand mixer.
- Add the egg and vanilla extract and mix until combined.
- In another bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, poppy seeds, and salt. Gradually mix the dry ingredients into the wet mixture until fully incorporated.
- Use a 2 tbsp cookie scoop to form 11 dough balls. Place them on a tray lined with parchment paper and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 180ºC / 355ºF. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Place 6 cookies on the prepared baking sheet and return the rest to the fridge. Bake for 10–11 minutes.
- Let cookies cool on the tray for 3 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
- To make the cheesecake frosting, whip cream cheese, vanilla extract, powdered sugar, agave or honey, and heavy cream in a bowl with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form.
- Transfer the frosting to a piping bag fitted with a round tip and pipe onto the cooled cookies in a swirl pattern.
- Sprinkle with poppy seeds and decorate with lemon slices if desired. Serve and enjoy.
Notes
- Ensure the butter is fully cooled to prevent melting the sugar during mixing.
- Use a kitchen scale for accurate measurements for best baking results.
- Cookies should be fully cooled before frosting to avoid melting the cream cheese topping.
- Refrigerate frosting if preparing ahead to maintain its structure.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 11 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie with frosting
- Calories: 290
- Sugar: 18g
- Sodium: 180mg
- Fat: 18g
- Saturated Fat: 11g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 29g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 3g
- Cholesterol: 50mg
