Christmas

Vegan Meyer Lemon Poppyseed Shortbread

by:
December  8, 2019
5
1 Ratings
Photo by jonajim
  • Prep time 1 hour 15 minutes
  • Cook time 20 minutes
  • Makes about 36 two-inch cookies
Author Notes

It’s citrus season and my family’s various small trees are filled with lots of ripe fruit. I’m also challenging myself to create some of my favorite cookies vegan & celiac friendly and why not start with my favorite —shortbread. These cookies are small, crispy & light, yet they pack a big punch of fresh lemony flavor from plenty of meyer lemon zest and smothered in a tart glaze jeweled with poppyseeds. —jonajim

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • shortbread
  • 1 2/3 cups gluten-free flour blend (267g)
  • 1/3 cup almond flour (40g)
  • 1/3 cup cornstarch (45g)
  • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1 cup vegan butter, softened (225g)
  • 1/2 cup cane sugar (100g)
  • 2 meyer lemons (or lemon + orange)
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract (2.5mL)
  • 1/2 teaspoon pure lemon extract, optional (2.5mL)
  • glaze
  • 3/4 cup powdered sugar (75g)
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons meyer lemon juice (22mL)
  • 1 tablespoon poppyseeds
  • 1 tablespoon vegan butter, melted (14g)
Directions
  1. Add flour, cornstarch, almond flour and salt to a medium bowl, and whisk to combine. Set aside.
  2. Combine butter and granulated sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Zest 1 1/2 lemons into the bowl, reserving the remaining 1/2 of un-zested lemon for the glaze. Cream the butter, sugar and zest on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Add vanilla and lemon extracts and beat on medium speed until well combined, scraping the bowl as needed.
  3. Add the flour mixture to the creamed butter and beat on low speed until combined. Scrape the bowl and fold a few times to make sure everything is well combined. Wrap dough in plastic wrap, flatten into a disk, and chill until firm, at least 1 hour, and up to 3 days.
  4. Place oven racks in lower-middle & upper-middle of oven, then preheat to 350 degrees. On a flour-dusted parchment paper (especially helpful for dough in warmer environments), roll shortbread 1/4” thin. Don’t worry about using a lot of flour, you can dust off excess later after they’re chilled. Cut out cookies with a 2” round cutter and knead together the scraps to make a few more. Chill the cookies on a baking sheet in the freezer until very firm, at least 10 minutes. Dust off the excess flour if needed.
  5. Bake until cookies just start to turn light-golden on the edges and golden underneath (about 18 to 22 min.) switching the baking sheets from front to back and top to bottom halfway through baking time. Make the glaze while the cookies bake, zesting 1/2 of reserved lemon into a small bowl and combining remaining ingredients with a whisk until smooth.
  6. Let the cookies cool for a few minutes on the baking sheets, and transfer to a wire rack set over a parchment or silicone mat on a baking sheet. Pick up a cookie and using the back of a small spoon, spread a generous teaspoon of glaze on a cookie, letting any excess drip onto the next cookie. Repeat until all the cookies are glazed. Cool completely and let the glaze set. Cookies will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week. Enjoy!

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