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Citrus

Poppy Seed Cookies by Ben Mims

by:
January 24, 2025
4 4 out of 5 stars /
7 Ratings4 total ratings /
Photo by Amanda Hesser
  • Prep time 45 minutes
  • Cook time 20 minutes
  • makes About 12 cookies
Author Notes

"Poppy seeds grow well in Baltic countries, so they are everywhere, from breads, pastries, and pancakes to cookies, where their slightly bitter, floral flavor contrasts sweetness perfectly. This cookie is popular in all Baltic countries, but many recipes reference Lithuania as being particularly enthralled. Some recipes cut all-purpose (plain) flour with oats or rye, while others have dairy or eggs. Citrus juice, a classic pairing with poppy seeds, is often used, but orange and lemon juice are used interchangeably." —Ben Mims

Food52

Test Kitchen Notes

Recipe from “Crumbs: Cookies and Sweets from Around the World” © 2024 by Ben Mims

—The Editors

What You'll Need
Watch This Recipe
Poppy Seed Cookies by Ben Mims
Ingredients
  • 1 stick (4 oz/115 g) unsalted butter
  • 1/4 cup (40 g) poppy seeds
  • 1 cup (140 g) all-purpose (plain) flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda (bicarbonate of soda)
  • 3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 3/4 cup (150 g) white US granulated (UK caster) sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Directions
  1. In a small saucepan, combine the butter and poppy seeds and heat over medium heat until the butter fully melts. Scrape the melted butter and poppy seeds into a large bowl and let stand until cooled and resolidified.
  2. Position racks in the top and bottom thirds of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C/Gas Mark 4). Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
  3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda (bicarb), and salt.
  4. Add the sugar to the bowl of butter and poppy seeds and beat on medium speed with a hand mixer until light and fluffy, 2-3 minutes. Add the egg and beat until smooth. Beat in the lemon juice and vanilla. Add the dry ingredients and stir until a dough forms and there are no dry patches of flour remaining.
  5. Using a 3⁄4-ounce (1 1/2-tablespoon) Ice cream scoop, drop mounds of dough on the prepared baking sheets, spaced 3 inches (7.5 cm) apart; they will spread.
  6. Bake until light golden brown at the edges and dry to the touch on top, 14-16 minutes, switching racks and rotating the baking sheets front to back halfway through.
  7. Transfer the baking sheets to wire racks. Let the cookies cool on the pans for 1 minute, then transfer them to the racks to cool completely.

See what other Food52ers are saying.

  • Whipple
    Whipple
  • Susan
    Susan
  • sharonspens
    sharonspens
  • Charlene V
    Charlene V

12 Reviews

sharonspens February 15, 2025
Following some other comments, I decided to make a double batch, and included fresh lemon zest. They baked up slightly unevenly; I will bake them one pan at a time in the future. I anticipate the lemon flavor coming in deeper tomorrow, but even an hour out of the oven they are delicious. And crunchy. If you aren't aware that poppy seed has a flavor profile, you will know it once you try these!
 
Charlene V. February 8, 2025
Hard to rate the recipe from the flawed video. Even though Amanda edited it to indicate that she skipped the step of solidifying the butter, I have to believe that she must have made other changes--probably more acceptable to do when "cooking" vs. "baking," where precision is more important. She added the same amount of kosher salt, but I have learned that you should use twice the amount if you are using Diamond and 1-1/2 times the amount if you are using Morton. I also kept thinking that a thread from one of her raggedy sleeves was going to drop into the batter! Finally (and I know this is just me being a non-New Yorker), I am so tired of NY-based cooking articles and videos always mentioning their small kitchens. The rest of us just don't care! If it doesn't affect the recipe, no need to mention it.

Also, a good recipe should explain why you melt the butter and then re-solidify it. If you're browning it, I understand, but otherwise, why? I have made plenty of poppy seed cookies where the seeds are added to the creamed room temperature butter and sugar without any issue.
 
Whipple February 3, 2025
Delightful cookie. Doubled recipe, let rest two days in fridge, and scooped using a #40 disher (.75oz). I did change the lemon to orange and added orange zest as well. Adore orange and poppy seed.
 
Mary G. February 2, 2025
Full disclosure, I’m making this cookie soon. My 6’3” lean as bean, Lithuanian husband is a true Cookie Monster. Every Sunday, I bake another batch, and lately I’ve been in a rut. This looks amazing and sounds exactly how he loves them; thin and crispy with a hint of citrus. We always kid each other when we make something, that we think the other will truly enjoy, we say, “well, if you didn’t love me before, you will after eating this”. I think this is one of those recipes for us! I have a gluten sensitivity, so I’m going to bake them using KAB GF 1:1. Typically, the way I throttle back the calories per cookie, is to make the cookies a bit smaller, but, the sugar and butter are crucial for a crispy, thin cookie. I also like the butter process, where you don’t have to remember to take it to soften, and while it’s firming up again you can do something else and circle back. I need to get poppy seeds, but I’ll report back on the GF flour swap, as I know others will be interested too. Thanks for the cookie recipe boost from the frozen hills of VT!
 
Mary G. February 6, 2025
I baked these today 2/6/25. They are very tasty. The KAB 1:1 worked fine and my yield was 18 cookies. They are crunchy, but not particularly thin. I think when make them again, and I will, I’ll use an AP GF flour. That flour is doesn’t have xanthan gum. I think this is what caused them to be a bit puffy. If at first you aretcompletely happy, try, try, again. Hubby loved them.
 
Peterfood February 1, 2025
Why does the recipe need so much sugar: one cup flour and 3/4 cup sugar? That means 12 tbl sugar for 16 cookies. Can the sugar be reduced without ruining the recipe? I would try no more than 1/2 cup, even less. Why not test recipes with different levels of reduced sugars? Shouldn’t Food 52 recipes be more health conscious? Think of the contribution you can make to a country that suffers from obesity,
 
Susan February 1, 2025
There’s also gluten in the recipe. And butter! And salt! FYI sugar does more in recipes besides provide sweetness—it’s a flavor enhancer and contributes to the texture.

I would not expect a recipe to be tested for everyone’s personal tolerance and/or health concerns. There must be hundreds of thousands of cookie recipes out there. Surely you can find one that meets your criteria, unless of course, you’re only here to criticize the recipe.
 
Susan February 1, 2025
I usually prefer a soft cookie but this thin, crisp cookie has won me over. I got a yield of 16 cookies, btw, using a cookie scoop. My only mod was to add some lemon zest. I found the lemon flavor to be a bit more pronounced the day after baking. This is the perfect cookie to serve along side a cup of tea. Will definitely keep this one in rotation.
 
Brunie January 29, 2025
A $40 baking book about global baking and all you’ve got to share is a ubiquitous lemon cookie. Give your audience something more interesting and maybe they’ll spend the $40.
 
Cheryl January 29, 2025
Harsh.
 
Whipple February 3, 2025
If you are appalled at the $40 price tag, check the book out at the library. I did and determined -- while it is a fantastic, well-researched book -- i would not get my money out of it.
 
Charlene V. February 8, 2025
I do this all the time! It's my "try before you buy" approach to cookbooks. I'm always so pleased at the wide range of cookbooks my library carries. They also have a little used book store (where I volunteer) and I get some great prices there, usually on older books, but still a good deal!
 

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