Lemon Poppy Seed Slice and Bake Cookies

Lemon Poppy Seed Slice and Bake Cookies are buttery and bright with all the fresh flavor of lemon and poppy seeds! These easy, slice and bake cookies are a great make ahead cookie and the perfect pairing with a cup of tea.

I don't make slice 'n bake cookies enough, but I really should.

First of all, they are just so dang versatile. You can really flavor a basic slice and bake cookie with nearly anything; espresso powder, mini chocolate chips, chopped walnuts, almonds, shredded coconut maybe.

Secondly, slice and bake cookies are so low-key lazy to make. You make the dough, roll it up, cut them up evenly and bake them off. Not having to spend time rolling or scooping little balls of dough is the best kind of baking!

The best slice and bake cookies

This is a very simple and easy recipe. I love the flavor of lemon poppy seed and I thought a cookie would be something new and interesting instead of your usual muffin or quick bread. A buttery cookie matches beautifully with the pop of fresh lemon zest. The poppy seeds look beautiful and add a touch of nutty, complimentary flavor.

There are a few things to keep in mind when making slice and bake cookies.

The ingredient list is small for these cookies. To achieve that classic 'sliced' look, we skip out on baking powder and/or baking soda. These cookies should remain flat and more dense. They shouldn't rise or spread at all.

Since they don't spread, these cookies maintain their shape very well. That can actually make it hard to get them to bake off perfectly round, but I'll show you how I do it!

How to achieve round slice and bake cookies

This is my only small trouble with slice and bake cookies. There's always ONE side that's a little more flat when you cut them. You want to be sure that your cookies are as round as possible before sending them off into the oven because they will not spread. This might take a bit of extra attention as I always find that the cookies can lose shape a bit through each stage of prep.

Once you've got your dough wrapped in the plastic wrap, I like to give it a gentle roll to smooth out any bumps. However, after the log sets in the fridge for a while, you may find that the bottom flattened out again as the dough settled.

Before unwrapping your dough, give it another roll on the counter top.

As you get to slicing the log, you may find that your cookies are uneven again. Try this trick! Hold a cookie by cradling it on your thumb. Form an 'OK' symbol, but instead of using your pointer finger, use your middle finger. Try to connect the tips of your middle finger to your thumb with the cookie in the center (it's not a problem if they don't touch). This will gently shape it into a more circular form.

After shaping them with my "OK" trick...I mean, the one on the left isn't the worst looking, but the one on the right is a lot more symmetrical! It takes a little time to shape each individual cookie but you'll be happy you did.

These cookies are ready to come out of the oven once they are barely golden brown on the edges. You want these to stay soft and tender.

I hope you enjoy this recipe for Lemon Poppy Seed Slice and Bake Cookies!!

Looking for more slice and bake cookie recipes? Try my Margarita Cookies! 

Lemon Poppy Seed Slice n' Bake Cookies

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Lemon Poppy Seed Slice and Bake Cookies are buttery and bright with all the fresh flavor of lemon and poppy seeds! These easy, slice and bake cookies are a great make ahead cookie and the perfect pairing with a cup of tea.

• Total Time: 22 minutes
• Yield: 25 cookies

Ingredients

Units USM

• ¾ c unsalted butter (softened at room temp)
• ¾ c granulated sugar
• zest of 2 lemons
• the juice of ½ lemon (or about 1 Tablespoon)
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 c all purpose flour
• 1 Tbsp poppy seeds

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Instructions

1. In a large bowl (using either a stand mixer or hand mixer) cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
2. Mix in the zest. Then beat in the egg until thoroughly combined; scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl.
3. Add in the vanilla and lemon juice. Mix until combined.
4. Add the flour and seeds; mix until just combined. Once the dough starts to come together and as soon as the flour is absorbed, stop mixing.
5. Lay down a piece of plastic wrap on your surface.
6. Remove dough from the bowl and form into a log (about 1 ¾ inches in diameter). You might find it easier to work with two logs rather than one long one, that's OK. Place the log(s) onto the plastic wrap and roll.
7. Once the dough is coated, wrap up in the plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours. (You can also store the dough in the freezer at this point if you want to make the dough a few days or weeks in advance!)
8. Once 2 hours have passed, preheat the oven to 325 degrees and prepare a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
9. Roll the dough log gently, while it's still in the plastic, in to create more of a rounded shape. Unwrap the dough and using a sharp knife, cut the dough into ¼ inch slices.
10. As you get to slicing the log, you may find that your cookies are uneven again. Try this trick! Hold a cookie by cradling it on your thumb. Form an 'OK' symbol, but instead of using your pointer finger, use your middle finger. Try to connect the tips of your middle finger to your thumb with the cookie in the center (it's not a problem if they don't touch). This will gently shape it into a more circular form.
11. Bake for about 10-13 minutes or until the cookies are set and barely golden brown. Allow the cookies to rest on the sheet before moving to a cooling rack to fully cool.

Notes

Recipe by Owlbbaking.com

• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 12 minutes
• Category: Cookies
• Cuisine: American