Lemon Poppy Seed Thumbprint Cookies
These lemon poppy seed thumbprint cookies are soft, crumbly land filled with a sweet curd making these cookies the perfect little spring treat.
Folks, this has been a very crazy week. It has somehow flown by and despite being busy on one project or another, it seems as if I have accomplished nothing at all. Yesterday was just not my day. Everything that could go wrong in one day did. So so frustrating. But that’s why we have cookies, especially these lemon poppy seed thumbprint cookies.
Cookies fix everything and always make you feel 100% happier (rule #132 in life). These lemon poppy seed thumbprint cookies brought smiles to my face (and belly) all week long. They are that good. I could barely take decent pictures of them to share with you as I was focused on taste testing and also well… it’s been one heck of a crazy week in the lab. Sorry about that.
But don’t let the looks fool you. They are soft, crumbly, shortbread texture, lemon cookies rolled in lemon sugar, and are filled with a sweet and tart lemon ‘poppy seed’ curd. I used chia seeds instead of poppy seeds to sneak in some nutrients. After all, they look like poppy seeds! Chia seeds are a great source of fiber, protein, and omega 3s and they make you feel ‘full’ faster. Just what you need to portion control yourself because these cookies will disappear fast in front of you. But feel free to use poppyseeds.
These cookies were one of the three recipes we made in Pass the Cook Book Club this month. Our host, Erin from The Spiffy Cookie, chose the amazing Breakfast for Dinner
If you love lemon poppyseed, these cookies are going to be a favorite. Happy Baking!!
** Affiliates links included…FYI**
Lemon Poppyseed Thumbprint Cookies
Ingredients
For the Cookies:
- 1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons lemon zest
- 1/2 cup confectioner's sugar, sifted
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup corn starch
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon lemon extract
- 1 tablespoon (or more) poppyseed
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
For the filling:
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment.
- In a medium bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the butter, lemon zest, and confectioner's sugar until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes on medium speed.
- Slowly add in the flour and cornstarch until incorporated. Beat for another 2-3 minutes on medium speed until whipped. Beat in the vanilla extract, lemon extract, and salt. Using a spatula, fold in the poppyseed.
- With your hands lightly coated in cornstarch, scoop out 1/2 tablespoon dough and roll into 1-inch balls. Place the dough 2 inches apart on the prepared sheet.
- Bake for 20-22 minutes until the cookies are lightly browned on the bottom. Halfway through baking, remove the cookies from the oven, and using your thumb, press into the middle of the cookies to form an indent. Continue baking for the rest of the time.
- Remove from oven and let cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes.
- Using a piping bag, add some lemon curd into the center of the thumbprint cookies. Top with poppyseed, if desired.
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These looks so tasty and cute! Just in time for all of the spring brunches and picnics. 🙂
Thanks Marissa! And you are absolutely right 🙂
Thanks Marissa! Hope you have a great weekend 🙂
i love a cheese omlet & blueberry pancakes, thanks for the chance to win. i love cookbooks & breakfast so that’s a win win for me!
Cheese omelet i always my go-to dinner for breakfast!!
WOW, your cookies look amazing!! I’m gonna have to make them lol
I LOVE breakfast for dinner & my go-to recipe that my mom made & I learned from her, is jimmy dean sausage crumbled/browned in a pan, then beat eggs in a separate bowl & pour over the cooked sausage until eggs are set..serve with toast..SO good! lol
Thanks for the chance to win the cookbook!
Joey J.
Hi Joey! I hope you get to try these cookies sometime. Your mom’s recipe sounds very delicious and I really want to try it, Thanks for sharing 🙂
Thank you so much!! Can’t wait & glad you wanna try it..It’s so good! lol..it’s basically scrambled eggs with the sausage mixed in as you can see ha..nothing fancy, but delicious! sometimes simple is the best!
Thank you so much for link! Definitely trying this weekend!
OOPS, meant to put the link ha..It’s almost identical to this one! She didn’t use the tomatoes though & only added cheese sometimes, but would add it at the end:)
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/rachael-ray/sausage-scrambles-and-cheese-recipe.html
These cookies look so delicious! Love that you snuck in chia for extra nutrition 😉 although my excuse is that lemon is a fruit!
Thanks Jessiker!
I’m sorry to hear your week’s been going so poorly, Zainab! That would’ve been me last week. You’re gonna get through this, I know it. Baking and eating more of these gorgeous, flavourful cookies will make it better! I love that you used chia seeds. I need to hunt some down so that I can start baking with them too!
Thanks Nancy! I just need it to be over already so we can press the reset button lol. Hope you are having a great week dear 🙂
Dang these cookies look rather fine. I am glad they brought a smile to your belly…
Thanks Bintu!
Cookies do make everything better. I hope the rest of the week improves!! I made the ravioli because I let my non-sweet tooth husband pick the recipe. I plan on making these soon though. Yours turned out great!
Thanks Emily! Mr. J really wanted the ravioli too but I was not feeling the long recipe at the time. But it’s on my weekend plans 🙂
I’ve been having a similarly awful week. Can we get a redo?!
These cookies look fabulous! I have this cookbook but have never made ANYTHING from it. Shame on me!
Lol! Make something!!!!
These cookies look so refreshing! I have not had poppy seed much so I need to change that! We do breakfast for dinner a lot with pancakes and waffles!
Thanks Nancy! Poppyseed is fun and crunchy.
Zainab, cookies are ALWAYS the answer and these lemon delights look beautiful (and hopefully erased the crazy week from your memory :)!
Hehhe you are so right! Thanks Amy 🙂
i love frittatas for breakfast for dinner. or pancakes. always pancakes. 🙂 sorry your week has been rough. mine has dragggggged by.
thanks Sarah. I hope your week gets better too 🙂
Hmm, probably egg sandwiches with cheese and bacon. Not sweet so good for the evening. These cookies look really good, I haven’t tried chia seeds yet but I keep hearing about them
Sarah those sandwiches sound about perfect for right now!!!
I like eggs and hash browns for dinner!
I love bacon and eggs for dinner. I also like sausage and gravy. Both are great anytime!
I definitely need to make these cookies! So glad everyone seems to have enjoyed the recipes I picked!
Breakfast is my favorite meal any time if day!! And I absolutely adore lemon cookies, my husband hates lemon deserts. Lucky me!! I’d love to win!
These sound delicious! I definitely prefer chia seeds over poppy. And I agree that cookies can always make things better 🙂
I love anything involving lemon!! These look great!
These are just the thing to cheer you up on a bad day, aren’t they? I had a bit of a tricky day today, too, and just looking at these makes me feel a bit better. 😉 Love the colour and that hidden goodness =genius!
I love all things lemon, and then you made them healthy too…score! I like having french toast for dinner. I know, not that that creative. That’s why I need this book. 😉 By the way, Life on Food pinterest follow, leads to facebook…so I followed on facebook. I cannot find the pinterest profile to follow. 🙁
Bacon, eggs, waffles, and grits.
I would love the cookbook…PLEASE!
Aaw, sorry you’ve had such a rough week Z and yes cookies are the answer to everything – especially lemon ones like these! I love that you used chia seeds in the curd – such a great idea – pinned! Hope your week gets better*hugs*
My favourite breakfast for dinner meal is a bagel sandwich with scrambled eggs and bacon! Yum!
Your photos of the Lemon Poppy Seed Thumbprints looks great. I really liked her cookies and will be making them again.
I love cookbooks.
I really wish I had a couple of these to eat right now–they look heavenly! I agree with you–cookies do make your day 100% better!
These cookies sound delicious (I have a serious lemon craving lately!) and the chia seeds in place of poppy seeds are a brilliant idea! Nothing wrong with a little hidden nutrition in a cookie! I hope your week gets better, but from the looks of these cookies, it already has. 🙂
Thanks Nora! I’m craving lemons and all things citrus lately. Hope you have a great weekend!
I love that you used chia seeds, I bet you could completely eliminate the egg from the curd, now my wheels are spinning, I can’t wait to try a test batch!
you are so right Emily! I’m gling to try that as well. Chia is a good substitute for eggs in baking. I’m not sure why I didn’t think of eliminating it in the curd.
I’m so sorry you’ve been having such a rough week! And I’m such a bad friend, I didn’t even know it. But I do know just how you feel- that was me two weeks ago. And last week too, kinda. You’ll get through it! And these cookies will help, I’m sure. Lemon always lifts my spirits! And I love the addition of chia here; so smart! Hang in there, girl, it’s almost the weekend 😉
Hi Allie! You made the week better by talking to me and bringing my motivation back. Of course cookies always help lol! Hope you have a great weekend dear!
Beautiful thumbprints! Love that lemon curd inside! 🙂 ela
Thanks Ela!
You sneaky, sneaky little baker you! Hiding chia seeds in a cookie recipe. They look so darned delicious…I might have to request a sample to be sent my way. 🙂
Heheh I try! Thanks David!
These look fabulous, Zainab! I was going to say they look like little shortbread cookies. Mmmm that fresh lemon curd makes me giddy for Spring baking 😀
My favorite breakfast for dinner treat are pancakes for sure!! I could pretty much just live on pancakes haha.
Have a lovely weekend.
Toodles,
Tammy<3
They really taste like shortbread cookies Tammy! Hope you are having a great weekend!
These little lemon thumbprints sound fabulous! I could totally down a dozen!
Thanks Georgia!
Either Belgian waffles or eggs & bacon. 🙂
Eggs and bacon always win! But that will be turkey bacon for me though lol! Thanks for stopping by Carrie. Hope you have a great weekend!
I love lemon Zainab; therefore I love your cookies… they are so cute looking and I bet just as tasty!
Thanks Deb! I know you love lemon as much as I do…you will love these! Hope you have a great weekend!
I would love this cookbook. Breakfast food is my favorite.
Homemade English Muffins, ham, eggs and a slice of cheddar cheese! YUM!!!
French toast, eggs, and sausage links make a great breakfast for dinner.
These cookies look very delicious and cute.. they have little curd suns in the middle 😀
Mmm. Breakfast for dinner. We do it all the time. Probably hashbrowns, sausage and fresh fruit. There are so many good choices. I’m really hooked on banana chocolate chip pancakes too.
These cookies look delish. Love that you added chia seeds.
Have a beautiful Saturday!
Banana chocolate chip pancakes sounds amazing! Have a great weekend 🙂
OMG! Love, love, love that you used chia seeds! Also, I’ve been in a phase where everything has been going wrong. hopefully both of us will snap out of it 🙂
Your cookies look amazing. I sure could go for one right now. I ate all mine.
I loved these cookies and they disappeared too quickly. I like that you used chia seeds instead of poppy seeds, great job.
Yummy!! I am such a huge lemon fan!! These cookies are absolutely calling my name!! 🙂
Thanks Renee! Me too 🙂
I’m really sorry Zainab. I hope your weekend has been going well! Let me know if I can help you in any way. 🙂 These cookies look incredible!! The lemon and poppyseed is one of my favorite combos and then your put it in thumbprint cookie form? Oh.my.goodness. Love that you made your own lemon curd too!
Cookies are always a must to make a hard day or week better! I will keep these in mind! Loving this recipe!
I will sometimes make French toast for dinner for the family. Good and easy.
These cookies look so thick, chewy, and full of lemon flavor! I’d be crazy about these, and I love that you can eat them for breakfast, although I’d have trouble stopping at a serving size I think? YUM.
Your cookies look very tempting! I love the concept of breakfast for dinner…sometimes I make eggs for the kids for dinner, but it’s only once in a blue moon. It might be fun to try this!
I love bacon and eggs for dinner with homemade hashbrowns. These look divine. Something about lemon and poppyseed make my mouth water!! Thanks for the fun post. Found you at SITS!
These cookies look so delicious! I’m pinning them to my lemon board 🙂
We love breakfast for dinner – at our house, it’s usually pancakes and sausage.
Happy Wednesday!
ang
My husbands not a big sweets fan so I don’t get fun breakfasts for dinner, but occasionally, when we’re feeling extra lazy, we make bacon and egg sandwiches. Just mayo, salt, pepper, bacon, and over medium eggs, I love them!
These look gorgeous! Exactly what I was looking for! Pinned!