When I was a child, I thought as a child. Cookies were always chocolate chip and always dipped into ice cold milk. As an adult, I still think like a child. But, I have managed to expand my cookie repertoire to include the ever adult biscotti. A cookie for those who don’t need the comfort of the soft, chewy and chocolaty. A cookie for those who can understand the comfort of sturdy and stable without being overly sweet.
While I usually reserve biscotti to the colder months, I felt compelled to create a summery version of a favorite treat. I’m glad I did. Lemon really adds a spark and the addition of poppy seeds do not go unnoticed. I thought the crunch of the biscotti would make the poppy seeds invalid. Not the case. I love this twist on a flavor combination that’s usually reserved for muffins.
Lemon Poppy Seed Biscotti
adapted from here via Smitten Kitchen
Ingredients:
- 3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 T baking powder
- 1/3 t salt
- 1 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 1/4 sticks unsalted butter, melted
- 3 eggs, room temperature
- 1 T vanilla extract
- 2 T lemon juice (usually it’s the juice of one small lemon)
- zest of 1 small lemon
- 1/4 cup poppy seeds
Directions:
- Pre-heat oven to 350 F.
- Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
- Mix sugar, melted butter, eggs, vanilla extract, lemon juice, and lemon zest in a large bowl.
- Mix flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl and set aside.
- By hand, not using an electric mixer, incorporate the flour mixture in three batches into the sugar/butter mixture.
- Incorporate until everything is blended and smooth.
- Add poppy seeds to cookie dough and mix to incorporate.
- Divide dough in half and shape into two logs onto the parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Make each dough into a 13-inch-long and 2-inch-high log.
- Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes.
- Remove from oven, but do not turn off oven. Or, if you have to turn off the oven, note that you must have the oven back at 350 F when you re-bake the cookies.
- Cool completely.
- Once cool, transport the cookies (holding onto the parchment) to a cutting board.
- Cut each log into 1/2 wide slices.
- Lay each slice back on the cookie sheet with cut sides facing down.
- Bake for 12 minutes.
- Turn the cookies over and bake for another 8 minutes.
- Remove from oven and cool on a cooling rack.