These Lavender and Lemon-Poppy Seed Cookies are the perfect spring dessert that you can enjoy with a zesty lemon icing.
Sometimes recipes are perfect on the first attempt, other times recipes take a few tries to get just right.
These Lemon Lavender Poppy Seed Cookies took exactly 3 attempts to perfect. 
The first time I made them they were way too salty, too dark, & spread to0 much.
What had gone wrong?
Even though I was using my go-to cookie recipe that I developed years ago and that I’ve tweaked in the past to create new cookie recipes like these Iced Raisin Bran Cookies for some reason something reacted in this recipe to cause the salt to intensify greatly.
And lemon was the culprit. So I cut back on the salt.
The darkness was because of the dark brown sugar that I normally use in cookies. So I swapped it for more white sugar.
And finally, the spreading.
Well, that was my fault.
I completely forget to adjust the flour to make up for the addition of lemon juice.
So I made the needed adjustments and tried them again.
And while they tasted absolutely delicious they were also very big.
I decided that these lemon cookies would be prettier for spring wedding showers and summer baby showers if I used a small cookie scoop to shape them rather than the big one that I normally use when baking thick cookies like these Sea Salt Caramel Double Dark Chocolate Cookies.
And by the third batch, they were picture perfect in addition to being perfectly tasty.
Then I ran into another problem, how to top them.
They are perfectly sweet as they are, but they look gorgeous with the icing.
So I decided to photograph them both ways & share the icing recipe so that you can decide for yourself which way you want to make them and serve them.
And in case you want a second opinion on these cookies, I shared these exact cookies with my husband’s family and my 2-year-old niece loudly exclaimed to a crowded room “These cookies are so good!” while munching on her 2nd iced lemon cookie.
She completely made my day!
Click HERE for the icing recipe.
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Lavender and Lemon-Poppy Seed Cookies
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: Makes 24 1x
- Diet: Omnivore
Description
Fragrant lavender and bright lemon zest combine in these delightful poppy seed cookies. A simple yet elegant treat, perfect with afternoon tea.
Ingredients
- 2 3/4 cups (660 ml) All-Purpose Flour
- 3 tsp Cornstarch
- 1 tsp Baking Soda
- 1 tsp Baking Powder
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 1 tbsp Poppy Seeds
- 1 tbsp Dried Lavender
- 1 1/2 cups (355 ml) White Sugar
- 1 tbsp Lemon Zest
- 1 cup (237 ml) Salted Butter
- 2 Eggs
- 1 Egg Yolk
- 1 1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 2 tbsp Lemon Juice
- Dried Lavender
- Poppy Seeds
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C) and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Sift together 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, 3 teaspoons cornstarch, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon baking powder, and 1/2 teaspoon salt into a bowl. Stir in 1 tablespoon poppy seeds and 1 tablespoon lavender.
- In a small bowl, combine 1 1/2 cups white sugar and 1 tablespoon lemon zest; rub together with your fingers for 30 seconds.
- In a large bowl, use a hand mixer to blend butter, slowly adding the lemon zested sugar to make a thick cream.
- Add one egg at a time, blending until combined between each addition.
- Blend in 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract and 2 tablespoons lemon juice.
- Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined; do not overmix.
- Use a cookie scoop to measure cookie dough and bake for 8-10 minutes.
- Bake until cookies are golden brown.
- Whisk together 1 cup powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, and 1 tablespoon whole milk in a small bowl. Set aside.
- Let cookies cool, then add icing, lavender, and poppy seeds to each cookie.
- Once the icing has hardened, enjoy!
Notes
- For a stronger lavender flavor, use culinary lavender buds and lightly crush them before adding.
- To prevent over-baking, start checking for doneness at 8 minutes and bake until the edges are lightly golden.
- Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or freeze for longer storage.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 150
- Sugar: 15
- Sodium: 50
- Fat: 8
- Saturated Fat: 5
- Unsaturated Fat: 2
- Carbohydrates: 20
- Fiber: 1
- Protein: 2
- Cholesterol: 20
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did my cookies turn out too salty when I used lemon juice?
The acidity from the lemon juice can intensify the saltiness, so it’s important to reduce the salt in your recipe when adding lemon.
What can I do to prevent my Lavender and Lemon-Poppy Seed Cookies from spreading too much?
Make sure to adjust the flour to compensate for the moisture from the lemon juice, and use a small cookie scoop for a better shape.
Can I use dark brown sugar instead of white sugar in this cookie recipe?
It’s best to stick with white sugar since dark brown sugar can cause the cookies to become too dark and alter the flavor balance.
