Pucker Up For a Sweet Spring!

Happy Wednesday everyone! I didn't think I'd make it through the day, but here we are, post-work, post-workout, and happy as a clam. So what better time than the present to discuss the upcoming celebration of spring! Spring brings flowers, happiness, rain (read: not snow!), asparagus, and lemony desserts. Do you associate lemons with spring? Well I do...so let's celebrate the equinox with a few transformations of the classic lemon poppy seed flavor. Yes I do realize we've been there, done that as far as the lemony pops are concerned, but I just looooove the flavors and you will too with these unique recipes. Enjoy!

Lemon Poppy Seed Sandwich Cookies
Bon Appetit March 1997

Ingredients
Cookies

• 2 3/4 cups all purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• 1 large egg
• 2 tablespoons poppy seeds
• 2 teaspoons grated lemon peel
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon extract

Filling

• 8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
• 1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon extract
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions
Cookies

1. Mix flour, salt and baking powder in medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat butter in large bowl until light. Gradually beat in sugar. Beat in egg, then poppy seeds, lemon peel and extracts. Mix in dry ingredients in 3 additions. Gather dough into ball. Divide dough in half; flatten each half into disk. Wrap in plastic; chill 2 hours.
2. Preheat oven to 325°F. Butter 2 large baking sheets. Roll out 1 dough disk on floured surface to 1/8-inch thickness. Using 21/2-inch-diameter fluted cookie cutter, cut out cookies. Arrange cookies 1 inch apart on prepared baking sheets. Gather scraps; reroll and cut out more cookies. Chill cookies on baking sheets 15 minutes.
3. Bake cookies until edges just begin to color, about 18 minutes. Cool cookies on sheets 3 minutes. Transfer cookies to racks; cool completely. Repeat rolling, cutting and baking with remaining dough. (Can be made ahead. Store in airtight container at room temperature up to 2 weeks or freeze up to 1 month.)

Filling

1. Beat all ingredients in large bowl until light and fluffy. Spread 2 teaspoons filling over bottom of 1 cookie. Press second cookie, bottom side down, onto filling. Repeat with remaining cookies and filling. (Can be made 2 hours ahead. Cover and chill.)

Poppy Seed-Lemon Twists

Food Network Kitchen

Ingredients

Twists

• All-purpose flour, for dusting
• 1 batch Basic Sweet-Roll Dough
• 1 cup canned poppy seed filling (found in the baking aisle)

Glaze

• 1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
• 1 tablespoon milk
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Pinch of salt

Directions

1. Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven; preheat to 350 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. Make the twists: On a floured surface, roll out the dough into a 10-by-18-inch rectangle. Spread the poppy seed filling evenly over the dough, leaving a 1-inch border on one of the long sides. Brush the clean border with water. Tightly roll the dough into an 18-inch log, rolling toward the clean border.
3. Using a chef's knife, cut the log crosswise into 12 rounds, 1 1/2 inches wide each. Dampen your hands, then stretch and pat each round into an oval shape. Twist each oval in the middle to form a figure-eight shape. Place on the prepared baking sheets. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and set aside in a warm place until plump, 20 minutes.
4. Uncover the dough and retwist, if necessary. Bake until golden, about 20 minutes, switching the position of the baking sheets halfway through. Transfer to racks and let cool slightly on the baking sheets.
5. Make the glaze: Combine the confectioners' sugar, butter, lemon juice and zest, milk, vanilla and salt in a microwave-safe bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and microwave 45 seconds; stir until smooth. Brush on the twists.

Meyer Lemon-Poppy Seed Cake

Julie Elkind

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup butter (1 stick) at room temperature
• 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
• 3 whole eggs
• Zest of 1 Meyer lemon
• Juice of 2 1/2 Meyer lemons
• 1/2 cup crème fraîche
• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 1/4 teaspoons poppy seeds

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Butter and flour a 9-inch loaf pan and set aside.
2. In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar until soft and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing until well combined between additions. Add the lemon zest and juice. Mix until well combined. Mix in the crème fraîche.
3. Whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, and poppy seeds. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in 3 additions, mixing until just combined between additions.
4. Pour the batter into the loaf pan and bake until golden brown, about 30 minutes. The cake is done when an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Serve with whipped cream or ice cream.

Happy baking!