Adapted from Fine Cooking Magazine, Winter 03, these cookies are flavorful, moist & chewy.

Ingredients:

1. 4 teaspoons packed lemon zest
2. 1 tablespoon lemon juice
3. 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
4. 1 tablespoon poppy seeds
5. ¼ teaspoon baking powder
6. ¼ teaspoon salt
7. ½ cup unsalted butter, room temp
8. ¾ cup sugar
9. 1 large egg

1. Grate the lemon zest from a large lemon being careful not to include the white spongy part. Juice the lemon and reserve a tablespoon. Set zest and juice aside.
2. A small bowl, combine the flour, poppy seeds, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
3. Beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
4. Add the egg, lemon juice and zest beating until well blended.
5. Add the flour mixture and beat until just combine on low-speed.
6. Place the bowl in the refrigerator for about an hour.
7. Remove from refrigerator and scrape dough onto a large piece of plastic wrap.
8. Wrap the dough into a 2”log and place in the refrigerator.
9. Check the log after an hour or so when it has hardened further and roll on a smooth surface to enhance the cylinder effect.
10. Roll the ends  tightly and place the roll in a zip-lock bag. You can refrigerate the dough for later use up to a week or freeze it for up to a month. If you freeze the dough, the day before baking place it in the refrigerator or it will be too hard to cut.

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees and prepare parchment lined baking sheets.

1. On a floured surface, gently roll the dough to make sure it is nice and round. Slice with a small, sharp, serrated knife into 3/16” slices.
2. Place cookies on baking sheet 1”apart and bake until edges are lightly browned, 12-14 minutes.
3. Let cool on baking sheets for 5 minutes before transferring to cooling racks.