Lemon poppy seed cookies add a dose of extra sunny cheerfulness to your cookie platters. They’re easy to make and the cream cheese adds amazing flavor.
Whisk flour, salt, lemon zest, and poppy seeds in a large bowl; set aside. Place butter and cream cheese in the bowl of an electric mixer. Using the paddle attachment, beat on medium speed until pale and fluffy (approximately 2 minutes). Add sugar, vanilla and lemon extract and mix until combined. While mixer is running on low-speed, add flour mixture, and continue to mix until just combined.
Transfer half of dough to a large sheet of parchment paper. Shape into a long log about 2 inches in diameter. Wrap in parchment paper and repeat with other half of the dough. Freeze until firm, at least 30 minutes, or refrigerate overnight.
Preheat oven to 350°F. Prepare baking sheet by lining it with parchment paper. Unwrap one log, roll in yellow sugar if desired. Cut into ¼ -inch thick rounds. Place approximately 1 inch apart on baking sheet.
Bake cookies until golden around edges, 16 to 18 minutes. Let cool slightly before removing from trays; cool completely on wire racks.
Notes
Don't have a stand mixer? Use an electric mixer (or arm power!) to blend the butter and cream cheese together; beat in sugar and the extracts. Stir in the flour mixture by hand.
Dough can be frozen for up to two weeks. Wrap well in plastic wrap or foil. If dough is too hard to slice, let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.
Baked cookies can be frozen for up to one month in a freezer-safe container.
Yield depends on size of cookies. Nutrition information is based on 1 cookie per serving.