Here’s what I believe when it comes to cookies:
- They must be at max 4-bites-big. I’m not saying that I don’t love larger cookies, but you can eat more of them when they’re smaller. And the smaller ones have fewer calories. So what if eating more small ones equals one bigger one? At least it feels like you got more out of the deal!
- They absolutely must have a crunchy outside. Let’s be honest here, no one likes a soggy cookie. And if you’re the 0.0001% of people in the world that love soggy cookies, then I don’t know what to say. Crunchy cookies rule, but only in regards to belief #2. Please read belief #3 for further information.
- They must, without a doubt, be soft in the middle. I do know that there are people who like crisp cookies through and through, but I am not that person. I want to bite into the cookie and then have it melt in my mouth. Fully crispy cookies just don’t do it for me.
- Cookies made in small batches individually are OK. Otherwise press those suckers into a pan and make them into cookie bars. Being lazy has its perks – more time to eat the cookie bars that way!
- They have to have butter. ‘Nuff said.
What can I say, I know what I like! If I’m going to take the time to bake cookies and take the time to eat them – OK, fine, I don’t really care about that last part – then I want them to meet those criteria. And although I’m typically a rich-flavored cookie kind of gal (don’t EVEN get me started on the need for chocolate chip cookies in our household), there are times when a lighter flavor is just right.
Y’all, now is that time.
Pair these bad boys up with a cold glass of iced tea, lemonade, iced coffee, or just plain water. Devour them like crazy – let’s just say you’ll be glad you did.
LEMON POPPYSEED CREAM CHEESE COOKIES
- 4 oz cream cheese, room temperature
- 4 Tbsp butter, room temperature
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- juice and zest from 1 lemon
- 1 cup flour
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 Tbsp poppy seeds
Preheat oven to 350. Cream together the butter and cream cheese. Add the sugars, egg, extract, and lemon juice. Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add to the wet ingredients and mix until just incorporated. Add the zest and the poppy seeds, mix until evenly distributed. Spoon the dough onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment or a Silpat; bake for 10-12 minutes at 350 degrees. The cookies will not really change color except on the bottom, so be sure to check the bottoms to make sure they’re not burning. Let cool on a rack and EAT!
If I’m the cookie police then so be it…I think we could use more cookie law enforcement in this day and age!
I love all these ingredients. These look perfect for a girls get together!
I like the way you think can’t wait to get these in the oven Thank you
How many cookies does this recipe make?
The recipe should make around 24 🙂 Thanks for asking April!
I bookmarked this when the recipe was published, made them, loved them and then forgot about them. Then this week my boyfriend accidentally brought home a tub of blueberry cream cheese instead of plain (just wasn’t paying attention, I guess). I don’t do fruity bagels or desserts, so I desperately tried to find something to make with a tub of blueberry cream cheese. Long story short, we already knew blueberries and lemon go really well together, and this was MAGICAL. Definitely a great new spin on this recipe.
That sounds SO GOOD – I am a huge fan of blueberries and lemon! I think I know what I’ll be getting at the store today 😉
Love these cookies! They are so quick to mix up. They would only be better if they were a bar cookie so they were the perfect mix of delicious and lazy appeal. Could they be a bar cookie?
Thanks Leah! I think you could just press the dough into a greased pan, lower the temp a bit, and then just bake until the dough is cooked through? I don’t know how much time it would take since I’ve never tried it, but it’s worth a shot!
Hi, I’d like to bake these for my family this weekend. Using this recipe, approximately how many would the stated ingredients make? Thanks, can’t wait to try them out!
The recipe should make around 24 🙂 Thanks for asking Sophia!
I bookmarked these since my mom and I both love the lemon poppy seed combo ,but I’m having the same problems as everyone else with flat “muffin top” cookies (we are in Tx). The dough was more like a thick cake batter compared to a cookie dough so I chilled it for over 1 hour and they still turned out looking nothing like your cookies. I was excited To post these on my blog but I may have to play with the recipe a bit to get the cookies to puff up before I do.
These are great!!! Mine were flat though 🙁 yours were cute and puffy but mine barely rose. Any way to fix that? Did I do something wrong?
hey paige!
i don’t know what could have happened, although i made sure my dough was chilled all the way through before baking. i’ve found, for me, that having really cold dough helps keep the shape of the cookies. i hope that helps!
we made these and they were AMAZING!!!!!!!! best cookies ever!!!!!
we made this yesterday and they were AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
great! i’m so glad you liked them 🙂
I just made these and they are SO good! They may be my new favorite cookie. The outside was not crunchy, but that’s OK (it wasn’t soggy, either). The texture was just…heavenly. I made these to take to a ladies’ tea at church this morning but I may end up going empty-handed, as I just might eat them all myself! Thanks for bringing these cookies into my life. 🙂
that’s great! i’m so glad you liked them 🙂
hi, i had the same problem as many of you – the batter was very runny and the cookies didn’t turn out like on the pictures but were rather flat. i guess the problem is indeed too much lemon juice. other than that i liked the soft texture and taste. next time i’ll try it with less lemon juice (maybe even only lemon zest?) and will let you know the results 🙂
Just made these and they turned out like lemon poppy seed muffin tops. I was really looking forward to the cookie texture. oh well…
Yeah I had the same problem… I love the flavor but I’d like them to be crispier on top. Did anyone manage to get them to crisp on the top? I’m wondering if I need higher heat to get the tops to brown a bit.
These were SOO good. Its almost like a cupcake with cream cheese frosting in cookie form. Delish!
So, after all my excitement about making these, they certainly didn’t turn out like cookies! I followed the recipe to the t and the batter was overly watery. Perhaps you could clarify how much lemon juice, because after juicing my lemon, it seemed a bit excessive. I spooned them onto the cookie sheet, and whilst baking they melted into a conjoined, flat mass (no rising or firming at all). I also had to bake them for at least 20 minutes before the edge began to brown! So much for presentation. Oh well, my friend and I will still devour them ourselves!
interesting 🙁 if i’m being totally honest i didn’t actually measure out the lemon juice…but would estimate that it might be around 2-3 Tbsp? another remedy might be to add a little more flour and refrigerate the dough before baking (if you didn’t already). i hope that helps!
My coworker made these, brought them to work this morning and I ate at least seven. I’m not a huge sweets fan but, since these didn’t have chocolate and were so soft and lemon-y I couldn’t stop. A couple of them paired good with a cup of coffee this morning with a smidgen of half and half. Make them today!
I love lemon, poppyseed and cream cheese. I guess I better try these cookies!!
I looooove lemon poppy seeds muffins! But these are much cuter and the smaller portion sizes don’t hurt either 😉
These turned out tasting like lemon poppy seed muffin tops.. Not quite the cookie texture I was hoping for. Oh well still pretty tasty!
interesting…i did refrigerate mine for a few minutes before baking (high-altitude cookies usually turn out better that way)…i wonder if that would have made a difference? i’m glad you at least liked the flavor! 🙂
Nicole, I had the same problem. I even refrigerated my batter for 20 minutes or so and added in an extra couple tablespoons of flour and they still baked up just like mini muffin tops (the batter itself was much more of a muffin batter than it was a cookie dough). The only thing I could imagine that could have gone wrong is that maybe we had very large lemons so the juice of one lemon for us was more than for Heather? Who knows. I made a simple lemon glaze for mine so they looked a bit less sad. They tasted great, but I probably won’t make them again since they baked up so muffin like and I already have a killer lemon poppy seed muffin recipe.
i had the same issue, very bread-like and not crunchy on the outside 🙁
Those are very good cookie rules. I agree 100%. Your cookie recipes have never let me down! These look perfect.
These look light and divine! Can’t wait to try this recipe!
These look great! I stocked up on poppy seeds recently and was trying to think of a way to use them so you read my mind! 🙂
I am SO with you on #3. These look ungodly delicious! Lemon and poppyseed is such an amazing combo!
Thank goodness there’s vegan cream cheese because I HAVE to make these.
I make lemon poppy seed muffins and love the idea of cookies! I agree that the smaller=better for you;)
These look so dainty! Your perfect cookie basically equals my perfect cookie, plus the fact i happen to have about 1tbsp of poppy seeds left over from a recent cakey experiment and my favourite flavour is lemon means these are wholeheartedly a must make 🙂 i can basically taste their deliciousness already, yummm
Those sound amazing!!
I love the flavors… these are beautiful inside and out!
Yum! Those look so good 😀 I think lemon poppy seed is one of my favorite combinations but I don’t remember ever having it in a cookie 😀
I think I would have eaten two dozen of these every single day during my pregnancy when I had my mad lemon sweets cravings if I knew this recipe then. Now, I will just settle on one dozen. 😉
Gooey/soft on the inside cookie are what makes my world go round! Love that you put cream cheese in these.
I love lemon anything!!! Can’t wait to make these 🙂
These sounds so good, especially with the cream cheese!
I like you may have found my new found love….I MUST try these immediately!!
Oooh, these look so pretty and ladylike!
They look like lemon cream cheese dough balls!
These look amazing! Guess I’ll be making these tonight 🙂
Oh yum! My husband would be in heaven eating these cookies, meaning I’ll have to make them soon!
I have to say, I kind of prefer really big cookies. Then one cookie is just one cookie:-) I do make exceptions, though!
I want to jump into your pictures and eat these.
I agree. Soft middles. I need soft middles. Oh, and since these have cream cheese, which goes on bagels (breakfast food) and fruit, I think these are best eaten for breakfast.
Those look right up my alley! Yum!
These are so pretty! I love photographing lemons, they are great subjects. I need these to drink with my coffee right now!