Lemon Poppy Seed Cheesecake Thumbprints

If sunshine could come in cookie form, these lemon poppy seed cheesecake thumbprints would be it. Perfectly soft lemon poppy seed cookies filled with lemon curd.

I’M ALIVE!! My apologies for the abrupt radio (blog) silence with the turning of the new year but I was feeling a bit overwhelmed with life between traveling for the holidays, work, and planning something called a wedding(!!!). Due to feeling spread too thin I needed a few weeks to decompress and allow the creative juices to start flowing again since I have had zero recipe inspiration – until now!

And let me just say, I’m coming back on fire! I had several people sample these cookies and they all but nearly bowed down after the first bite. I take the back, one of them actually did. Bob even broke his wedding diet to try one after hearing his coworkers rave reviews and proceeded to save 3 to freeze to enjoy later.

These cheesecake cookies are adapted from a previously popular cookie that I made, so I knew they were off to a good start. But then I added lemon zest and poppy seeds to the dough and a dollop of lemon curd post-baking and that sent them over the edge – in a good way. And with all the dreary cold weather we’ve been having it was about time we had some sunshine in our lives, even if only in cookie form.

P.S. I’m also super excited to be back in action because I bought myself a Christmas present – a new Canon T6i! Significant upgrade from my T3. Not to mention that the buttons on my T3 were defunk for quite awhile now so it’s great to have a fully functioning camera back in my hands!

Four years ago: Superbowl XLVIII Recipe Roundup

Six years ago: Nutella Smoothie

Seven years ago: Buffalo Chicken Nachos

LEMON POPPY SEED CHEESECAKE THUMBPRINTS

Makes approximately 3 dozen

Ingredients:

1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

4 oz. cream cheese, room temperature

1-1/2 cups plus 2 Tbsp sugar

1 egg + 1 egg yolk, room temperature

Zest from 1 lemon

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp lemon extract

2 Tbsp 2% milk

2/3 tsp salt

3 cups all-purpose flour

2-1/4 tsp baking powder

1 Tbsp poppy seeds

1 cup lemon curd

Directions:

1. In a stand mixer or large bowl with electric hand mixer, mix ingredients in order until fully incorporated (except lemon curd). Shape dough into walnut-sized balls (I used my medium cookie scoop). Cover and chill dough in refrigerator for one hour.
2. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place 2 inches apart on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 8 minutes.
3. Using the back of a spoon or your thumb, gently push a crevasse into the center of each cookie immediately after removing from oven. (Be careful not to push all the way through the cookie.) Let cool slightly before transferring to wire rack.
4. Once completely cool, spoon a teaspoon of lemon curd into the center of each cookie.

Source: Adapted slightly from my Raspberry Hugs Cheesecake Blossoms.