Iced Lemon Mascarpone Cookies
You NEED these lemon poppy seed mascarpone cookies in your life! They’re soft and tender, with deliciously chewy edges and a drizzle of icing.
Ingredients
For the Cookies
- ½ cup unsalted butter (8 Tablespoons, or 1 stick)
- 1 cup granulated white sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 large egg (room temperature)
- ½ cup mascarpone cheese (room temperature*)
- 2 Tbsp lemon juice
- 1 Tbsp lemon zest (about 2 lemons)
- 1 Tbsp poppy seeds (optional but recommended)
- 2 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
For the Icing/Topping
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 Tbsp milk
- ½ cup sliced almonds
Instructions
- Before you start, set the mascarpone and egg on the counter for 30 minutes (to bring to room temperature).
- Melt the butter in the microwave in 30 second intervals at 50% power until just melted. Set aside to cool for 1-2 minutes.
- In a large bowl, combine melted butter with sugar and vanilla extract. Whisk well until sugar is dissolved. Add the egg and whisk until incorporated. Add the room-temperature mascarpone and whisk until smooth (no more lumps).
- Separately, juice and zest the lemons. Add 2 Tablespoons of juice and 1 Tablespoon of zest to the wet ingredient mixture, along with the poppy seeds, and stir with a rubber spatula.
- In a separate bowl, combine the dry ingredients and stir with a fork or whisk. Sift slowly into the wet ingredients. Gently stir with a rubber spatula until JUST combined and there are no more streaks. (Don’t over-mix).
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for 45 minutes. (Chilling is essential - it makes the dough easier to work with and makes sure the cookies don’t spread too much when baked.)
- Once the dough is chilled, use a tablespoon-sized cookie scoop (leveling off) to scoop dough. Shape or roll into balls with your hands. (Try to work quickly so the dough doesn’t warm up too much.)
- Place the balls of dough on a parchment-lined sheet pan, making sure to leave room for spreading. (I used 2 sheet pans with about 10 balls of dough on each, and had a little left over to freeze.)
- Bake at 350° Fahrenheit (176° Celsius) for 10-12 minutes, until just golden around the edges. Remove from the oven. (The centers will still be a little soft, but they should firm up as the cookies continue baking once out of the oven.) Allow the cookies to cool for 10 minutes on the baking sheet, then transfer them to a wire rack to finish cooling.
- Lastly, mix up the icing in a small bowl and drizzle over cooled cookies. Sprinkle sliced almonds on top if desired. Enjoy!
Notes
*What if I forgot to set out my mascarpone? You can quickly soften mascarpone by stirring/mashing it with a spoon in a bowl until it's soft and creamy.
How to Store: Store these cookies in an airtight container on the counter for up to 3 days. Be sure to separate layers with parchment paper so they don't stick together.