a good run

December 21 2009 by Kristin at The Kitchen Sink in Uncategorized » 12 comments

Last night, after the sun dropped away leaving our windows blackened (at approximately 3:34 pm) and the quiet of a Sunday night settled in over us, I hung up my apron on the back of the pantry door after the last of these lemon poppy seed shortbread rounds were packaged up and stashed away. The apron was a birthday gift from my mom, white and crisp and even a little professional looking, and it has gotten quite a lot of use between my birthday in late November and last night.

I’m talking about Christmas baking, of course, and it’s over now. I can’t decide if I’m happy or sad about that. One thing’s for sure: my dish washer is pleased as punch. Fewer dishes to wash, more cookies to sample. Yes, he’s the big winner.

The apron is likely to remain on its hook until the new year. We leave later this week for Minnesota to celebrate Christmas with my family and we’re spending a good chunk of the following week in Arizona, where cacti will replace snow drifts and where our hotel room will not have a kitchen. So, my kitchen in Chicago will be pretty quiet over the next couple weeks.

In the meantime, lest you worry, we won’t go hungry, mainly because a portion of the next two weeks will be spent in my parents’ presence and they are nothing if not excellent at ensuring everyone in their proximity is well-fed. But, should the rare moment of hunger strike, we can turn to our bounty of Christmas treats. To review, we’ve got spritz, crinkles, salted pistachio brittle, some ginger snaps and now these lemon shortbread rounds. Oh, no, we won’t go hungry.

It was only the last of these—the shortbread—that I made this weekend. I had loftier goals—some iced sugar cookies and a powdery batch of Russian tea cakes, to name a couple—but I called it a year after the shortbread because it was the perfect final addition to our collection of Christmas treats. They’re rich, like any shortbread worth its salt (or, perhaps, its butter?), but that richness is cut by the bright song of lemon that flavors each round. They also have the sandy texture that only shortbread achieves, but they’re spotted, too, with poppy seeds, so each bite has a little crunch, a little pop. What’s more, they’re as cute as buttons (in fact, they look just like buttons, freckled with poppy seeds and branded with fork pricks) and interesting (I’m not sure I’ve had a lemon poppy seed shortbread before).

So, I decided to quit while I was ahead. By any measure, this holiday baking season was a good run.

I got this recipe, for Claudia Fleming’s Lemon-Poppy Seed Shortbread, from Lottie + Doof. So head over there for the recipe. While you’re there, tell Tim I said hello (and check out his 12 Days of Cookies if you’re in need of last-minute baking inspiration).

12 comments so far. »
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Half Assed Kitchen says on December 21 2009 at 11:10 pm:

These look delightful. Thanks.
Elizabeth says on December 22 2009 at 12:05 am:

I love lemon poppy seed scones. These seem like a lovely alternative.
Jennifer @ maple n cornbread says on December 22 2009 at 7:55 am:

These sound SO good! Ive not had shortbread in such flavour!
Whitney says on December 22 2009 at 8:29 am:

I bought some poppy seeds the last time I stopped into the spice house on a whim. Now I know what to do with them!
Eliana says on December 22 2009 at 10:06 am:

These look absolutely amazing.
ATinyMorsel says on December 22 2009 at 11:22 am:

Wow, these look realy amazing. Thanks for posting!
Monica H says on December 22 2009 at 11:34 am:

These are just lovely. I may have to add them to my cookie boxes this year.

Merry Christmas!
tara says on December 22 2009 at 7:57 pm:

These cookies look adorable all lined up on their tray. And a bit of citrus is always welcome on these dark afternoons.

Have a lovely, lovely holiday m’dear.
bright and blithe says on December 23 2009 at 6:27 pm:

i’m so delighted to discover this sweet space of yours. your photographs immediately sucked me in! it’s so very nice to meet you. enjoy your holiday. merry christmas!
kiss my spatula says on December 23 2009 at 7:49 pm:

mmmm, what a perfectly balanced creation you have here. thank u, thank u!
Dawn says on December 24 2009 at 12:27 pm:

My husband and I love the lemon/poppyseed combination so much, it was one of the cake flavors for our wedding. And how can you go wrong with shortbread?

You don’t mention what part of AZ you will be visiting, but if you happen to be in the Scottsdale/Phoenix area and looking for a good breakfast/lunch spot, check out La Grande Orange Grocery on 40th near Camelback. It’s been a few years since we were there last, but it was a cute little place with great sandwiches, salads, and baked goods. If the Yelp reviews are any indication, it’s still as good as ever. (I hear parking sucks, though.)

Have a very Merry Christmas! xo, Dawn
Kathleen says on January 01 2010 at 11:24 am:

These cookies look delicious. I love the combo! Your photos are fabulous!