Ingredients
65ml lemon juice
250g unsalted butter, chopped
420g plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp fine salt
2 Tbsp honey
250g caster sugar
1 free-range egg
2 tsp vanilla extract
4 tsp finely grated lemon zest, plus extra ½ tsp
3 Tbsp poppy seeds, plus extra 1 Tbsp
Method
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Preheat oven to 175 degrees C fan-forced (195 degrees C conventional). Line 2 baking trays with baking paper.
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In a small saucepan, bring lemon juice to a simmer, add 100g of the butter and let butter melt, remove from heat and set aside.
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In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt, set aside.
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In the bowl of a stand mixer add remaining butter, honey and 150g of the sugar. Beat with whisk attachment until smooth and creamy. Keep the mixer running on medium-high speed, then add egg and melted lemon-butter mixture. Beat for 3 minutes, or until very light and pale in colour. Reduce speed to low and add vanilla, lemon zest and poppy seeds. Once combined, add dry ingredients and mix on low until smooth. Chill dough for 10 minutes to firm up.
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Combine remaining sugar with extra lemon zest on a large plate.
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Roll or scoop walnut-sized balls of dough and place on prepared trays, keeping them fairly separated.
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Fill a bowl with water and dip the base of a glass in the water, then immediately into sugar-zest mixture. Press the glass gently on top of a ball, flattening dough just a little. Repeat with remaining sugar-zest mixture and dough balls. Sprinkle extra poppy seeds over the top of flattened balls, then press again with the glass.
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Bake for 11-12 minutes, or until biscuits are golden around the edges. Set aside to cool on trays for 2 minutes before transferring biscuits to a wire rack to cool completely.
