Poppy Seed Archives | Marisa's Italian Kitchen

These candied ginger, lemon and poppy seed biscotti are an olive oil based recipe. They’re sweet, tangy and studded with crunchy poppy seeds. And for a more tangy flavour I brushed them with a lemon glaze! You’ll find they make a wonderful addition to your biscotti repertoire

Biscotti are absolutely hands down my favourite cookies.

I am always on the look out for new flavour combinations. And I must say that although this recipe is a less traditional Italian biscotti, the lemon paired with the ginger work so well together.

The lemon lends a nice tang while the ginger adds a lovely zing to the biscotti. And who can resist that smack of added citrus appeal from the lemon glaze

These biscotti are not the rock hard variety that will necessitate a visit to the dentist with your tooth sheepishly in hand!

They have a much more soft and tender bite. If you are looking for a cookie that is not over the top sweet, then this recipe is for you.

Candied Ginger

Candied ginger which is also known as crystallized ginger, depending on how it’s labelled, is made in much the same way as candied orange or lemon peels.

The fresh ginger is peeled, chopped and cooked in a sugar water mixture over low heat. It’s then rolled in granulated sugar and preserved this way.

You can snack on the spicy candied pieces or use in your favourite baked goods.

When purchasing candied ginger, look for the soft and tender baby ginger which has a perfect balance of spiciness and sweetness and is moist and chewy.

I purchased mine labelled “candied ginger chunks” which I chopped into little pieces for this recipe.

Chopping the candied ginger into tiny pieces helps when slicing the biscotti for the second bake. You’ll get much cleaner cuts this way and no breakage.

Although a sharp knife does work wonders.

Lemon Glaze For Biscotti

This lemon glaze is really simple and tops the biscotti with an extra tangy layer.

You’ll need powdered sugar with both the juice and zest from 1 lemon.

It’s mixed together in a small bowl and gently brushed over the cooled biscotti.

Then simply allow it to set for about a half hour.

Easy! Peasy!

These Candied Ginger, Lemon and poppy Seed Biscotti make a perfect sweet and tangy indulgent to serve with a cup of tea or coffee.

Or better yet, serve along side a lemon sorbet for a refreshing summertime treat!

You may also enjoy these other biscotti flavours

Print Recipe

Candied Ginger, Lemon and Poppy Seed Biscotti

These candied ginger, lemon and poppy seed biscotti are an olive oil based recipe. They're sweet, tangy and studded with crunchy poppy seeds. And for a more tangy flavour I brushed them with a lemon glaze!

Prep Time20 mins

Cook Time35 mins

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: Ginger Lemon Poppy Seed Biscotti

Servings: biscotti

Equipment

1 baking sheet lined with parchment paper

Ingredients

1/2 cup olive oil
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
grated lemon zest from 1 lemon
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup candied or crystallized ginger finely chopped
2 cups all purpose flour
2 tablespoons poppy seeds
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt I used fine sea salt

Lemon Glaze

1 cup powdered sugar
grated lemon zest from 1 lemon
freshly squeezed lemon juice from 1 lemon

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 325 Degrees F.
Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and set this aside.
In a large bowl whisk together the olive oil, sugar, eggs, lemon zest, vanilla and the finely chopped crystallized ginger.
In a separate medium sized bowl, whisk together the flour, poppy seeds, baking powder and the salt.
With a wooden spoon stir the flour mixture into the egg mixture until combined.
Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface and divide into 2 equal portions.
Dust your hands with flour and roll each half into a 12 inch log and transfer the logs onto the prepared baking sheet while spacing the logs 2 inches apart.
Press down on the logs to flatten just a little bit.
Place in the preheated oven and bake for 25 minutes or until light golden brown and the tops are firm to the touch.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes.
Transfer the logs to a cutting board.
Using a well sharpened knife, slice the logs at a diagonal into about 1 inch slices.
Return the sliced biscotti to the cookie sheet while placing them upright so they bake evenly on both sides.
Bake for an additional 10 to 15 minutes, depending on how dry you want them.
Transfer the biscotti to a cooling rack and allow to cool completely before glazing.

Lemon Glaze

In a small bowl whisk together the powdered sugar, lemon zest and lemon juice.
Brush the lemon glaze over the cooled biscotti and let it set for about 30 minutes.
Enjoy with your favourite hot beverage.

Notes

Although at my house biscotti don't last very long, they do keep well in an air tight container for at least a week.

This Lemon Poppy Seed Loaf has some serious lemon kick with a tangy lemon syrup that slowly seeps into the loaf rendering it extremely moist and irresistible.

It also has a delightful crunchy bite from the poppy seeds.

What a tasty way of bringing a little bit of sunshine to your day with this bright and bold sweet loaf.

It’s uncomplicated and a pretty straight forward dessert. It really doesn’t require much effort in the kitchen.

For one, all ingredients are readily available. Unless, you’re not like me. And you don’t have stashes of poppy seeds chilling in the freezer.

But really you’ll love it for its simplicity which always garners rave reviews. Also it never, ever ceases to impress!

And yes! This lemon poppy seed loaf is definitely better then Star Bucks!

What are Poppy Seeds?

Poppy seeds are nutty and pleasant in taste.

These seeds which are obtained from the dry fruit of the poppy plant are very safe to use as food, however they go rancid very quickly.

The old adage “fresh is best” rings true here. So, if you are not one to bake often with poppy seeds, you may want to purchase them in small quantities. Just saying!

You can freeze any remaining poppy seeds in a freezer bag for future use. They really keep quite well for about a year in the freezer!

This loaf is by far, my most requested recipe and a great one to have in your repertoire.

Just be sure to bring the recipe along with you if your making it for family and friends as its truly a no fail treat.

Your mornings will never be boring with this Lemon Poppy Seed Loaf and be sure to enjoy it with your favourite cup of tea or coffee.

Seconds are always allowed and encouraged!

Happy Baking!

Print Recipe

Lemon Poppy Seed Loaf

Lemon poppy seed loaf with a serious lemon kick. It's topped with a tangy lemon syrup that seeps into the cake rendering it moist and irresistible.

Servings:

Ingredients

1/2 cup butter softened
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
3 tablespoons poppy seeds
lemon zest from 1 medium lemon
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup milk I used almond milk

Lemon Syrup

1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1/3 cup lemon juice freshly squeezed

Instructions

Preheat oven to 325* degrees.
Grease an 8 x 4 inch loaf pan.
Beat together butter and sugar in a large bowl until fluffy, for about 2 minutes. Next beat in the eggs, one at a time.
In a medium size bowl, stir together the flour, poppy seeds, lemon rind, baking powder and salt.
Next, stir the flour mixture alternately with the milk into the butter mixture, making three additions of flour and two of milk.
Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and bake in the preheated oven for about 50 to 60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean.

Lemon Syrup

Combine all the ingredients for the lemon syrup in a microwaveable bowl and heat for 1 minute, or until sugar dissolves.
With a wooden skewer, poke holes all over the hot loaf, piercing all the way down to the bottom.
Pour the lemon syrup evenly over the warm loaf and let it cool for 30 minutes. Invert the loaf onto a rack and let it cool completely.

Notes

Adapted from Canadian Living’s Best Muffins and More.