These bakery-style cookies are substantial in size, delightfully tender, and bright with lemon and orange. Corn meal and poppy seeds add wonderful flavor and texture.
Preheat oven to 350° F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a Silpat and set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, corn meal, poppy seeds, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
In a stand mixer fit with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter, 1 cup of the sugar, lemon zest, and orange zest (I highly recommend this zester) on medium speed until well combined. Add the oil, egg, and lemon juice. Continue mixing until pale and evenly combined, about 1 minute, scraping down the sides every so often. Add dry ingredients to the creamed butter mixture and mix on low speed until just combined. The dough will be somewhat dense, yet soft.
Place remaining 1/2 cup of sugar in a small bowl and set aside. Using a 4 tablespoon-sized spring-release scoop (2-ounce scoop), scoop out portions of dough onto the prepared pan. Use a spoon to sprinkle each mound of dough very liberally with sugar. Bake for 12 to 13 minutes. The cookies will seem like they need a minute longer, but take them out anyways. Let cool on the pan for 1 minute before transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely, about 20 minutes. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
If you want cookies that are half the size, use a 2 tablespoon-sized spring-release scoop (1-ounce scoop) and bake for 9 to 10 minutes, following all the other instructions from the previous paragraphs. This will give you two dozen cookies.
Nutrition information is automatically calculated by Spoonacular. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee accuracy. If your health depends on nutrition information, please calculate again with your own favorite calculator.