It is well-documented that I don’t have much of a sweet tooth. I write about it often, like it’s interesting. It’s not. lol! I only mention it because today’s Preserved Lemon Poppyseed Shortbread Cookies are for people like me. People who can’t stomach sweet without a good dose of salty. This holiday treat features buttery shortbread flecked with diced preserved lemon and poppyseeds, topped with a tangy lemon glaze and sprinkled with sumac salt and sanding sugar. Bright, salty, tangy, and sweet, these cookies have something for everybody, regardless of your sweet tooth status.

Growing up oatcakes were a celebrated treat, particularly the ones dipped in dark chocolate. I had no idea until I moved out of the province that oatcakes are considered an iconic Nova Scotia delicacy. I also had no idea that they were a riff on Scottish oatcakes, which are essentially the same only not as sweet. Nova Scotia oatcakes are not particularly sweet either, especially when you compare them to cookies. They have more of a salty, sweet vibe, so don’t go into this expecting oatmeal cookies. Oatcakes are more toothsome, less sugary, and far more substantial. I often describe them as breakfast cookies to the uninitiated. But because oatcakes are not quite a cookie, they do benefit from a little zhuzhing. That’s why I made these Butterscotch Dipped Oatcakes – everything delicious about the original dunked in butterscotch icing, drizzled with dark chocolate, and sprinkled with salt. 

Welcome to peak cookie season! I’m sure you need another cookie recipe like a hole in the head right now. But here I am with a recipe for these Salted Toffee Cashew Cookies. I’m sorry, they were too good not to share. These golden beauties are classic slice-and-bake shortbread cookies packed with butterscotch chips, Skor bits, and cashews. The cookies are then rolled in Maldon salt and raw sugar before being sliced and baked until golden. Loving this recipe requires having a taste for salty-sweet combos. So if that is your idea of a good time, let’s get into it!