Tea for Two and Two for Tea
Last night I spent way too much time making cookies. It was enjoyable, but holey moley, why I made close to 10 dozen cookies is beyond me.
As many of you know, I am a pretty big tea drinker...like slight addiction. So, when I think of cookies, I often think of shortbread-style cookies that go so well with a hot cup of tea. This led me to an amazing revelation - tea cookies with tea in them. So, I ramped up a classic recipe and made a batch of Lavender Earl Grey Shortbread. They are mildly sweet, delicately flavored by the tea and lavender, and have that almost melting texture from the butter.
Just in case you had any weird curiosity about the origins of shortbread, they originated in Scotland in medieval times. They evolved from a twice-baked biscuit made of enriched bread dusted with sugar and left to harden. When butter was substituted for yeast, shortbread was born.
Classic shortbread is made with a ratio of one part sugar:two parts butter:3 parts flour. The name most likely came about due to the high butter or "shortening" content of the cookie. British government actually passed a law in 1921 stating that to be called shortbread, the cookie must get at least 51% of its fat from butter. The shape of shortbread has evolved over the years from a large disk, to triangles, to almost any shape possible. The shape of the cookies below can be changed if desired (I was just already making a sliced cookie and wanted some variety).
Lavender Earl Grey Shortbread: Yields about 2 Dozen Cookies
2 cups all-purpose flour
Tea leaves from 3 Lavender Earl Grey tea bags (or tea from 2 Earl Grey tea bags and 1 tsp dried lavender)
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
4 tsp ice water
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, room temperature
1. Preheat oven to 375.
2. In a food processor, pulse together flour, tea (and lavender if specialty tea is not available) and salt until tea is distributed throughout the flour.
3. Add in sugar, vanilla, water and butter, pulsing until a dough is formed. It should just come together into a ball.
4. Using a 1-2 Tbsp scoop, scoop dough and roll into balls. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Press down lightly on each ball with a fork. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
5. Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until golden around the edges. Let cool for 5 minutes, before transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely. Enjoy with a nice cup of tea or coffee!
As many of you know, I am a pretty big tea drinker...like slight addiction. So, when I think of cookies, I often think of shortbread-style cookies that go so well with a hot cup of tea. This led me to an amazing revelation - tea cookies with tea in them. So, I ramped up a classic recipe and made a batch of Lavender Earl Grey Shortbread. They are mildly sweet, delicately flavored by the tea and lavender, and have that almost melting texture from the butter.Just in case you had any weird curiosity about the origins of shortbread, they originated in Scotland in medieval times. They evolved from a twice-baked biscuit made of enriched bread dusted with sugar and left to harden. When butter was substituted for yeast, shortbread was born.
Classic shortbread is made with a ratio of one part sugar:two parts butter:3 parts flour. The name most likely came about due to the high butter or "shortening" content of the cookie. British government actually passed a law in 1921 stating that to be called shortbread, the cookie must get at least 51% of its fat from butter. The shape of shortbread has evolved over the years from a large disk, to triangles, to almost any shape possible. The shape of the cookies below can be changed if desired (I was just already making a sliced cookie and wanted some variety).
Lavender Earl Grey Shortbread: Yields about 2 Dozen Cookies
2 cups all-purpose flour
Tea leaves from 3 Lavender Earl Grey tea bags (or tea from 2 Earl Grey tea bags and 1 tsp dried lavender)
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
4 tsp ice water
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, room temperature
1. Preheat oven to 375.
2. In a food processor, pulse together flour, tea (and lavender if specialty tea is not available) and salt until tea is distributed throughout the flour.
3. Add in sugar, vanilla, water and butter, pulsing until a dough is formed. It should just come together into a ball.
4. Using a 1-2 Tbsp scoop, scoop dough and roll into balls. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Press down lightly on each ball with a fork. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
5. Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until golden around the edges. Let cool for 5 minutes, before transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely. Enjoy with a nice cup of tea or coffee!
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