Plain shortbread cookies are buttery and amazing. This recipe amps them up with a delicious boost of Earl Grey tea!
I love how the tea freckles the cookie dough all the way through!
I like to think that these are cookies that Captain Picard would enjoy with a cup of Earl Grey. (Hot.) You don’t actually brew tea to make these cookies. You rip open the tea bags and pour the contents right into the dough.
The texture is pure shortbread: buttery and soft. The Earl Grey flavor is distinct (and you could toggle this by adjusting the amount of tea you add) and adds a smidgen of heat and freshness. These are unlike any other shortbread I’ve had before.
Pair these cookies with your favorite beverage, place them on your holiday cookie tray, or leave some out for Santa in a few days. You know he needs the caffeine.
Make it so!
Bready or Not: Earl Grey Tea Shortbread Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter 2 sticks, softened
- 1 Tablespoon Earl Grey tea leaves heaping, from about 3 bags
- 3/4 cup confectioners' sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Instructions
- In a small bowl, whisk together the flour and salt.
- Open up the tea bags and measure the contents to get a heaping tablespoon. Blend butter and tea together until fluffy. Add confectioners' sugar and vanilla extract. Mix on medium speed until pale and fluffy, which takes about 3 minutes. Gradually add in flour mixture until just combined.
- Divide the dough in half. Form into logs about an inch in diameter (to slice) or into flat rounds (to roll out and cut with a cookie cutter). Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and freeze until firm, about 1 hour. (Or keep frozen for days or weeks, then allow to thaw in fridge for a day before proceeding with the baking.)
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut the cookies into discs or with a cutter; be aware that the dough will spread when baking. Place on baking sheets lined with parchment or silicon mats.
- Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until the edges are just turning color.
- OM NOM NOM!
