Earl Grey Cookies

When I first saw this recipe, I was a little bit skeptical.  I like tea, but not really a strong brew.  As far as "exotics" about as far out as I will venture is cinnamon tea.  No green, no chamomille and no chai.  However, I decided to be open minded and try these cookies with Earl Grey tea added into the cookie dough prior to baking. The amount of tea leaves I noticed is not real specific.  You can use anywhere from 1 to 2 tablespoons.  Since I am not the tea connoisseur, I opted for 1 tablespoon. The original recipe listed Lady Grey as the tea to use, which I could not find.  The only difference between the two is that Lady Grey also has a little citrus in it.

These resulted in a shortbread cookie with nice overtones of tea.  You can taste the tea in the cookies but not like you ate a bushel of tea leaves.  I will be making these again, but until then, this particular batch will be enjoyed with the tea beverage. What kind of tea? Why a hot cup of Earl Grey- since I have some tea bags left. This recipe makes about 3 dz cookies.

If you do make these, you do not have to stick with the "grey" teas, feel free to try your favorite! The book also suggests using flower or fruit teas.

Earl Grey Cookies
adapted from  Perfect Afternoon Tea Recipe Book

Ingredients
1 3/4 cup of flour
1/2 cup of light brown sugar
1-2 tbs of Lady Grey or Earl Grey tea leaves
1 beaten egg
1/2 cup or 1 stick of butter plus 2 tbs (cubed and softened)
sugar for sprinking

Prepare 2 baking sheets by lining with parchment paper.

Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.  With a wooden spoon, stir in the tea leaves and the beaten egg.  Once distributed, fold in the flour until it turns into a solid cookie dough.

With your hands, shape the dough into a log about 9 inches long and about 2 1/2 inches wide.  Press down on the top of the log so it is slightly flattened.  Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least one hour or longer.  The dough will need to be firm enough to be easily sliced.

45 minutes into the chilling time, preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  Once the chilling time is complete, take out the dough log and cut into 1/4 inch slices on the width.  Place the slices on a baking sheet about 1/2 inch apart. Then sprinkle with sugar.

Bake cookies for about 10-15 minutes or until the edges are golden.  Remove and let cool on pan for 1 minute and then transfer to rack to finish cooling.
                                          **LAST YEAR: Butterscotch Cashew Cookies**