Earl Grey Shortbread

Earl Grey Shortbread combines one of my favorite teas with one of my favorite cookies/biscuits. It follows the traditional formula for the Scottish classic shortbread: 1 part sugar, 2 parts butter, 3 parts flour (by weight). The measures given, for those who prefer to measure, are just tidier approximations of the weights.

My immersion blender comes with a mini processor/chopper that comes in handy for this. Just give the loose leaf tea (or the tea you've taken out of tea bags) a few whirls to make it a bit finer. If you don't have one of these or a spice grinder, you can use a mortar and pestle or your fingers; just rub the tea between thumb and forefinger. 

Of course, you can make these any size you like; but I like this little two-bite size for afternoon tea parties. When everything on the tea table is small, one can have at least one of everything without going completely overboard. 

My shortbread is all organic, right down to the tea. Though I still at times drink black teas that are not organic, if I had my druthers, they would all be. Since I drink a great deal more tea than most people do, I think it's pretty important that most of it be organic.

What is your favorite tea (camellia sinensis) or tisane (herbal infusion/tea)?  

Earl Grey Shortbread

(Makes about 48 1.5-inch cookies)

1 1/8 dip-and-sweep cup (5.625 ounces/159 grams) unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon Earl Grey tea, ground in spice grinder or mini processor
1 stick (4 ounces/113 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/4 cup (1.75 ounces/50 grams) sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon (2.5 ml) vanilla extract, optional 

1 In smallish bowl, whisk together flour and ground tea.

2 In medium mixing bowl, with hand mixer or wooden spoon, cream softened butter. Add sugar, salt and vanilla extract. Cream together thoroughly.

3 Add flour mixture to creamed mixture. When thoroughly combined (it will be a bit crumbly, so knead it in the bowl with one hand), scrape out onto piece of wax paper or baking parchment and form a 10-inch log (it will lengthen to the 12-inch width of the wax paper as you roll it). Roll into a 1.25-inch diameter log 12 inches long. Place in freezer for 30 to 60 minutes.

Note: Or roll it out 1/4-inch thick and cut out shapes, such as the diamonds I did with the Hildesheimer Pumpernickel Cookies.

4 Preheat oven to 350F/180C/Gas4. Slice thoroughly chilled log of dough into 1/4-inch-thick* slices and place on parchment-lined baking sheet about 1 inch apart; they only spread about 1/4 inch. (My half sheet pan handled it all in one batch.) Bake for 13 to 17 minutes until the edges are just starting to brown the slightest bit.

* I don't actually measure the slices, just eyeball it, and come out with fortysomething cookies from the 12-inch log of dough. No worries -- it's not rocket surgery! :D

PS Still trying to figure out Pinterest. I'm told it likes long/tall images, so ...