Description
Delight in the subtle, fragrant flavors of Earl Grey Shortbread Cookies, combining buttery richness with aromatic Earl Grey tea leaves and flavoring. These classic shortbread cookies offer a perfect balance of melt-in-your-mouth texture and delicate citrusy bergamot notes, ideal for afternoon tea or a sophisticated snack.
Ingredients
Shortbread Dough
- 10 1/2 tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1/2 cup icing sugar
- 1 tsp Earl Grey flavoring
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
- 2 tsp finely crushed Earl Grey tea leaves
Instructions
- Prepare Ingredients: Gather room temperature unsalted butter, icing sugar, all-purpose flour, fine sea salt, finely crushed Earl Grey tea leaves, and Earl Grey flavoring for a flavorful shortbread dough.
- Combine in Food Processor: Place the butter, icing sugar, flour, salt, Earl Grey leaves, and Earl Grey flavoring into a food processor cup and pulse until the dough just forms, ensuring even incorporation without overmixing.
- Shape the Dough: Divide the formed dough into two equal parts, then roll each piece into a log about 1 ½ to 2 inches in diameter, suitable for slicing later.
- Chill the Dough: Wrap each dough log tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour to firm up and enhance flavor melding.
- Preheat Oven: Set your oven to 350°F (175°C) to prepare for baking the cookies.
- Slice the Dough: Using a sharp knife, cut the chilled logs into slices about ¼ to ½ inch thick, to ensure even baking and the perfect shortbread texture.
- Arrange on Baking Sheet: Place the cookie slices on a parchment-lined baking tray, spacing them at least one inch apart to allow for slight spreading.
- Bake the Cookies: Bake in the preheated oven for about 10 minutes or until the bottoms are just beginning to turn golden, indicating perfect doneness.
- Cool Properly: Transfer baked cookies to a wire cooling rack and let them cool completely to set their delicate crumb and maintain their buttery texture.
Notes
- Using room temperature butter helps achieve a smoother dough texture and better mixing.
- Finely crushing the Earl Grey leaves releases more flavor into the dough.
- Chilling the dough logs ensures clean slices and prevents spreading during baking.
- Watch the cookies closely during baking, as overbaking will result in dry, hard shortbread.
- Store cooled cookies in an airtight container to maintain freshness for up to one week.
