earl grey shortbread

It's safe to say that I don't like drinking Earl Grey tea as much as I love baking with it. There's something about the flavor of Earl Grey in a cookie that just works. I'm not sure I can pinpoint it. In fact, I'm not sure I can even pinpoint what Earl Grey tastes like: 

It's citrusy. It's spicy. It's smokey.
It's fragrant and flowery.
It's perfume-like.

A sip of the tea leaves a unique tartness tingling on the palate; it's aromatic and rich, brisk and relaxing. Believe it or not, I didn't really like Earl Grey tea the first time I tried it. Granted there's that tad sophistication merely from its name (I mean, come on, Earl Grey), so considering that and its rising popularity, I could only expect it to taste amazingly soothing, right?

But my first cup left me disappointed and unimpressed, with a bitter aftertaste of oranges in my mouth and a strange, sharp sensation that shot up my nose with each sip. It was far from soothing, but I chugged it anyways.

So I stayed away from Earl Grey for a while and kept to my Matcha. It wasn't until a spontaneous tea-hunting expedition at the supermarket that I decided to give Earl Grey another shot. And I'm glad I did! I'm pretty sure it's just the difference in brands, and therefore the difference in flavors, but I like this subtle, light flavor more. Less bitter but with the familiar citrusy bergamot.

So my second (and third, fourth, fifth, and so on) cup of Earl Grey left me rather smitten.

I started each morning with a cup of Earl Grey, and Earl Grey accompanied my every afternoon snack. I filled and refilled my mug until the boiling water brimmed the ceramic edges, squeezed tea bag after tea bag dry of its flavor. I had one too many cups that in about a week or so, I grew kind of sick of it.

So then I broke my Earl Grey tea regime, and the remaining half box of tea bags sat untouched on the shelf for a while. But when you have something like Earl Grey tea leaves to use at your beck and call, of course you have to bake with it.   

I infused Earl Grey in my previous mini banana bread cupcakes and panda cookies, and though it enhanced the banana in the cupcakes and the chocolate in the cookies, the flavor of the tea went rather unnoticed.

These shortbread cookies, on the other hand, have a delicate flavor and the flowery aroma that is unmistakably Earl Grey. They aren't too sweet--the ideal dainty accompaniment to a cup of coffee or tea (though I don't suggest Earl Grey tea cause that's just plain overkill). The buttery, melt-in-your mouth texture makes them extremely addictive--not to mention they're teeny tiny, so you'll definitely be reaching for more!



I used a basic shortbread recipe and dumped in just over a bag of tea leaves straight into the batter. The fragrance was invigorating. I couldn't help but stick my face into the bowl just for a whiff of the Earl Grey. And they smell even more amazing while baking! The smokey aroma of the tea leaves folded within the buttery, creamy fragrance of the shortbread batter, it was as if our entire living room plunged headfirst into a hot mug of Earl Grey milk tea.

The recipe is fairly simple, the cookie-cutting portion effortless--the real struggle is resisting these tempting little treats once they leave the oven. After letting them cool and saving a share for my baby sister to snack on, I immediately threw them into plastic bags and attempted packaging them all fancy. I even used string!

I admit the top half of my packaging was pretty horrendous, and the pictures I took were blurry so you won't get to see =) But the bottom half looks okay I think! Cause it has the string :D Anyways, the best part is seeing my classmates reach back into the bag, already on their fifth or sixth cookie, after having just tossed one into their mouths. It's a nice feeling seeing your treats being enjoyed and happily devoured, and these Earl Grey shortbread cookies did the trick.

Earl Grey Shortbread

yields...a lot of mini shortbread cookies

Ingredients:

2/3 cup cake flour + extra for rolling out
1 packet of Earl Grey Tea leaves (I used about 1 1/3 because I had another pack leftover from before, plus I like the stronger tea flavor ^_^)
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup confectioner's sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
5 tbs butter, softened

Directions:

- In a small bowl, sift together the cake flour, Earl Grey Tea leaves, and salt to make sure there are no lumps
- In another bowl with the softened butter, sift in the confectioner's sugar. Cream the sugar with the butter until it becomes light and fluffy. Add in vanilla extract and mix.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until incorporated. 
- Scoop the batter onto a sheet of plastic wrap, encase it and form into a ball (or whatever shape...I guess), and leave it in the fridge for about 30 minutes or until slightly firm.
- Preheat oven to 350° F and line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat, parchment paper, or lightly greased foil. 
- Prepare a cutting board or any flat surface by lightly flouring the surface. Take the shortbread dough from the fridge (let it thaw a little if need to), and use a rolling pin to roll it out until it is about 1/4-inch thick. Add flour if the dough is sticking to your hands. Using whatever cookie cutters you like, cut out the shapes and place them on the prepared baking sheet, leaving a bit of room between each cookie (you don't need to leave as much as 2-inches because the batter doesn't really spread while baking). 
- Bake for about 12-15 minutes or until edges are slightly golden. Remove, let cool, and serve!