English tea infused shortbread cookies. With this in mind, the recipe was flavored perfectly. The possibilities are endless, especially if you grab a basic cookie recipe like a shortbread and add different kinds of tea. This recipe is so easy and the cookies are so basic that it's a perfect choice to customize and make different types of tea shortbread cookies. Scottish shortbread biscuits are said to have been enjoyed by Mary, Queen of Scots, but the cookies have been around since medieval times as twice-baked, enriched bread rolls dusted with sugar and spices and then hardened. When butter was substituted for yeast in the recipe, the traditional shortbread cookie was born.

My friend over at Mamacat's Q Tea asked me this spring to help out with a gift basket for a fundraiser. I wanted to come up with something that I could make ahead of time and that would complement her incredible flavors of tea, so Ina Garten's shortbread cookies came to mind. I decided to take cue from my friend Emily's recipe for Rosemary Lemon Shortbread and add in loads of fresh orange zest. You can have English tea infused shortbread cookies using 10 ingredients and 7 steps. Here is how you achieve it.

Ingredients of English tea infused shortbread cookies

Prepare 2 cups of all purpose flour.
It's 1/2 cup of granulated sugar.
It's 1 cup of softened unsalted butter.
You need 1 of tspn vanilla essence.
You need 1/2 of ginger powder.
You need 1/2 of fennel seeds powder.
It's 1/2 of tspn cinnamon powder.
It's 1/2 of tspn salt.
It's Leaves of 1 English tea bag(any brand).
You need 1/2 of tspn green cardamom powder.

This butter citrus combination paired perfectly with Twinings Extra Bold Earl Gray which was only enhanced by the natural orange flavor in the orange shortbread cookies. If you know anything about tea, you know Twinings. Combine the dry ingredients (flour, cornstarch, salt) in a medium bowl. Place the cookies on an ungreased baking sheet and sprinkle with sugar.

English tea infused shortbread cookies instructions

Beat butter, sugar, salt, and vanilla in a large bowl with a mixer until smooth..
In another bowl, stir together flour, cinnamon, ginger, fennel, cardamom, and tea leaves. Mix well.
Add to butter mixture and beat on low speed until blended..
Set 1-tbsp. balls of dough 1 in. apart on sheets and flatten them slightly.
Bake until cookies are light golden for 10-12 minutes at 180 degree celcius.
Store airtight..
Tips: you may choose to add white Choco chips to the dough before baking for extra sweetness.

Allow to cool to room temperature. Shortbread is one of the most famous Scottish cookies. It is eaten around Christmas and is also an essential part of a traditional Scottish New Year ( called Hogmanay). The success of a "shortie"—the Scottish nickname for shortbread—is to handle the dough with care and work it as little as possible. How to Decorate Shortbread Cookies: While a classic Scottish shortbread doesn't typically have icing, the buttery cookie does provide a great decorating base for Christmas cookies!