Earl Grey Cookies

These Earl Grey Cookies combine buttery shortbread with the delicate, citrusy notes of Earl Grey tea! These comforting cookies are perfect alongside a cup of tea for any occasion, from a fancy tea party to a simple afternoon treat.

Course Dessert

Cuisine Cookies

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 10

Chill Time 25

Total Time 50

Servings cookies

Calories 182kcal

Author Amee

Equipment

Ingredients

2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
⅔ cup powdered sugar
2 Tablespoons strongly brewed earl grey tea, cooled to room temperature (see note)
2 bags earl grey tea (about 2 teaspoons tea leaves)
4 ounces chocolate, optional (I used 72% dark chocolate)

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350℉. Line baking sheets with parchment (see note) and set aside.
In a medium bowl, combine the flour and salt. Set aside.
2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour, ¼ teaspoon salt
Combine the butter and powdered sugar in the bowl of a mixer and beat until fluffy, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Add the brewed tea and tea leaves and mix to combine.
1 cup unsalted butter, softened, ⅔ cup powdered sugar, 2 Tablespoons strongly brewed earl grey tea, cooled to room temperature, 2 bags earl grey tea
Gradually add the flour/salt mixture and mix just until you can't see flour anymore. Mixture won't come completely together into a ball and will be a bit crumbly, which is what you want.
Use a bowl scraper (see note) to press the dough together into a ball inside the bowl, or turn the dough out onto your counter and press together with your hands. I like to use the bowl scraper to keep my hands/counter cleaner.
(This cookie dough can be frozen in an airtight container for up to three months. Then just roll/cut/bake the cookies once the dough has thawed.)
Split the dough into to two discs. Working with one disc at a time, roll the dough out to about ¼ inch thick between two sheets of parchment or wax paper.
Once rolled out, transfer the dough (still in the paper) to a baking sheet and place in the refrigerator to chill for about 10 minutes. This step makes the dough easier to handle when you cut out the cookies.
Once the dough has chilled, cut out the desired shapes (see note on cutters). You can gather and re-roll the scraps to cut more cookies.
Place the cookies at least an inch apart on the prepared baking sheets and freeze for 15 minutes before baking. Preheat your oven to 350℉ while the cookies chill.
Bake cookies 10-12 minutes, or until the they're just barely golden on the bottom. (I typically bake one test cookie and check the bottom once it cools.)
Allow the cookies to cool on the pan for at least 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.
Dip or drizzle the cooled cookies in chocolate, if desired. I added a sprinkle of lavender to mine, too.
The baked and cooled cookies will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for about 5 days.
For longer storage, place them in an airtight container and freeze for up to three months. If you want to dip them in chocolate, it's best to freeze them without the chocolate, then add it once they're thawed.
Enjoy!

Notes

Note on brewing tea - You want the brewed tea to be strong so that the cookies will have more flavor. Instead of steeping the tea for longer, which can make the tea bitter, add an extra tea bag or two.

Note on bowl scraper - I like to use a bowl scraper to press the dough together in the bowl because it's flexible shape makes the job much easier, and it keeps my hands and countertop a bit cleaner.

Note on parchment: I use nonstick parchment both for rolling out the dough and for lining my pans to ensure no sticking and for easier cleanup.

Note on cookie cutter - I've made this recipe using a 2.5-inch x 3.5-inch tea bag cookie cutter and using a 2.75-inch biscuit cutter. The recipe yields about 16 cookies with the tea bag cutter (this size is larger than actual tea bags), and about 26 cookies with the round cutter.

Tip: If you're crazy like me and want to make your cookies look like little tea bags, here's a link to the tea bag tags that I made in Canva!

Nutrition