English Breakfast Tea Shortbread Cookies
Traditional English Breakfast tea is a true classic. It's a strong and robust cup, using a blend of Assam, Ceylon and Kenyan tea leaves. It’s a staple in many homes. Our English Breakfast Tea Shortbread Cookies are inspired by the traditional tea.
Rich and buttery, English Breakfast Tea Shortbread Cookies are a bit more mellow than a cup of the standard. This cookie combines the best of both worlds.
The key to making a good shortbread cookie is high quality, fresh butter at room temperature. Since the cookies don't have a lot of ingredients, the vanilla, cinnamon and tea leaves bring a subtle flavor.
The English Breakfast Tea Shortbread Cookies begin by creaming together room temperature butter and tea in a stand mixer (or hand mixer). Next up is the confectioner's sugar, cinnamon, vanilla and salt. Finally, mix in the flour until the cookie dough forms.
Place the dough in the center of a large piece of plastic wrap. Shape it into a long, then wrap tightly and chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes or overnight. You can also store the wrapped log in the freezer.
Preheat the oven to 350F. Prepare two baking sheets with parchment paper. Cut the chilled log into 1/4" slices with a sharp knife or pastry scraper, shaping the slices into circles as you place the cookies on the prepared baking sheet. Chill for 20-30 minutes. Bake the cookies, watching closely toward the end that they do not brown. Do not overbake.
What we have found is that it’s best to leave the cookie dough in the refrigerator, for 30-60 minutes to reduce spreading so that the cookies retain their shape during the bake time. Measure correctly, and don't overmix or over bake for the best results. See my Pro Cookie Tips below!
Our recipe is also very versatile. You can shape the dough in a ball, and after chilling, roll and cut out cookies. Try substituting the vanilla extract with 1/2 teaspoon of almond extract. You can also select a different tea flavor or replace the tea with 1-2 teaspoons of dried herbs or dried lavender. The Notes section has a simple English Breakfast Tea Glaze for a twist!
English Breakfast Tea Shortbread Cookies
ingredients:
- 1 cup of unsalted butter, room temperature
- 2 tablespoons of English Breakfast tea (about 3 tea bags)
- 1/2 cup of confectioner's sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon of salt
- 2 cups of all-purpose flour
instructions:
How to cook English Breakfast Tea Shortbread Cookies
- In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or hand mixer), cream the butter and tea together for two minutes. Add the sugar, cinnamon, vanilla and salt. Mix in the flour until a dough forms, scraping down the edges as necessary. Place the dough in the center of a large piece of plastic wrap. Shape in a 1 1/2" log, wrapped tightly and chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes or overnight.
- Prepare two baking sheets with parchment paper. Cut the chilled log into 1/4" slices, reshaping them as necessary as you place the cookies on the prepared baking sheet. Chill for 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 350F. Bake the chilled cookies for 9-11 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through the baking time. Do not overbake.
- Store in an airtight container with parchment paper in between the cookies for up to a week at room temperature.
NOTES:
Pro Cookie Tips • Use room temperature butter. • Measure with the spoon and sweep method- spoon flour into a measuring cup and level it with a knife. • Chill the dough for at least 30-60 minutes after first mixing. Chill again for 30 minutes after the cookies are formed, right before baking. • Use parchment paper to line baking sheets so cookies won’t stick and for easy clean up. • Rotate baking sheets halfway through the baking time. • Rest cookies on the baking sheet before moving to a cooling rack. • Cool cookies completely before glazing or storing.
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