Description
These Lemon Earl Grey Shortbread Cookies combine the zesty brightness of lemon with the distinctive floral notes of Earl Grey tea in a buttery, tender shortbread. Perfectly crisp edges and a melt-in-your-mouth texture make these cookies a delightful treat for tea time or any occasion.
Ingredients
Scale
Dough
- 3/4 cup powdered sugar
- 1 cup butter, room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
- 1 tbsp loose leaf Earl Grey tea, powdered
Instructions
- Combine wet ingredients. In a large bowl, mix together the powdered sugar, softened butter, vanilla extract, lemon juice, lemon zest, and salt until the mixture is well incorporated and smooth.
- Mix dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, blend the all-purpose flour with the powdered Earl Grey tea until evenly combined.
- Form the dough. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, mixing until a soft dough forms and no flour streaks remain.
- Roll out the dough. Divide the dough in half. On a floured silicone mat, roll each portion out to 1/8 inch thickness, ensuring the mat, dough, and rolling pin are lightly floured to prevent sticking.
- Chill the dough. Transfer the silicone mat with the rolled dough onto a baking sheet and place it in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes to firm up.
- Preheat the oven. Set the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit to prepare for baking.
- Prepare baking sheets. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper to prevent cookies from sticking during baking.
- Cut out the cookies. Remove the chilled dough from the refrigerator. Using a 2.5-inch diameter cookie cutter, cut out shapes from the dough. Recombine leftover dough pieces and roll out again to cut additional cookies.
- Bake the cookies. Place the cut cookies onto the prepared baking sheets, leaving space between them. Bake in the preheated oven for 11 minutes or until the edges begin to turn a golden color.
- Cool before serving. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheets for 10 minutes. Then transfer to a wire rack or serving platter before enjoying.
Notes
- Roll out the dough prior to chilling because the dough is easier to handle when warm and retains cookie shape better when cold during cutting.
- Using a silicone mat facilitates rolling, easy transfer to baking sheets, and prevents sticking throughout the process.
- If the dough gets too warm while cutting, refrigerate the cut-out cookies for 10 minutes before continuing to maintain shape and texture.
