Delicious! These chewy sugar cookies are infused with bright citrus and floral notes from Earl Grey tea, steeped directly into melted butter for rich, aromatic flavor. Finely ground tea ensures a smooth texture, while optional chocolate shards add a decadent twist. Smooth, fragrant, and a little fancy, they’re even better with a handful of chocolate shards tucked into the dough for a sweet surprise.
Earl Grey Tea Cookies
Ingredients:
1¼ cups granulated sugar
14 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon finely ground Earl Grey tea leaves (3 tea bags)
½ cup light brown sugar
¾ teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon finely grated orange zest
1 large egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2½ cups all purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
Directions
- Heat oven to 350 degrees and line two half-sheet pans with parchment paper. Put ½ cup granulated sugar in a small bowl or shallow dish and set aside.
- Combine the butter and tea leaves in a small saucepan set over medium heat. Melt the butter, stirring occasionally, until it just begins to sizzle around the edges. Remove from the heat and cool for 5 minutes.
- Add the tea butter to a large bowl, then add brown sugar, salt, orange zest and remaining ¾ cups granulated sugar. Use an electric mixer on medium speed or a whisk to combine for about 30 seconds; the mixture will be grainy and separated. Add the egg and vanilla, and mix until combined and smooth, about 30 seconds.
- Add the flour, baking powder and baking soda to the bowl, and mix on low speed or with a rubber spatula until just combined. Use the spatula to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl to ensure the dough is evenly mixed.
- Use a 2 tablespoon cookie scoop to portion the cookies. Alternatively, measure 2 tablespoons of dough with a measuring spoon. Roll each dough ball in the reserved granulated sugar, then place on the baking sheets 2 inches apart.
- Bake the cookies until set, light golden around and cracked on top, 16 to 19 minutes, rotating the sheets from top to bottom and front to back in the oven halfway through the baking time. Remove cookies from the oven and let cool on the baking sheets. Store extra cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, or for a few weeks in the freezer.
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Yield: 20 cookies
Total Time: 45 minutes
Tips
If using loose leaf tea instead of tea from bags, use a mortar and pestle or spice grinder to finely grind it before adding it to the butter.
Try adding a handful of chopped chocolate shards to the dough to make these cookies even more special.
Recipe Creator: NY Times Earl Grey Cookies
Image courtesy of E. Greenberg and K. Jacobsen