Earl Grey Tea Cookies

Makes approximately 30 cookies

These cookies are like shortbread and have pretty little flecks of tea throughout them. The tea leaves can be ground in a spice grinder or mini food processor. You can use any tea you want, be it green, chai or rose, but I love the citrusy bergamot delicacy of Earl Grey.

Photo: Corey Olson

Ingredients

• 115g butter, softened
• 40g icing sugar
• 150g plain flour
• 1 tbsp finely ground good-quality Earl Grey tea leaves
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 tsp lemon zest (took out optional)

Method

In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter and icing sugar until pale and fluffy.

Add the flour, ground tea leaves, salt and zest, and combine.

Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill for at least one hour.

Preheat the oven to 180°C fan bake. Line 2 baking sheets with baking paper.

Lightly flour a surface and roll out the dough to a ½ cm thickness. Using a cookie cutter of your choice, cut out as many cookies as possible.

Place on the baking sheets approximately 3cm apart.

Bake for approximately 15 minutes until the bottoms are just golden.

Let the cookies cool and firm on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.

Store in a cool, dry place in an airtight container or cookie jar for up to a week.