51 comments

Earl Grey Tea Shortbread

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I’m going to go back. Way back. Back into time. I made this shortbread for the Triangle Share Our Strength Bake Sale back in May. It’s adapted from my vanilla saffron shortbread and is just as aromatic and fragrant as I hoped it’d be. If you’ve been following for awhile, you know that I was on a major shortbread kick this spring. Now, that kick is coming in handy, as my hectic life hasn’t allowed me to cook much in the past week. This shortbread is great straight up, and also with a nice cup of tea (although if you’re experiencing this insane heat wave, a cup of tea is probably the last thing on your mind right now).

Three other random things (admittedly, I’m a bit scatterbrained today… sorry this is an incoherent post!).

1. Are there any Mac users out there who have already switched to the new operating system (Lion)? Ah, I’d just like to vent … I hate these new invisible scroll bar and mission control thingies! I’m sure I’ll get used to it… but until then–urg!

2. The reality of my move is finally setting in. I got super emo in yoga today. I think it was being in a space where my mind was truly quiet or maybe it’s just the proximity of the move, but savasana brought me to tears today. Sigh. The good and the bad of change!

3. Check out Natalie at Food Blog and the Dog! She jazzed up the watermelon granita I made earlier this summer!

Happy Friday to you allllllllllllll! 😀

Earl Grey Tea Shortbread (Printable Recipe)

Ingredients:

1 cup Earth Balance (softened)

1/2 cup sugar

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon cornstarch

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 teaspoons orange extract

Earl grey tea leaves from two tea bags

sugar for sprinkling

Method:

*Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Cream butter, sugar, and orange extract. Stir in tea leaves. Sift in flour, cornstarch, and salt. Stir until fully combined.

*Press dough into a 9 1/2 inch tart pan with removable bottom. Sprinkle lightly with sugar (~ 1 teaspoon – 1 tablespoon). Bake for approximately 20 minutes or just until shortbread turns light golden brown. Cut shortbread into slices while warm. Remove bottom of tart pan and let cool completely.

Written by

Tiffany M. Griffin is the woman behind Como Water, Washington DC’s premiere veg-centric cuisine consulting company. Through cooking classes, demonstrations, catering, and consultations, Como Water gives people the opportunity to learn how to prepare veg-centric cuisine that boasts maximum flavor, with minimal effort. Tiffany is quickly becoming a go-to expert on the future of veg-centric cuisine, and is a regular contributor to Como Water, the blog, as well as to vegetarian and vegan sites across the Internet. For over a decade, this self-taught, entrepreneurial expert has developed a set of tried and true techniques for making simple, delicious, and sometimes decadent veg-centric dishes. Featured on the Steve Harvey Show and other leading media outlets, Tiffany was born and raised in Springfield, MA. She then earned Bachelors degrees in Psychology and Communications from Boston College and a PhD in Social Psychology from the University of Michigan. She now resides in Washington DC, where she has worked in the US Senate and at a federal agency on issues around health, food, nutrition, and international food aid/development, and of course, as the owner of Como Water. Tiffany gets culinary inspiration from the food she grew up eating, and from her travels throughout Latin America, the Caribbean, Western Europe, and Sub-Saharan Africa. She is dedicated to sharing her wealth of knowledge on veg-centric cuisine with others and to help others live by her mantra—love life, live long, and eat veg-centric cuisine!

Comments

  1. Elise

    These look so wonderful. I love the flavor of Earl Grey!

    July 22, 2011
  2. kankana

    This shortbread sounds fantastic. Tea on a bread and then enjoy it with tea 🙂

    July 22, 2011
  3. Ann

    My husband adores Earl Grey Tea – so he’d enjoy this very much! As for Mac Lion – I’ve not purchased it yet, but will be in the next week or so….I’ll have to research the invisible scroll bars!

    July 23, 2011
  4. Three-Cookies

    Very interesting to use actual tea leaves, gives a nice appearance, almost like poppy seeds. Now you can have tea and cookies together!

    July 23, 2011
  5. Eftychia

    I make shortbread at home but I never tried using earl grey in it. Thank you for giving me this idea. This recipe looks tasty!

    July 23, 2011
  6. Natalie

    Good call on the yoga, at least you get all your emotions out. So much better than keeping them in! Thanks so much for the link and the inspiration, I’m still finishing it off now. It’s about all I can eat at the moment in this heat, but I’m sure I could manage a bit of your shortbread, so elegant! Have a great weekend 😀

    July 23, 2011
  7. Hester Casey @ Alchemy in the Kitchen

    Yoga is great for making you check in with yourself and see how you are doing. It gave to a chance to recognise the stress of the move and do something about it: eat shortbread! Love Earl Grey in food.

    July 23, 2011
  8. Tina@flourtrader

    This shortbread looks amazing! The use of tea leaves for flavoring this was a great idea. No doubt this tastes delicious-would love a piece with my tea right now. Yum!

    July 23, 2011
  9. Carolyn

    I love, love, love this, Tiff. Love early grey, love the idea of it in shortbread. Buzzed! Glad the move is starting to settle in for you.

    July 23, 2011
  10. Parsley Sage

    Alright, now I’m terrified of getting Lion…there’s invisible things? I don’t really do invisible. I’m a very pro-visible girl. Hurm.

    It’s probably a really good thing that you let it fly in yoga! The worst thing is to keep those emotions all bottled up or try to ignore them. Change is good. You’ll love it there 🙂

    Oh, and of course, love this yummy shortbread! Buzzed

    July 23, 2011
  11. purabi naha

    I am saving this recipe! Shall make them when my mom-in-law visits us! Thanks, Tiffany. This looks too good!!

    July 23, 2011
  12. Denise

    Hmmm tea in the shortbread. Well I love tea and I love shortbread so this sounds perfect. It looks great too!!
    Hope everything with your move goes very well!

    July 23, 2011
  13. Laura @ Sprint2theTable

    I need to try the whole cooking with tea thing. It sounds great! I bet some lavendar would be delish in it too.

    July 23, 2011
  14. The Farmers Wife

    Tiff, this looks SO good! I love what you did with this shortbread! Earl Grey is one of my favorite teas so I can just imagine how delicious this is!

    July 23, 2011
  15. Beth

    This looks terrific. Shortbread is great at any time!

    July 23, 2011
  16. Anne

    Tiffany! I LOVE shortbread! My favorite kind of cookie! And I am still drinking tea in this heat! These would go perfectly! I am sorry you are so emotional. But it’s okay. All a part of change. (Change…even good change….is always so difficult for me!) Hang in there! All good things are coming your way! Have a great weekend! : )

    July 23, 2011
  17. Terra

    This sounds lovely! It looks so moist and delicious, and the addition of earl grey tea sounds perfect:-) You are a fellow yogis? I am not sure if I knew that, or did I just forget…. Let what is supposed to be, happen…tears are not bad, and maybe a relief for you too. Namaste my friend~Terra

    July 23, 2011
  18. Lin Ann

    Congratulations on Top 9! And #1!!! Gorgeous shortbread that sounds so healthy. I want some! Computers can drive you nuts sometimes. Wish I could help. Hang in there!

    July 24, 2011
  19. Peggy

    Change is good – hopefully they were happy tears right?

    This shortbread sounds amazing and unique =)

    July 24, 2011
  20. briarrose

    So pretty. Tea adds a wonderful touch of flavor.

    July 24, 2011
  21. Jill Colonna

    Wow, Tiffany. Just checked in and seen you on Top9. Way to go, girl. Fantastic!

    July 24, 2011
  22. Liz

    I just made plain old shortbread today, but now you’ve inspired me to add some more exotic flavorings next time~ These look yummy!

    July 24, 2011
  23. natalie

    Vegan shortbread is one of those things that makes me so very happy. Simple pleasures, right? And the addition of Earl Grey to the recipe is inspired! I can’t wait to try these out myself. 🙂

    (And I’ve cried at more than one yoga class, so you’re not alone. It’s cleansing.)

    July 24, 2011
  24. Ramona

    Tiffany, I have never made shortbread, but you have inspired me. This looks so yummy. Congrats on making Top 9 on Foodbuzz! Hope the move goes smoothly. : )

    July 24, 2011
  25. Sandra's Easy Cooking

    Hi Tiff, I saw this last night and I think that this is such a wonderful dish! Great flavor and looks so moist and delicious! Thank you for sharing and happy Sunday to you!!!

    July 24, 2011
  26. Mandy @ Cater to Me

    Shortbread is my all time favorite kind of cookie. I have never made it before, but this inspires me to do so! Thank you for sharing!

    July 24, 2011
  27. Amy

    Congrats on the Top 9 Tiffany! These cookies sound wonderful! Love the use of Earl Grey!

    July 24, 2011
  28. Ann

    Congratulations on making Food buzz’s Top 9 – well deserved!

    July 24, 2011
  29. Emily @ Life on Food

    This is the second time I have seen tea in cookies lately. To be honest, I am not sure what to think. I like tea but to me it is definitely a drink. I guess I will just have to try to find out!

    July 24, 2011
  30. k

    This looks so delicious! Congratulations on Top 9! 🙂

    July 24, 2011
  31. Kate@Diethood.com

    What a delicious shortbread! I can see why they’re on top 9…nom nom nom!

    July 24, 2011
  32. Jill @ Dulce Dough

    Yum! I just love shortbread, and this with the tea looks amazing!

    Best of luck to you with your move! Moving is so exciting, and yet so nerve racking all at the same time. There’s always so much to look forward to, and yet there are things that are so hard to leave.

    July 24, 2011
  33. Treat and Trick

    I love shortbread but never tried with earl grey, yours looks fantastic! Congrats on the Top 9 dear…

    July 25, 2011
  34. Nikki

    This looks so good! I love putting tea in things. It makes me feel like a grown up.

    Also, yoga makes me cry sometimes. I don’t know what it is. Something about being quiet inside makes me release a lot of stress and emotions, sometimes in the form of tears. I’m a loser.

    July 25, 2011
    • Tiffany

      If you’re a loser, so am I! LOL 😀

      July 26, 2011
  35. Junia @ Mis Pensamientos

    i love the idea of using earl grey to flavor this bread! such a creative recipe. i bet it was scrumptious!

    July 25, 2011
  36. Sandra

    I’m behind in my reading. Blame it on Chicago and Big Congrats for being in the Top 9. I love love the look of this shortbread. Also, I love hot tea and will drink it in any weather.

    July 25, 2011
  37. Skylar

    Looks great! And I can get my tea flavor kick without drinking hot tea in the summer!

    July 25, 2011
  38. Angie@Angiesrecipes

    They look fantastic! I like the addition of earl grey.

    July 26, 2011
  39. Nami | Just One Cookbook

    I love both shortbread and early grey SO MUCH! You combined my favorite in one sweets. Hmm…looks and sounds “easy”….wonder if I can bake this myself. =D I have a HUGE craving for this shortbread. Arrrhhh Tiffany, this sounds really great!!

    July 26, 2011
  40. Juanita

    These look scrumptious. Earl Grey tea is such a refined and unique taste. I will forever associate it with Star Trek…both Captain Picard and Janeway drank it (and since I’m easily food influenced, so did I every time I watched an episode!) 🙂

    Moving is such a tumultuous life event. It’s totally understandable to have emo moments associated with it!

    July 26, 2011
  41. Medeja

    It sounds very interesting, especially because of those added tea leaves.. Worth trying I guess.

    July 26, 2011
  42. Tiffany

    Thanks for the comments everyone!!!!!!!

    July 26, 2011
  43. Alicia@ eco friendly homemaking

    Oh this looks and sounds so delicious. I love shortbread and this is going to be a must to try!! Thanks for sharing the recipe!

    July 26, 2011
  44. Jeannie

    I love to eat short bread and this earl grey short bread of yours sounds so delicious!

    July 26, 2011
  45. Patty

    This sounds wonderful, especially with the tea and the orange extract!

    July 26, 2011
  46. Victoria

    I love Earl Grey shortbread! I’ve actually made shortbread cookies shaped like tea pots, haha. Great flavors, that tea is just a perfect flavoring for rich buttery shortbread 🙂

    July 28, 2011
  47. Chris and Amy

    Since Earl Grey is one of our favorite things, we’ll definitely have to try this recipe! Sounds perfect for teatime!

    August 2, 2011
  48. Magic of Spice

    I love utilizing tea in recipes and I am a bit crazed for shortbread myself 🙂 Great recipe and hope your week smooths out for you…

    August 2, 2011
  49. olga

    Do you think it would be ok to use oil instead of Earth Balance? Or anything else?

    August 4, 2011
    • Tiffany

      Hi Olga,

      I DEF. think it would be ok to use oil (or margarine, or even good ole butter)!

      August 4, 2011