Whether you’re entertaining guests or looking for a crisp butter cookie to enjoy after a long day, these Earl Grey Butter Cookies will satisfy.
Made with just 4 ingredients, they have a crisp, buttery texture and the citrusy fragrant aroma of bergamot.
Relax and enjoy with a cup of hot tea for a comforting indulgence.
Earl grey is an ideal tea for infusing into cookies. This tea imparts a citrus aroma while allowing the other flavors to shine.
There’s no steeping required to infuse the cookies, the tea leaves blend easily with dry ingredients for baked-in tea flavor.
Enjoy as is or pair with other flavors such as orange, lemon, vanilla and cardamom.
Ingredients you will need
It’s amazing how so few ingredients can go towards making such a delicious treat and these cookies are very easy to make.
- Butter, very soft but not melted
- White granulated sugar
- Earl Grey tea bag
- All purpose OR cake flour
Scroll down to the printable recipe card for all measurements and complete instructions
How to make Earl Grey butter cookies
Step 1: Make the dough
Beat the sugar and softened butter well for about 5 minutes.
Tear open an Earl Grey tea bag and empty the tea leaves into the butter and sugar mixture.
Add in the flour
Mix with a spatula to form a soft dough.
Step 2: Pipe, refrigerate and bake
Pipe the dough onto a baking sheet lined with parchment/baking paper. Then refrigerate for 30 minutes to firm up the piped cookies.
Bake for 15 minutes until the cookies are lightly browned.
Scroll down to the printable recipe card for all measurements and complete instructions
Storing
Store the baked cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.
The cookies can also be frozen for up to 3 months. Then thaw overnight before serving.
Tips and frequently asked questions
The butter should be soft at room temperature but not melted.
Softened butter ensures that the sugar is well incorporated. If the butter is cold or hard, it won't incorporate easily into the shortbread mixture resulting in an overworked dough which creates a dense bake.
Beat for about 5 minutes on medium speed to help aerate the mixture to create a lighter bake.
You can either pipe or shape the dough
To shape: simply roll out small portions of dough and press down using a fork.
To pipe: If you decide to pipe the dough, then use any piping nozzle you prefer. For these cookies, I used my Ateco 844 closed star nozzle.
Once piped, the dough must be refrigerated for at least 20 minutes before baking. Refrigerating helps in 2 ways.
It prevents the cookies from spreading while baking and
The flavor of the tea is infused into the dough during this time producing a deliciously fragrant bake.
Love this recipe? Try out my other incredible butter cookies
Earl Grey Butter Cookies (4 ingredients)
Ingredients
- ½ cup butter see notes
- ¼ cup white granulated sugar
- 1 cup all-purpose OR cake flour
- 1 earl grey tea bag
- 1 Tablespoon warm milk optional see notes
- ⅛ or ¼ teaspoon salt optional see notes
Instructions
Make the dough
- Beat the sugar and softened butter well for about 5 minutes. The beaten butter and sugar should be light in color and creamy in texture. This will result in lighter cookies as opposed to a dense heavy batch of cookies. An electric handheld or stand bowl mixer is helpful to aid in the creaming process.
- Tear open an Earl Grey tea bag and empty the tea leaves into the butter and sugar mixture. Add in the flour and mix with a spatula to form a soft dough.
Pipe or shape the dough
- Pipe the dough onto a baking sheet lined with parchment/baking paper. see notes
- If you do not want to pipe out the dough, then simply roll out small portions of dough and press down using a fork.
Refrigerate for 30 minutes
- Place the baking sheet with the shaped or piped cookies into the refrigerator for 30 minutes to firm up the piped cookies.
- This prevents the dough from spreading while baking ensuring that the cookies keep their piped shape.
Bake
- Bake for 15 to 20 minutes in a preheated oven of 356° F / 180° C (160° C fan) until the cookies are lightly browned.
- Remove from the oven. The cookies will still be soft when you remove it from the oven so leave them on the baking tray for about 5 minutes. As the cookies cool, they become firm and crisp.
Storing:
- Store the baked cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.
- The cookies can also be frozen for up to 3 months. Then thaw overnight before serving.
Notes
- It prevents the cookies from spreading while baking.
- The flavor of the tea is infused into the dough during this time producing a deliciously fragrant bake.
Nutrition
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