Earl Grey Butter Cookies (4 ingredients) ⋆ The Gardening Foodie

Name: Earl Grey Butter Cookies (4 ingredients)
Prep time: 8 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 58 min
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)

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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

Why must I use softened butter?

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.

How long to beat the butter and sugar?

Beat for about 5 minutes on medium speed to help aerate the mixture to create a lighter bake.

What is the alternative to piping the cookies?

You can either pipe or shape the dough
To shape: simply roll out small portions of dough and press down using a fork.

Which piping nozzle or tip to use for the cookies?

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.

Why is it important to refrigerate/chill the piped or shaped cookies before baking?

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)

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.

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Prep Time 8

Cook Time 20

Chilling 30

Total Time 58

Servings - 20 cookies

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

Butter: 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.

Salt: I use salted butter for baking, so do not add salt to the dough. If you are using unsalted butter then simply add ⅛ or ¼ teaspoon of salt to your measured flour.

Piping: 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.

Milk: Adding milk to your dough is optional. Only add If you feel that the dough is too stiff or hard to pipe. Then just add a tablespoon of warm milk to the dough. This will make the dough softer and easier for you to pipe.

Refrigeration: 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.
The flavor of the tea is infused into the dough during this time producing a deliciously fragrant bake.

After baking: Avoid removing the cookies from the baking sheet immediately after baking. The cookies will still be soft and might crumble. Allow at least 5 minutes for them to crisp and firm up as they cool.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cookieCalories: 98kcalCarbohydrates: 10gProtein: 1gFat: 6gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 16mgSodium: 69mgFiber: 1gSugar: 3gCalcium: 4mgIron: 1mg

*Nutrition Disclaimer

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