Embrace the Bergamont: Earl Grey Cookies

On Friday I made a mad dash to my new version of Heaven on Earth: Summit Spice & Tea on the south side. Whoa. I could bring a sleeping back and camp out there if I thought I could get away with it. I meant to only grab three vanilla beans (for a future post’s project, four weeks in the making!)

What happened, instead, was an awakening. After walking along the rows and rows of spices displayed on their walls, I don’t think I could ever buy a cheap bottle of spices from the Supermarket. Ever. Again. I walked out with Smoked Sea Salt (worth a post in and of itself), Madras Curry Powder, Ground White Pepper, my vanilla beans, and a few fresh cinnamon sticks. Oh, and two new teas (a Thai Tea, very much like chai, but they blend themselves, and some fancy boxed tea I covet whenever I can find it.)

Mission accomplished. On my way out, however, I stopped on the recipe rack and picked up a handful of goodies. Including one sheet entitled “Early Grey Cookies.”

Oh, do tell.

I love tea. I love Earl Grey, though I understand bergamot is one of those love it or hate it experiences in life—much like Desperate Housewives or Sunday crossword puzzles.

A little background on the tea: The Earl Grey blend is named after the 2nd Earl Grey, British Prime Minister in the 1830s and author of the Reform Bill of 1832, who reputedly received a gift, probably a diplomatic perquisite, of tea flavored with bergamot oil taken from bergamot, a citrus fruit typical of Southeast Asia and grown commercially in Italy.

Here's an easy recipe for a little cookie good with tea or milk, whipped up quickly in the bowl of your food processor.

Fortunately, this is an icebox cookie. This means that the dough can be frozen for months and just a couple cookies sliced off and baked at a time. An ideal notion for someone as scatter-brained and prone to procrastination as me. (Don’t judge!)

I’m inspired to try other teas in the dough in the future—namely a chai leaf blend, but doubt anything will match the piquant flavor of the Earl Grey leaves.

I've actually gotten the best flavor with tea from cheap bags that I've ripped open. I think the leaves are more fine and flaky.

Earl Grey Tea Cookies
makes 2 dozen

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup confectioners' sugar
1 tablespoon Earl Grey tea leaves*
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon water
1/2 cup unsalted butter

Preheat oven to 375°F. Pulse together all the dry ingredients in a food processor until the tea leaves are pulverized.

Add vanilla, water, and butter. Pulse together until a dough is formed. Form the dough into a log onto a piece of wax or parchment paper. Wrap the paper around and roll the log smooth. Freeze now, or chill for at least 30 minutes.

When chilled, slice the log into 1/3 inch thick pieces. Place on baking sheets and bake until the edges are just brown, about 12 minutes. Let cool on sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire racks.