Earl Grey Pistachio Shortbread Cookies

What’s better than a cup of earl grey tea on a lazy Sunday morning? Not much. But maybe a cup of earl grey tea with a side of shortbread cookies.

Earl Grey tea is a tea blend with a unique flavor and aroma that comes from the addition of oil extracted from the rind of the bergamot orange, a fragrant citrus fruit. This specialty citrus is largely grown in Italy.

We have made these frozen pops from Aarti a couple of times, which inspired the combination of earl grey and pistachios in shortbread form or it could just be that I love earl grey tea, pistachios and cookies, so why not try them together. By the way, those pops are creamy, refreshing and from heaven.

Shortbread is one of my favorite cookies. Up there with a chewy snickerdoodle. I would choose a buttery shortbread over a chocolate chip cookie any day. What is your favorite cookie?

Here is my recipe for Earl Grey pistachio shortbread cookies:

Ingredients

• 2 Cups all-purpose flour
• 2 Tbsp loose Earl Grey tea leaves
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 3/4 Cup powdered sugar
• 1 Cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 Cup pistachios, chopped

Combine flour, tea and salt in food processor until the flour is speckled throughout by the tea. Add sugar, butter and vanilla. Pulse until it starts for form a dough ball. Blend in pistachios until just combined.

Place dough on saran wrap and form two logs about 2 1/2 inches around, twist the ends of the saran wrap and chill in the fridge for 30 mins.

Preheat oven to 375º

Slice each log into 12 cookies about 1/3 inch thick. Place an inch apart on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a baker’s favorite invention (one of them at least) – the silpat. Bake for 12 minutes until slightly golden around the edges. Cool for a few minutes on the baking sheet, then allow to finish cooling on a wire rack.

 

Happy Eating!