Earl Grey Shortbread Recipe

This easy Earl Grey shortbread recipe makes a delicious tea cookie. The shortbread works well as a simple dessert or an afternoon snack and no sophisticated kitchen tools are required.

Simplicity Meets Elegance

I like shortbread almost as much as I like chocolate which is a HUGE compliment to shortbread. Don't worry if you're no Martha Stewart. This shortbread recipe makes it super easy to make classy and attractive cookies.

Why Earl Grey Tea?

Earl Grey Tea has a unique citrus flavor thanks to the added essence of bergamot orange. This citrusy punch is an outstanding compliment to a shortbread cookie and you won't find it in other teas.

I used loose leaf Teavana Earl Grey Tea and ran it through a spice grinder. If you do it this way, be sure to take a long whiff of the refreshing Earl Grey aroma as you are grinding. Alternatively, you can tear open tea bags - like these Tazo Earl Grey tea bags - and use the already ground tea inside.

Conventional shortbread recipes tell you to use a food processor to pulse the ingredients until the dough is formed.

I didn't use a food processer because…umm…I'm a tea girl, not a cook, and I don't have one! Instead I just softened the butter a bit to make it all blend together easier, and used my (clean) hands to knead the ingredients into a dough.

Earl Grey Shortbread Recipe

Makes about 4 dozen shortbread cookies. Adapted from Real Simple.

What You'll Need:

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 Tbsp Earl Grey tea leaves (either ground loose leaf tea or tea from approx. 6 tea bags)
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 tsp water
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

Directions:

Mix dry ingredients in a bowl.

Add vanilla, water, and butter. Use hands to combine and form into a dough.

Divide dough in half. Take each half, place on wax paper, and roll into a log that is about 2" in diameter and 12" long. Wrap in wax paper and place in the refrigerator.