Simple Tea Cookies – A Perfect Recipe for Any Flavour
Simple tea cookies are a sophisticated, melt-in-your-mouth treat that pairs beautifully with your favourite tea. This simple, shortbread-style cookie is small, delicate, with a hint of whole wheat flour, perfect for dipping and easily customizable, making it an elegant addition to any occasion. Whether enjoyed alone with a book or shared with a friend, having tea and cookies is a wonderful way to slow down, connect, and savour the simple pleasures of life.
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This tea cookie recipe is my holiday go-to. The dough is quick and easy to make ahead of time and can be stored in the fridge until you’re ready to bake more cookies on demand!
I love experimenting with different flavour combinations, which keeps things interesting and ensures no one gets bored of this simple recipe. You can go chocolatey, fruity, nutty, citrusy, or stick with the classic plain vanilla.
With just a few simple ingredients, you’ll have a sweet, easy-to-make treat that’s perfect for any occasion!
The Timeless Tradition of Tea and Cookies: From England to Modern Day
The Origins of “Afternoon Tea”
The tradition of pairing tea with cookies is indeed a beautiful and timeless ritual that brings people together, whether for a quiet moment of reflection or for lively conversation. Originating in 19th-century England, it was initially a way to add sophistication to social gatherings. The light snacks, particularly tea cookies and shortbread, complemented the tea and provided a delicious way to enhance the experience of afternoon tea.
The concept of “afternoon tea” blossomed as a means of breaking up the day, especially for the upper class, who needed a snack before the evening meal. Over time, it evolved to include a wide array of cookies, cakes and finger sandwiches, each offering a different texture and taste to complement the tea.
A Timeless Ritual for Connection and Relaxation
In today’s busy world, this tradition has endured as a way to slow down, take care of oneself, and bond with others. It’s still very much alive in modern social settings, where offering tea and cookies shows hospitality and care, whether you’re hosting friends or having a quiet afternoon alone with a book. The tradition has certainly transcended its aristocratic roots, and it’s now a cherished way to connect and enjoy life’s small, sweet moments.
5 Tips For Making and Serving Tea Cookies
1. Choose High-Quality Ingredients:
Since tea cookies have only a few ingredients, each one plays a key role in flavor. Choose the best ingredients you can find, like high-quality butter and fresh vanilla extract, to bring out the best in your cookies.
2. Cream the Butter and Sugar:
This step is essential for achieving a light, flaky texture. Properly creaming the butter and sugar creates the perfect base for cookies that will soak up tea without falling apart.
3. Shape the Dough into a Log:
Rolling your dough into a log is crucial for ensuring even, round cookies that bake to the right thickness. This method helps maintain consistency in size and shape.
4. Chill the Dough:
Chilling the dough is a must! Let it rest for at least 30 minutes up to 3 days, it doesn’t matter much. The chilled dough is easier to handle and keeps its shape while baking, preventing flat cookies.
5. Let the Cookies Cool Down:
Be patient and allow your cookies to cool completely before serving. The butter in these cookies can cause them to dissolve in your tea if served while still warm.
5 Tea Cookie Flavour Variations
- Vanilla Bean: The paste from half a vanilla bean pod (1/4 tsp) adds so much flavour!
- Cranberry Lemon: The zest from a lemon and 1/4 cup chopped dried cranberries.
- Mocha: A tablespoon of cocoa powder and 1 teaspoon of ground coffee, delicious!
- Nutmeg: 1/4 tsp of freshly grated nutmeg is best but ground is great as well.
- Toasted Pecan: 1/4 cup pecans chopped and toasted, one of my favourites.
Make Ahead Tea Cookies
This dough is perfect for making ahead of time. I often double the batch of a favourite flavour or make several batches in different variations.
Once shaped into logs, the dough stores wonderfully in the freezer for 3-6 months or in the fridge for up to a month, making it easy to enjoy fresh tea cookies whenever you like.
Storage
These cookies store perfectly in a classic cookie tin, a bag, or any airtight container. They don’t stale, but rather become even crispier, making them ideal for dipping in tea. Keep them at room temperature for up to a week.
For longer storage, you can freeze them in a freezer-safe bag for 2-3 months, ensuring they stay fresh and ready to enjoy whenever you like! Just make sure they’re fully cooled down before freezing.
Tea Serving Suggestions
Traditional, plain tea cookies are often buttery and slightly sweet, allowing the sweetness of the cookie to enhance the depth of flavour of any tea.
Spiced cookies, such as cinnamon, nutmeg, or mocha tea cookies, are perfect for pairing with spiced teas like chai.
For lighter teas, such as white or green tea, more delicate cookies with a subtle flavour, like lemon, pecan or almond, are ideal.
Fruity herbal teas pair well with a fruity citrus cookie like cranberry lemon or orange zest.
What You’ll Need To Make Simple Tea Cookies
These simple tea cookies are so easy to make and require very few ingredients and equipment.
Materials
Medium Mixing Bowl: For combining the ingredients together.
Hand or Stand Mixer with Paddle or Whisk: For whipping the butter and sugar to create a smooth texture.
Cling Wrap: To wrap your cookie log for easy storage in the fridge or freezer.
Baking Sheet with Parchment Paper: For baking the cookies and preventing them from sticking. Silicone mats are also a good alternative!
Ingredients
Butter: The star ingredient! Unsalted butter is preferred for freshness, but salted butter can be used too for an extra touch of flavour.
Sugar: Cane sugar works well with any flavour, but for cookies like nutmeg, pecan, or mocha, brown sugar enhances the taste with its deeper, richer notes.
Vanilla Extract: Vanilla is a versatile flavour that complements nearly any other ingredient. For a vanilla bean tea cookie, consider using vanilla paste or scraping the seeds from a vanilla bean pod.
Whole Wheat Flour: Freshly milled whole wheat flour adds a lovely, nutty texture, but store-bought whole wheat flour will work just fine too.
White Flour: All-purpose flour keeps the cookies light, sweet, and flaky, creating the perfect texture.
Salt: A pinch of salt helps to balance and bring out all the flavours in the cookie dough.
Optional: Flavouring of your choice.
How To Make Simple Tea Cookies
Cream Butter and Sugar: Start by creaming room-temperature butter until fluffy. Add sugar and vanilla extract and continue beating until smooth and well combined.
Add Dry Ingredients: Mix in the whole wheat flour, white flour, and salt. Stir until a dough forms. If you’re adding any flavourings (like spices, nuts, fruits or zest), fold them into the dough now.
Shape the Dough: Turn the dough out onto a smooth surface and roll it into a log, about 1-1.5 inches in diameter.
Chill the Dough: Wrap the dough log in cling wrap or parchment paper, twisting the ends to secure. Chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes or up to 3 days.
Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).
Slice and Bake: Once chilled, slice the dough into 1/4-1/2 inch rounds using a sharp knife. Place them an inch apart on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Bake: Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the cookies have golden, crisp edges.
Cool: Let the cookies sit on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.
Enjoy: Serve your delicious tea cookies with a hot cup of your favourite tea! Enjoy the melt-in-your-mouth goodness.
Simple Tea Cookies
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup Butter 100g
- 1/4 cup Sugar 50g
- 1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 3/4 cup White Flour 100g
- 1/4 cup Whole Wheat Flour 40g
- 1 tsp Salt
Instructions
- Cream Butter and Sugar: Start by creaming room-temperature butter until fluffy. Add sugar and vanilla extract and continue beating until smooth and well combined.
- Add Dry Ingredients: Mix in the whole wheat flour, white flour, and salt. Stir until a dough forms. If you're adding any flavourings (like spices, nuts, fruits or zest), fold them into the dough now.
- Shape the Dough: Turn the dough out onto a smooth surface and roll it into a log, about 1-1.5 inches in diameter.
- Chill the Dough: Wrap the dough log in cling wrap or parchment paper, twisting the ends to secure. Chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes or up to 3 days.
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Slice and Bake: Once chilled, slice the dough into 1/4-1/2 inch rounds using a sharp knife. Place them an inch apart on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Bake: Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the cookies have golden, crisp edges.
- Cool: Let the cookies sit on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.
- Enjoy: Serve your delicious tea cookies with a hot cup of your favourite tea! Enjoy the melt-in-your-mouth goodness.
Notes
- Vanilla Bean: For a vanilla bean cookie, replace vanilla extract with the paste from half a vanilla bean pod (about 1/4 tsp).
- Cranberry Lemon: Add the zest of one lemon and 1/4 cup of chopped dried cranberries for a refreshing, tangy twist.
- Mocha: A tablespoon of cocoa powder and 1 teaspoon of ground coffee will give your cookies a delicious mocha flavor, perfect for pairing with coffee or chocolate teas.
- Nutmeg: Use 1/4 tsp of freshly grated nutmeg, or ground nutmeg for a warm, aromatic spice that complements any tea.
- Toasted Pecan: Add 1/4 cup of chopped, toasted pecans for a nutty, buttery crunch. This variation is a personal favourite.
- Orange: The zest of a navel orange will infuse the cookies with a bright citrus flavour that pairs wonderfully with light or fruity teas.
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