October 2020 - Teas The Season

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Earl Grey Rooibos Shortbread – Baking With Tea

October 26, 2020
Recently I have started to cook and bake with tea. This is the first of two shortbread recipes that use loose leaf teas. Part 1 of this is Earl Grey Rooibos Shortbread – Baking With Tea.

In an earlier post, I shared my foray into cooking with tea in Masala Spice Tea Meatballs. Now I am baking and I think you will find it absolutely delicious.

Earl Grey is one of the teas that I have been sampling. In Fall Tea Tastings, I highlighted Earl Grey Rooibos Tea. Not my first choice in tea but I have been trying different versions of Earl Grey to find one I like. I think I have found my favorite. Its in a cookie! A shortbread cookie and its simple and has only 5 ingredients. So let’s get baking…no steeping involved.

Ingredients
- unsalted butter
- Earl Grey Rooibos loose tea
- powdered sugar
- all purpose flour
- salt
These cookies have a glaze that is just powdered sugar and lemon juice.

Preparing the tea and butter

The first step is to infuse the tea with the butter. For this recipe, you don’t need to grind the leaves unless you have a large leaf. I didn’t and so decided to just combine the leaves. Earl Grey is a beautiful tea and I like seeing the speckles of bergamot in the dough. Once blended, you will want to have the butter and tea sit for 1 – 2 hours. The longer it sits, the more intense the flavor is. This is tea and it will continue to intensify as it sits – even in the baked cookie. And if you don’t have loose leaf tea, you can use tea from teabags. Just open the teabags and measure out what you need.

Just put the tea and the butter in your mixer. Using the paddle, blend the tea and butter and then let it sit.
Preparing the dough

Once the infusing time has passed, you can get ready to prepare the dough. Combine the infused butter with powdered sugar and blend. Then add the flour and salt.

You will initially think that something is wrong with the mixture. It will be very dry and crumbly. But continue to let the mixer work and the mixture will turn into a nice soft dough.
Turn the the dough out on a slightly floured surface and roll out to 1/4 inch thickness. This is a nice dough to work with. I chose to cut the cookies into 1 1/2 inch squares which yields 36 cookies but you can easily use a cookie cutter. A 2 inch circle works well and will yield 30 cookies. If you are doing the squares, get out your ruler and pizza cutter.
Baking the cookies

Place the cookies on a prepared baking sheet. I like to use a silicon pad but you can also use parchment paper. Bake for 15 minutes in a preheated 350 degree oven or until they are lightly brown. For me, it took 20 minutes. The cookies will smell of Earl Grey as they bake…very fragrant.

Remove the cookies and allow them cool completely before you glaze them.

The glaze is extremely simple. Combine the powdered sugar and the lemon juice. Drizzle the glaze over the top of the cookies. Allow them to rest while the glaze sets.

Serving

These cookies have the great flavor of Earl Grey in a nice shortbread cookie. The lemon glaze really compliments the cookie and makes them perfect for an afternoon tea. A plate of these sweet cookies paired with a nice cup of English Breakfast or Lady Londonderry tea will set your day right. Bring along a friend….you will enjoy the afternoon.

Welcome to Earl Grey Rooibos Shortbread…baking with tea. Give them a try – I know you will enjoy them. Now a favorite of mine – I finally have an Earl Grey favorite.
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5 from 14 votes

Earl Grey Rooibos Shortbread

This easy shortbread recipe is infused with Earl Grey Rooibos tea. Topped with a light lemon glaze, this tea cookie is perfect for any afternoon tea or function.

Course Dessert
Keyword Baking with Tea, Earl Frey Rooibos Tea Shortbread Cookies, Earl Grey Rooibos Tea, Shortbreads

Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes

Servings 36 cookies

Ingredients
1 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
2 tbsp Earl Grey Rooibos Tea Leaves
½ cup powdered sugar
2 cups all purpose flour
½ tsp salt
Lemon Glaze
1 cup powdered sugar
1-2 tbsp lemon juice

Instructions
Using your mixer with paddle, blend the Earl Grey tea leaves with the butter. Allow to sit for 1-2 hours to ensure full flavor of the tea. NOTE – You do not need to grind the Earl Grey Rooibos tea…it will blend well with the butter. If you are using a large leaf tea, run through grinder.
Once the butter has been infused with the tea, preheat the oven to 350° and prepare your baking sheet with either a silicon pad or parchment paper.
Cream the butter and tea mixture with the powdered sugar.
Add the flour and salt and blend until a soft dough is formed. This will take some time and will initially start out very crumbly. Continue to mix and it will turn into a soft dough.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and roll out ¼ inch thick.
Cut out cookies in desired shape. If cut in 1½ squares, will yield 36 cookies.
Bake on prepared cookie sheet for 15 minutes or until lightly brown.
Allow to cool on rack.
Once cooled, prepare the glaze. Combine the powdered sugar and lemon juice until thin stream.
Glaze top of cookies. Allow to rest until glaze sets.

Notes
This recipe has been slightly adapted from https://www.sugarandsoul.co/downton-abbey-earl-grey-cookies/
These cookies freeze well.
The longer the cookies sit the stronger the flavor intensify, like steeping tea.
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Beth 54 Comments
Recipes

Masala Spice Tea Meatballs

October 19, 2020
Want to try something unique and exotic? Try Masala Spice Tea Meatballs. Yes, cooking with tea. Its a great way to use tea. This is my first adventure and happened quite by accident. At my recent trip to the New Mexico Tea Company, I bought too much Masala Spice Mix Tea and with this abundance came a new culinary adventure. Though cooking and baking with tea has been around for sometime, for me it was new territory….and I am delighted that I ventured out.

First, let’s talk about the tea. You may have read my previous blog on Fall Tea Tastings where I explored the deliciousness of Masala Spice Mix Tea. Though not my first choice in a tea, its spicy flavor had me thinking about recipes other than just my usual hot tea beverage.

Masala Spice Tea

This spice mix is so rich in its flavor. It can be very strong but is delicious when steeped (simmered for 7 minutes) and then served with a heavy milk and honey. When I first tasted the tea, I could recognize several of the spices….but when I cooked with it, I tasted an even broader range of the spice. Here are the spices that are in a traditional Garam Masala Mix.
1. Cumin
2. Coriander
3. Green and Black Cardamom,
4. Cinnamon
5. Nutmeg
6. Cloves
7. Bay leaves
8. Peppercorns
9. Fennel
10. Mace
How to Prepare the Tea

It was very easy to prepare the tea for mixing. In other recipes, you may not need to grind the tea – you could just mix into a rub or a marinade. For this recipe, I ground the tea to a nice fine powder and I used a coffee grinder for that. I had a mortar and pestle – but that was going to take way too much time and not achieve the nice powder. A small chopper will not do either. Devote a coffee grinder just for spices – it will be well worth it.
Ingredients for the Meatballs
- Ground Turkey
- Pork Sausage
- Fresh Parsley
- Chopped Garlic
- Salt
- Bread Crumbs
- Ground Masala Spice Mix Tea
- Olive Oil
- Greek Yogurt
- Lemon
- Dill
Putting it together

As you can imagine, this is a really easy recipe. Mixing, cooking, and eating!

Measure out your ingredients and put them into a nice big mixing bowl. Then get those great natural tools in there – your hands! Mix away.
Rolling these little treats was easy. Just use a small ice cream scoop and you will have them done in no time. They can be frozen uncooked – freeze in a single layer and then place in a bag or container. This recipe makes an easy 50 meatballs.

Cooking the Meatballs

I cooked these meatballs on my stove, using a large non-stick skillet. With a little olive oil in the pan, I cooked them until they were browned and then allowed them to drain and cool on a cooling rack. That easy for sure.

Serving Suggestions

I serve these meatballs with a Lemon Dill Yogurt sauce. Get a nice Greek Yogurt, one that is sturdy. Zest and juice your lemon and add this and the dill to your sauce. Mix thoroughly.

In serving these, you have several options. This is a very different spice profile than you would expect. Though spicy, the taste is very warm and not in the traditional sense of a Southwestern spice. In fact, I found that the spice intensified as the mixture sat. In tasting the raw spice, it rested on the back of my tongue and I could taste the fennel and mace. As well, the other spices emerged as I enjoyed these little bites. The clove and nutmeg come through. Important is to understand that the intensity gets stronger as the spices bloom in the mixture.

I would serve them as an appetizer, either on a platter or even in a single serving for an exotic afternoon tea. But you can also enjoy these treats in a nice flat bread or pita, topped with the sauce and maybe some feta cheese. These meatballs would also be delicious served on a bed of rice. They are very versatile.

So that’s my spice adventure. I would encourage you to give these a try – or even change it up and use lamb or beef. Amazing. It was fun and I will certainly be trying some different spice profiles again!
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4.72 from 7 votes

Masala Spice Tea Meatballs

These flavorful meatballs are made with Masala Spice Tea ground into a powder and mixed into the meatballs. These exotic meatballs are served with a Lemon Dill Yogurt sauce. Whether eaten by themselves, or served in a pita bread or on a bed of rice, these uniquely flavored meatballs are delicious.

Course Appetizer, Main Course
Keyword Masala Spice Tea

Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes

Servings 50 meatballs

Ingredients
2 tbsp Ground Masala Spice Mix Tea Use a spice grinder, mortar and pestle, or coffee grinder
2 lbs ground turkey
1 lb pork sausage
½ cup fresh chopped parsley
1 tsp chopped garlic
2 tsp kosher salt
½ cup bread crumbs
1 tbsp olive oil
Lemon Dill Yogurt Sauce
16 ounces Greek Yogurt
1 lemon, zested and juiced
1 tbsp dill

Instructions
Using grinder, prepare the Masala Spice Mix Tea. Grind into find powder.
Mix together turkey, pork sausage, spic mix, egg, ½ chopped parsley, garlic, salt, and bread crumbs.
Form small balls. Should make approximately 50 one inch meatballs.
In skillet, pour 1 tbsp of olive oil. Cook meatballs until browned.
Remove and allow to cool on cooling rack.
Lemon Dill Yogurt Sauce
Add lemon zest and juice and dill to yogurt. Stir to combine.
Serve alongside meatballs.

Notes
You can use other meats for this meatball – lamb or beef. I would add sausage as needed depending on the meat that you are using.
These meatballs are delicious served in pita breads or over rice.
This recipe freezes well.
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Beth 48 Comments
Recipes

Cranberry Orange Scones – A Variation on a Basic Recipe

October 12, 2020
If you follow me, you know that I write as I would cook or bake with the intent to give you the tools to do the same. You may already have them and scoot right to the recipe or you might think “I need some more information on how to do this.” This is just one of those recipes. Its taking a favorite basic scone recipe that I have used for several delicious scones and giving you another version. Welcome to Cranberry Orange Scones – a variation on a basic recipe.

For me, scones are tactile. By that, I mean you know by the feel in the dough that its just right. Bread bakers are the same. Once you get the sense of how that dough should feel, you are able to produce some amazing results of deliciousness!

I have a basic recipe that I use and I just add things to it. I have used it for Toffee Scones and Ham and Cheese Dill Scones. For this particular recipe, I did very little but just added a couple simple ingredients. Here’s what you will need to make these Cranberry Orange Scones – a variation on a basic recipe.

Ingredients
- All purpose flour
- Sugar
- Baking soda
- Baking powder
- Unsalted butter
- Vanilla
- Buttermilk
- Egg
- Orange (for orange zest and juice)
- Dried cranberries
- Powdered Sugar
As you know, I like to use my food processor a lot. This recipe works well for my scones. My food processor was a gift from my sister and brother-in-law and I send them a text “I love my food processor” every time I use it. It has now become code for “She’s baking again.”

These scones can absolutely be made with your hands. Just use bowls instead, of course your hands – the recipe will stay the same. And its best to get everything prepared ahead of time so the dough can come together quickly – keep that butter cold.

Putting the dry ingredients together

Place your flour, sugar, baking soda and baking powder in the bowl of the food processor. Pulse to combine.

Preparing the Liquid Ingredients

For a good flakey scone, the butter needs to be really cold. I will cut up the butter into cubes and then put it back into the refrigerator (sometimes even the freezer for a bit).

Take your buttermilk, egg and vanilla and mix that together. Set aside.
Now some comments on Buttermilk. Using buttermilk is great but I never use all the buttermilk in one setting. This is always my first choice. However, there are several things you can use as a substitute (vinegar, lemon and others). I will at times use a dried buttermilk product. This is the best that I have used. Now the instructions will tell you to mix with water – I like to substitute milk (not cream) instead. As an example, for this recipe you will need 1/2 cup of buttermilk. I measure out the 2 tablespoons of buttermilk powder, milk to the 1/2 mark and mix until well combined. I add my egg and vanilla and then I let it sit. It will get nice and thick and then ready to use. This product needs to be stored in your refrigerator but it a great option for your buttermilk needs. You can find it at most grocery stores in the baking aisle. The Saco Pantry website is full of additional ideas.

NOTE: There are other buttermilk options….I will be highlighting them in an upcoming post.

Zest your orange Juice the orange and reserve this for the glaze.

Putting the dough together

Add the orange zest to your flour mixture. Pulse to combine. This is one of my favorite steps for this recipe. When I take the lid of the processor off, you can smell the zest in the mixture. Its amazing

Place the chilled cubed butter in your food processor and pulse until it become pea sized lumps in the mixture. Generally two to three pulses depending on your food processor.

Now add the liquid mixture and pulse until it just begins to come together. Do not over process. Then add the cranberries and pulse again to slightly combine.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Here is where you can tell if your dough is correct. At first you will not think it will come together – but it definitely will. If its sticky, I will toss a little more flour on top of the dough and knead a couple times.

Form the dough into an 8 inch round. You are ready to cut and bake these delicious scones.

Baking and Serving

Preheat your oven to 450 degrees. Cut your scones into 8 triangles and place them on a prepared baking sheet. I use a silicon baking mat or you can use parchment paper. Place the scones in your oven for 15 minutes. Keep a close eye on them – they will start to brown quickly.
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Remove from the oven and allow to completely cool. Prepare you glaze while you wait.

Take one cup of powdered sugar and the reserved orange juice. Start with a tablespoon at a time, adding more juice until you reach the right consistency. For this recipe, you want your glaze to run like a stream off your spoon.
Drizzle over the cooled scone…..and get ready to enjoy! This glaze will harden as it continues to set and cool.

Like most of the other scones I make, these can be made ahead and frozen unbaked. Just bring to room temperature and bake as above. Or they can be frozen baked, brought to room temperature and warmed in a 350 degree oven.

I love to serve these scones (and really any scone) with curd, jam or cream, and of course with a nice cup of tea. But these scones are delicious just by themselves – the orange glaze has a tartness that sets off the sweetness of the scone. Breakfast, brunch or afternoon tea – these scones are an easy and delicious treat.

Try Cranberry Orange Scones – a variation on a basic recipe. And then you can try your own blend of ingredients!
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5 from 7 votes

Cranberry Orange Scones

This is a variation on a basic sweet scone, using dried cranberries and fresh orange. These scones are glazed with an orange glaze and will delight your breakfast or afternoon tea. The hint of tart orange flavor is pared beautifully with cranberries.

Course Scones
Keyword afternoon tea, afternoon tea scones, cranberry, cranberry orange scones, orange

Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
15 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes

Servings 8

Ingredients
2 cups all purpose flour
⅓ cup sugar
½ tsp baking soda
1½ tsp baking powder
6 tbsp unsalted butter Chilled and cut in cubes
½ cup buttermilk
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1 medium to large orange You will use zest and juice. You should have a nice tbsp of zest.
1 cup dried cranberries
Orange Glaze
1 cup powdered sugar
1-2 tbsp orange juice Add till you have a nice glaze consistency

Instructions
Preheat the oven to 450°. Prepare baking sheet with parchment paper or silicon mat
Add flour, baking soda, baking powder, and sugar to food processor. Pulse to combine.
Zest orange and add to flour mixture. Pulse to combine.
Add cold cubed butter and pulse until resembling pea sized pieces of butter and flour mixture.
In a separate small bowl, mix buttermilk, vanilla and egg.
Add liquids to flour mixture and pulse to combine, slightly forming a dough.
Add cranberries and pulse 2-3 times to combine. Do not over process.
Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead only to bring together. Form an 8 inch x 2 inch disc.
Cut into 8 triangles.
Place on baking sheet.
Bake at 450° for 15 minutes or until golden brown. Place on cooling rack.
Preparing the Orange Glaze
Juice the orange and retain 2 tbsp of juice.
Add to 1 cup of powdered sugar. Mix to form a glaze.
Apply to cooled scones.°

Notes
These scones can be made ahead of time and frozen unbaked. To bake, place in 450 degree oven for 15 minutes or until brown. You can bring them to room temperature or place in oven frozen.
These scones can also be frozen baked. Allow to come to room temperature and then warm in a 350 degree oven for 15 minutes or until warmed through.
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Beth 48 Comments
Enjoying Together

Fall Tea Tastings – A review of 4 great teas

October 5, 2020
The season of fall is upon us. You can smell the crispness in the morning, the leaves are beginning to change and the air is chilly and begs for a delicious cup of hot tea. So let’s look at some great fall teas. Here is Fall Tea Tastings – a review of 4 great teas.

I took a trip to one of my favorite tea shops, the New Mexico Tea Company.

You may remember, the New Mexico Tea Company has a great selection as well as these amazing tea illustrations on their packages. Prior to social distancing, you could browse the teas, smell and see each blend. However, at this time, I could only go into a vestibule where all the teas were listed in a catalog. Maybe not the same, but I walked away with an arm full of new teas to try. I did miss being able to smell and view the teas, but it obviously didn’t hinder my purchases.

I will be writing about four teas:
- Earl Grey Rooibos
- Dutch Licorice Rooibos
- Masala Spice Mix
- Pumpkin Spice
So as before, in this tasting, I followed the same process that I have shared outlined in Tea Tastings for the Daily Enthusiast.

I first viewed the loose leaf tea and smelled it. Then prepared a small pot, using one scoop (1 tablespoon) of tea to steep. My water was boiled to 212 degrees and I steeped as according to the recommendation and on the lower end of the range. I poured a cup to look at the brew, smelled it and then tasted it, progressing through any sweetening or milk.

Here are my observations and comments. These are only my opinion and others may have a completely different response to tasting these teas, which is absolutely the fun of this. A time when it really is all about you!

A note on Rooibos Teas

Before we get started, a little note on Rooibos. I enjoy Rooibos teas quite a bit. They are naturally decaffeinated, steep easily and produce a gorgeous rust brew. Rooibos is a member of the legume family of plants and is used to make a tisane (herbal tea). Commonly called african red tea, the product has been popular in South Africa for generations and is now consumed in many countries.

Earl Grey Rooibos

I am not a big fan of Earl Grey, as a black tea. I feel like it is a classic and that I should be. So I am constantly trying different blends and variations to see if I can find one that I enjoy. So seeing the Earl Grey Rooibos, I instantly wanted to give it a try. Like all Earl Grey teas, this tea is flavored with all natural Bergamot oil. Named after the 3rd Earl of Grey, this is one of many Earl Grey blends and reflects the South African flavors of Rooibos. The loose lea is very fragrant and is gorgeous.
Steeping and Serving

I steeped this tea for 5 minutes, the low end of the 5-7 minutes recommendations. The steep was very fragrant and revealed that classic Rooibos dark color. This is a great Earl Grey blend and I would drink this black, without any milk or sugar. Though still not a favorite, I did enjoy the tasting. I will be using this tea in some future baking – Earl Grey Shortbreads.
Earl Grey Rooibos served in an Art Deco Gladstone teacup.
Dutch Licorice Rooibos

I love black licorice and I love Rooibos. So seeing this combination, I was excited to try this tea. This tea contains Rooibos, sunflower petals, anise, and natural flavors. The smell of the loose leaf doesn’t have an overpowering smell of licorice and in fact the tea, once steeped doesn’t as well. But in tasting, there is this gentle flavor of anise that sits delicately on your tongue and you realize its licorice.
Steeping and Serving

I steeped this tea for 5 minutes, which is the low end of the Rooibos recommendations (5-7 minutes). The brew is a light golden amber with the classic Rooibos color and is smooth to taste. I would definitely drink this tea again, maybe with a little sugar. No milk as it masked the flavor of the anise.
Dutch Licorice Rooibos, served in Royal Chelsea English teacup.
Masala Spice Mix

Not an expert on heavy spiced teas or Chai, I was anxious to try this blend. This is Masala Spice Mix. Masala meaning any of a number of spice mixtures ground into a paste or powder for use in Indian cooking. This is a hearty blend of spices. This particular blend is considered herbal and caffeine free. It contains ginger, cinnamon, cardamom, clove and pepper. The loose leaf tea is gorgeous and you can easily see all the different spices and the pepper. When you smell this tea, it has a strong and pungent smell, highlighting the clove and the pepper. It is similar to Chai blends and in fact uses some of the same spices. As you smell this tea, you can imagine the arid environment of its history.
Steeping and Serving

As with the other teas, I steeped this for 5 minutes, though the recommendation is actually to simmer in water for 7 minutes. I found the brew to be light amber but strong in flavor. The pepper really came through. I would drink this with milk, sugar or preferably honey – it would bring out the richness of this tea and make it tremendously satisfying. This can be a strong tea and depending on your tastes, you will want to brew accordingly. Interestingly, I am also going to use this tea for some cooking and in particular with meats.
Masala Spice Mix served in a Coalport teacup
Pumpkin Spice

A fall tasting could not go without some kind of Pumpkin Spice tea and this one was no exception. I love all the spices of the fall and this tea did not disappoint. I also tried several other blends of Pumpkin Spice from different purveyors, but the one from New Mexico Tea Company was my favorite. This is a black tea with ginger root, cinnamon, cardamom, marigold petals and natural vanilla flavor. In its loose leaf form, it is the classic smell of autumn and is just beautiful.
Steeping and Serving

I steeped this tea for 4 minutes. For me, steeping the full 5 minutes had a bitter taste. The brew was a beautiful dark amber color and had an amazing smell reflecting the spices. I enjoyed this tea black with a little sugar (or not). Milk was fine to add but I didn’t want to mask the pumpkin spices. This was a favorite of mine for sure.
Pumpkin Spice served in a Royal Vale teacup
Another great tasting done with so many other teas to explore. With over 20,000 tea varieties in the world, there are tastings forever! Give it a try – you will enjoy the broad horizons of tea, in any form (I have hinted at some additional fun with tea in baking and cooking). While you are doing your tea tasting, grab a friend and remember to enjoy the experience and………….welcome to fall

Check out Teas The Season’s previous posts on tea tastings – Tea Tastings -An Adventure in Teas and Tea Tastings 2 – The Adventure Continues
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Beth 61 Comments