Heavenly Cream Tea Infused Shortbread
Every family has a collection of favourite holiday recipes that they enjoy together year after year, and one of our favourite festive activities is putting our own twist on those beloved classics. Today we're sharing a very special recipe that originally belonged to the grandmother of one of our staffers- Whipped Shortbread Snowballs!
This recipe is almost too simple, but the results are always fluffy, melt-in-your-mouth delicious! With only three main ingredients and minimal steps, they're just the treat for last minute gifting or rushed holiday get togethers. Of course we couldn't just make them in their original form though, so instead we opted for tea infused shortbread.
Usually the easiest way to infuse a recipe with tea is to steep it in whatever liquid the recipe calls for, but because shortbread traditionally doesn't require any liquids we had to get a bit more creative with this one. Nevertheless, it's still simple, fun to make, and delicious to devour with a cup of your favourite tea.
Oh, and need we mention it will make your entire home smell like butter, vanilla, and black tea?!
Ingredients //
1 cup of butter 1.5 cups of all purpose flour 1/2 cup of icing sugar 3 sachets of Sloane's Heavenly Cream Black Tea (or 6 teaspoons loose leaf) Festive sprinkles (optional)
Recipe //
1 // Pre-heat the oven to 325. Leave 3/4 of your cup of butter on the counter to soften, and place the other remaining 1/4 in a small saucepan.
2 // Melt the butter over medium heat, and when it has all liquified drop the teabags into the pot. Cover the teabags in butter with a spoon, ensuring they are "steeping" in the liquid, then gently press to release the flavour into the butter. Leave on the stovetop on low to steep for at least 5 minutes, then remove from heat and leave the tea in the pot until the butter has cooled. Gently press the tea bags to release any trapped liquid before removing them.
3 // Pour the tea-infused butter into a mixing bowl, and add all of the other remaining ingredients. Using an electric mixer, mix on high for at least ten minutes, or until the dough is extremely light and fluffy (ideally the consistency of marshmallow fluff)
4 // Once the dough is fluffy and whipped to perfection, place it in the fridge for about 10 minutes to cool. After it has cooled, drop balls of dough with a tablespoon onto a cookie sheet (non-greased) to create a "snowball" effect. Top each cookie with sprinkles of your choosing, or leave them plain if you prefer.
5 // Bake the cookies for about 15-20 minutes, or until the edges start to turn slightly golden. Remove from the oven, let cool, and serve with a cup of Heavenly Cream tea!
Photos: Paige