Earl Grey Tea Cookies

These are definitely fancy cookies- they'd be great for gifts or Christmas, but they're definitely nice for just at home with a cup of tea. Great for tea lovers! They're really pretty, grainy looking, slightly crunchy cookies with a wonderful taste! The flavour is very unique- almost vanilla-almondy, although neither are part of the recipe. The Earl Grey is just smashing. This is a recipe I adapted from the Martha Stewart Website.

• Ready In: 35 mins
• Serves: 30
• Yields: 30 cookies

Ingredients

• 1⁄2-2⁄3 cup sugar (white or brown)
• 2  cups whole wheat flour
• 3⁄4 cup butter or 3⁄4 cup margarine, at room temperature
• 3  pinches salt
• 1  egg
• 1⁄2  an orange, zest of (1 1/2-2 tsp.)
• 1 1⁄2 tablespoons  tazo earl grey  tea leaves (about 4 bags)

Directions

1. First, mix up the flour, tea leaves, salt, and sugar.
2. Using an electric mixer, add in the butter or margarine, and then add the egg and orange zest. The mixture should be moist but clumpy.
3. Now, you can either make hand-formed cookies here, or follow the next 2 steps.
4. Lightly flour a clean surface, and pat the dough into a circle 1/4" thick.
5. Using cookie-cutters, cups or whatever, carefully cut out the cookies and place them on a greased or covered cookie sheet.
6. Bake for 13-15 minutes until edges are lightly browned at 350ºF.
7. Let cool and enjoy!