Description
These Earl Grey Sugar Cookies combine the fragrant floral notes of Earl Grey tea with a classic soft and chewy sugar cookie base. Rolled in granulated sugar and finished with a delicate lemon glaze, these cookies offer a perfect balance of citrusy tea flavor and sweet indulgence, ideal for teatime or dessert.
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 180 g all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 Earl Grey tea bag (cut open, or 1 tablespoon loose tea leaves)
Wet Ingredients
- 115 g unsalted butter (softened to room temperature)
- 150 g granulated sugar
- 50 g brown sugar
- 1 large egg (room temperature)
- 1 tablespoon vanilla paste
Coating and Glaze
- 30 g granulated sugar (for rolling)
- 40 g powdered sugar (for glaze)
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice (for glaze)
Instructions
- Mix dry ingredients: In a medium bowl, stir together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and the tea leaves from the Earl Grey tea bag. Set aside.
- Cream butter and sugars: Using an electric hand mixer in a large mixing bowl, beat the softened butter until very creamy and pale in color. Add the granulated sugar and brown sugar and continue creaming on medium speed until fluffy, about 3 minutes.
- Mix wet ingredients: Add the egg and vanilla paste to the creamed butter mixture and beat until fully combined.
- Combine dry and wet mixtures: Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and mix on low speed until just combined. Use a spatula to fold any remaining flour patches gently, avoiding overmixing.
- Scoop cookie dough: Line a small cutting board with parchment paper. Use a 4-tablespoon cookie scooper to portion out dough balls and place them onto the lined board.
- Chill dough balls: Refrigerate the cookie dough balls on the board for about 15 minutes until they are firm to the touch but not sticky.
- Prepare oven and baking sheet: Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Roll dough balls in sugar: Once chilled, roll each dough ball between your hands to shape into smooth balls. Then roll each ball in granulated sugar, coating evenly on all sides. Arrange the sugared balls on the prepared baking sheet, spaced about 2 inches apart to allow for spreading.
- Bake cookies: Bake for 11-12 minutes until edges are lightly golden but centers remain soft. The centers may appear slightly underbaked but will set to a chewy texture as they cool.
- Shape cookies: Immediately after removing from the oven, use a large cookie cutter or an upside-down bowl to gently swivel each cookie, pushing in any irregular edges to create perfectly round shapes.
- Cool cookies: Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for about 10 minutes before carefully transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Prepare lemon glaze: In a small bowl, mix together powdered sugar and lemon juice until the glaze forms a thick but pourable consistency.
- Drizzle glaze: Transfer the lemon glaze to a piping bag or use a spoon to drizzle it over the cooled cookies for a bright, tangy finish.
Notes
- Chilling the dough balls before baking helps prevent excessive spreading, keeping the cookies thick and chewy.
- Earl Grey tea leaves add a subtle citrus and bergamot flavor; ensure the leaves are finely crushed for even distribution in the dough.
- The lemon glaze can be adjusted in thickness by adding more powdered sugar for a thicker drizzle or more lemon juice to thin it.
- Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days to maintain freshness.
- For a stronger tea flavor, use two Earl Grey tea bags or increase loose tea leaves to 2 tablespoons.
