I’ve been dreaming about Lady Grey – Candied Bergamot cookies, as well as a plain bergamot ones. Shortbread is my go to, and this time, I’m taking my inspiration from:
- Crowded Kitchen’s Slice and Bake Panettone Shortbread Cookies – using icing sugar
- The Scran Line’s Chocolate Shortbread – primarily shaping my dough into a rectangle, then slicing – so so pretty! I wasn’t successful on my quest though!
Ingredients
- 6 teabags of Lady Grey, divided
- 1/4 scant cup granulated white sugar
- 1 cup (1/2 pound, 227g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1/2 cup icing sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla powder or 1 teaspoon extract
- 1 teaspoon Fiori di Sicilia
- 1 teaspoon Bergamot extract
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 2 cups (240g) all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons candied bergamot, optional
Directions
In a spice blender, combine the leaves of 4 teabags, and granulated white sugar. Blitz until well combined, speckled, and it is the consistency of powdered sugar.
You can do this by hand, with a mixer – hand or stand, or in the food processor. I went the latter route.
In a food processor, combine 1/4 cup of the tea-sugar, butter, and icing sugar. Blitz until combined, lighter in color, speckled, and a touch fluffy, about 2 minutes. Stop 2 or 3 times to sweep the sides in with a spatula.
Add the vanilla powder or extract, Fiori di Sicilia, bergamot extract, and salt, and blitz again to combine, about 1 minute.
Add the flour, and candied bergamot then blitz, until it mostly comes together. Gently mix with a spatula.
Divide the dough into two logs, or like I did – 1 log, and 1 slab.
This made 12 cookies | Dough #1 – For the sugar-crusted log, set out a large piece of parchment, enough to wrap the dough. Combine the rest of the tea-sugar and the contents of the remaining 2 Lady Grey teabags. Spread out to make a bed. Add the dough and roll into a tight, smooth log, about 2 inches in diameter, and 10 inches long.
This made 10 cookies | Dough #2 – set out parchment. Put the dough on top and shape the dough into a rectangle/ slab, about 3 inches wide, 8 inches long, and 1 inch high.
Wrap and chill the dough packets for 1 hour to overnight. You might need to let them soften a touch, the longer you refrigerate.
When ready to bake, remove the dough packets from the fridge – allow soften if needed.
Preheat the oven to 325°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
Slice the chilled, sugar-crusted log into ½-inch rounds. There is often a flat side that you could gently shape so the cookies are round. Slice the slab into ½-inch rectangles, gently shaping. With a skewer, poke 3 holes down the centre line, being sure to turn the skewer each time.
Place the cookies onto the trays, 1 inch apart and bake for 15 to 18 minutes, until the bottoms are lightly golden but tops remain pale. Cool the cookies on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.
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