Meyer Lemon Earl Grey Shortbread

Take a break from the daily grind and sit down to tea time with some Meyer Lemon Earl Grey Shortbreads on the side.  

Meyer Lemon Earl Grey Shortbread from The Girl In The Little Red Kitchen

Anytime I tell people that I don’t drink coffee I’m met with a look of shock, awe and dismay.

“How do you survive?” That’s the question I get asked most.

I get by.  Trust me, some days I wish I had become I coffee drinker but at this point in my life that’s not going to happen.

Tea though, tea has always been friend.  From the days of imaginary tea parties, to sipping tea after dinner while watching television with my mom and hanging out at coffee shops while in high school.  Tea is what was always found in my mug.

Meyer Lemon Earl Grey Shortbread | girlinthelittleredkitchen.com

It wasn’t just the art or the taste of tea that interested me either, it was everything that went with it! The tea pots! The food! The British culture! Afternoon tea service! Did I mention the food?!

Oddly it took until my early twenties to finally sit down to a proper afternoon tea but once I did I was hooked.  Luckily I have a group of friends that love an afternoon of tea as much as me, so getting a group together to visit the Japanese tea houses, The Plaza or Alice’s Tea Cup was not a challenge.

Which is why I couldn’t refuse the offer to sit down and host my own tea party to try the new offerings by Lipton Teas.

Lipton is the tea you were guaranteed to find in my home growing up and probably still can today if you opened my parents pantry! However the new teas are definitely not what your mom or even grandmom grew up drinking!

With my teas in hand, I quickly shot off invitations to my friends to arrive for afternoon tea at my place.  In general afternoon tea doesn’t have to be a large or formal meal, which is why I love having friends over.  It’s finally a party I can cook ahead and enjoy myself at.

Lipton Tea Party Scones | girlinthelittleredkitchen.com

Most of the menu I was able to prepare ahead of time.  I prepared three types of scones – cream, savory bacon and cheddar and meyer lemon poppyseed all in advance.  They chilled in the refrigerator until about 30 minutes before tea time in order to be served warm to my guests.

The tea sandwiches were kept simple with smoked salmon and cream cheese, traditional cucumber and butter and some curried chicken salad.  Last but certainly not least there was dessert!  Probably my favorite part of tea after the scones!  Everything was laid out on a buffet for my guests to enjoy at their leisure with pots of tea brewed and ready for tasting.

We honestly couldn’t have asked for more relaxing afternoon of eating and tea drinking plus where else do you get to kick off your shoes and eat copious amounts of clotted cream? Only at home!

Lipton Tea Party Set Up | girlinthelittleredkitchen.com

Meyer Lemon Earl Grey Shortbread | girlinthelittleredkitchen.com

Lipton’s new black and herbal varieties and improved green teas refresh the tea experience with bold flavors like their Enticing Chair, Pure Green, Peach Mango and more you can find on their website.  Since I’m personally a herbal tea fan, I love the that they combine real ingredients with their best herbal tea blends to awaken the senses.

Of course now we can’t have tea without something to nibble on right?

Going back to those evening tea nights with my mom, she would always pull out a package of shortbread.  To me shortbread equals the perfect cookie to have with tea.  They are meant for dunking and considering they aren’t all that sweet, it’s the perfect compliment!

Now that Meyer Lemon season is fleeting, I figured it’s the perfect time to zest some of them into these shortbread for a citrusy scent, as well as some earl grey for a little extra tea kick! The shortbreads themselves are not sweet at all! Truly made to go along with your afternoon cuppa!

Meyer Lemon Earl Grey Shortbread
Save Recipe

Ingredients

  • 2 cups unbleached all purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1/2 cup confectioners sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 large egg yolk
  • zest from 1 meyer lemon
  • juice from 1/2 meyer lemon
  • 1 Earl Grey tea bag

Instructions

  1. In a medium bowl combine the flour and salt and set aside.
  2. In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment cream the butter and sugar until light and airy about 2-3 minutes.
  3. Add the egg and egg yolk, one and a time. At this point the dough may look curdled, scrape down the sides and beat in the meyer lemon zest, juice and tea leaves from the earl grey tea bag.
  4. Add the flour in two parts, mixing on medium and scraping down the bowl halfway through if necessary.
  5. Place the dough on a lightly floured surface and knead gently into a round disk.
  6. Wrap with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator to chill for 30 minutes to an hour.
  7. Remove from the fridge once chilled and roll out on a lightly floured surface until the dough is 1/4 inch thick.
  8. Heat your oven to 350 degrees and line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.
  9. Using a 1 1/2 inch to 2 inch sized round cookie cutter, cut out rounds from the shortbread dough.
  10. Gently re-roll the scraps and punch out more rounds.
  11. Bake the cookies for 12-14 minutes. You want the edges to be slightly brown but the tops will be pale.
  12. Let cool completely before serving or storing in an airtight container for 3-4 days.
  13. Cookies can always be baked ahead of time and frozen.
Recipe Type: Cookie
https://girlinthelittleredkitchen.com/2016/02/meyer-lemon-earl-grey-shortbread/

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

Meyer Lemon Earl Grey Shortbread | girlinthelittleredkitchen.com

Share:
Little Red Kitchen Bake Shop

2 thoughts on “Meyer Lemon Earl Grey Shortbread

Leave a Reply to Lori @ RecipeGirl Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *