Earl Grey Shortbread Cookies with Lemon Glaze Recipe (2024)

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Last week, I shared a round up of some of my favorite Holiday cookies recipes. This week, I’ve got something new for you: Earl Grey Shortbread Cookies with Lemon Glaze.

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Earl Grey Shortbread Cookies with Lemon Glaze Recipe (1)

I recently posted this recipe on Instagram, and it got such an amazing response, I thought I’d turn it into a full article here on Kitchen Konfidence. These shortbread cookies are a simple mix of butter, sugar, vanilla, flour, salt and loose earl grey tea. Everything comes together in a stand mixer, then the dough is rolled into two logs and chilled until firm. Slice the cookies into rounds and bake until just golden at the edges. Each tender shortbread cookie is buttery and rich with sweet notes of vanilla, black tea and bergamot. They’re delicious as is, but I’ve added an easy lemon glaze to take things to the next level. Jorge and I have seriously been eating these for breakfast, after lunch and for dessert at night. SO tasty. Continue reading for the recipe.

Earl Grey Shortbread Cookies with Lemon Glaze Recipe (2)

These earl grey shortbread cookies are pretty straight forward. The only “trick” here is that the butter needs to be room temperature before creaming. This doesn’t mean you leave the butter out for 15 minutes on the counter. The butter needs to sit out for several hours to come up to temperature. This is a detail I often overlook, and luckily I’ve got a method to speed up the process.

Earl Grey Shortbread Cookies with Lemon Glaze Recipe (3)

Here’s how to quickly soften butter:

  1. Cut butter into tablespoon slices and stand each slice upright on a small plate. The slices should be separated from each other. Set aside.
  2. Fill a small bowl with water and microwave until hot and steaming (3 to 4 minutes).
  3. Place the plate of butter in the microwave next to the bowl of steaming water, and let sit until the butter is soft.Do not turn on the microwave.
  4. The butter should be soft in 15 – 20 minutes.
Earl Grey Shortbread Cookies with Lemon Glaze Recipe (4)

Earl Grey Shortbread Cookies with Lemon Glaze Recipe (5)

Earl Grey Shortbread Cookies with Lemon Glaze

by Brandon Matzek

4.16 from 25 votes

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Ingredients

For the shortbread cookies:

  • 2 cups all purpose flour
  • 2 tablespoons loose earl grey tea
  • 1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
  • 2 sticks (1 cup, 8 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla

For the glaze:

  • 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
  • 2 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon melted butter
  • 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
  • Pinch of fine grain sea salt

Instructions

  • In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, earl grey tea and salt. Set aside.

  • In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar and medium until light and fluffy (about 2 minutes). Add vanilla and mix just until incorporated. Scrape down the sides, then add the dry ingredients. Start the mixer on low, then increase to medium. Beat just until a crumbly dough forms. Do not overmix!

  • Turn the dough out on to a work surface and shape into 2 logs 2-inches in diameter. As you are shaping the logs, the dough will crumble and break. Just keep on pressing and rolling until it comes together. Wrap the logs in plastic wrap and freeze until hard (30 – 40 minutes). At this point you can keep the dough in the freezer for up to 3 days.

  • When ready to bake, preheat an oven to 350°F and place a rack in the middle position. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

  • Working with 1 log at a time, slice into 1/3-inch round cookies, and arrange on the prepared baking sheets. You should be able to fit around 18 per sheet. If a cookie crumbles as you are slicing, just press it back into a round shape. Working in batches, bake for 13 – 15 minutes until the cookies are lightly browned around the edges. Let cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheet, then transfer to a cooling rack.

  • To make the glaze, add all the glaze ingredients to a medium bowl, and whisk until smooth. Once the cookies have cooled completely, brush glaze on each cookie.

Tried this recipe?Tag @brandiego on Instagram so I can check it out!

121

Brandon

I’m Brandon: food explorer, recipe curator, co*cktail shaker, dessert lover. Kitchen Konfidence is how I document my time spent in my favorite space, the kitchen. Did you make a recipe? Tag @brandiego on Instagram so I can see the how it went!

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Antoinette Amaral says

    Earl Grey Shortbread Cookies with Lemon Glaze Recipe (11)
    Just made these and they’re delicious, I love a lemon glazed icing. Are they caffeinated? I’ve been researching and can’t find an answer on caffeine levels of baked goods with tea.

    Reply

    • Brandon Matzek says

      Hi Antoinette, I am so glad you like the cookies! I do believe they are caffeinated.

      Reply

  2. Jody says

    So do you slice the logs while frozen?

    Reply

    • Brandon Matzek says

      Yes! They should still be fairly easy to slice.

      Reply

  3. Kalyna says

    Does the glaze dry and harden? Or is it a sticky glaze? Would this sit easily in a box for transport once glazed?

    Reply

    • Brandon Matzek says

      The glaze should dry and harden. You can use a little less lemon juice for a thicker glaze if you’d like. Enjoy!!

      Reply

  4. angel says

    Earl Grey Shortbread Cookies with Lemon Glaze Recipe (12)
    Hi! These cookies are heavenly but I find that every time I make them my cookies flatten.

    Reply

    • Brandon Matzek says

      Hi Angel! So glad you are enjoying this recipe. Usually when cookies flatten, it’s an issue with the fat content (in this case, butter). Are you using room temperature butter? If it’s too soft, the cookies will flatten. Also, are you freezing them until hard? This will help keep them from spreading. If you are still having issues, you could perhaps freeze the dough again after you slice the cookies. So take the log out of the freezer, slice cookies, place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet, put the baking sheet in the freeze for 15 minutes, then bake using the provided instructions. If these solutions don’t work, my last suggestion would be to add a bit more flour. I hope this helps!

      Reply

Leave a Reply

Earl Grey Shortbread Cookies with Lemon Glaze Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What's the difference between Scottish shortbread and regular shortbread? ›

As mentioned above, the main differences between the two styles of cookies are butter content and inclusion of leavening agents. These differences result in very different texture and taste experiences. No matter your preference, you can be sure to get a quality product from Walkers Shortbread.

How much lemon to put in Earl Grey tea? ›

So, if you are looking for a more "traditional" way to serve Earl Grey tea, try a classic Earl Grey blend like Mindful Morning and add a squeeze of lemon and a spoonful of sugar (or better yet, infused sugar).

Why do you put shortbread in the fridge before baking? ›

Why do you put shortbread cut-out cookies in the fridge before baking? This is to resolidify the butter. The butter is at room temperature when making the dough resulting in a soft dough. If baked straight away, the butter would melt away immediately when hitting the hot oven and the shortbread would spread.

What is the difference between a butter cookie and shortbread cookie? ›

As the name suggests a butter cookie has a high proportion of butter. However, unlike a shortbread the amount of flour and sugar used is increased meaning they hold their shape more effectively.

What are common mistakes when making shortbread? ›

The most common mistakes when making shortbread are over-working the dough, and incorporating too much flour. The less you work the dough, the more crumbly and melt-in-your-mouth your shortbread cookies will be.

What is the secret to good shortbread? ›

Tips To Make the Best Shortbread Cookies
  • Choose High Quality Butter. No matter what brand of butter you buy, if it's real butter, you can rest assured that it's the best. ...
  • Keep Ingredients Simple. ...
  • Add Flavor. ...
  • Don't Overwork. ...
  • Shape Dough. ...
  • Chill Before Baking. ...
  • Bake Until Golden. ...
  • Add Finishing Touches.

Do Brits put milk in Earl Grey? ›

Traditionally, Earl Grey tea is served with a slice of lemon and sugar to taste. According to YouGov, a massive 85% of British Earl Grey and English breakfast tea drinkers enjoy their tea with milk. In the US, they like to add milk and sugar to their Earl Grey tea.

Does Earl Grey and lemon go together? ›

Americans typically drink their Earl Grey with milk and sugar, but Chatterton prefers it the British way — with lemon and sugar.

Can you oversteep Earl Grey tea? ›

For instance, if you over steep an Earl Grey tea, which is a flavored black tea blend with light bergamot citrus and a floral note, then the astringency and tannins in the black tea will overpower the delicate citrus and florals until it tastes too acidic or chalky instead of delicately smooth.

Why poke holes in shortbread? ›

The word "bread" comes from "biscuit bread" which was made from leftover bread dough that was sweetened and dried out in the oven to make biscuits. Why do you poke holes in shortbread? The holes allow the moisture to escape during baking and more even heat distribution. This helps dry out and crisp up the cookies.

Why use unsalted butter in shortbread? ›

Use unsalted butter for balanced flavour. Unsalted butter was traditionally used in baking because it was a superior product to salted - salt is used as a preservative so unsalted butter was thought to be fresher.

Should butter be hard or soft for shortbread? ›

Fine Cooking explains that the butter should be at refrigerator temperature. While many cookie recipes call for softened butter or at room temperature, if your butter isn't cold when making shortbread, it's likely to turn out greasy or be difficult to roll out.

Is salted or unsalted butter better for shortbread cookies? ›

If you don't have salted butter, unsalted butter will also work, simply add about ¼ teaspoon of salt to the cookie dough. The reason the salt is needed is because salt brings out the flavor in the cookies, without it, your cookies will taste bland.

Are chessmen butter cookies shortbread? ›

What makes Pepperidge Farms' Chessmen cookies so addictive? - Quora. They are shortbread cookies and shortbread is made with an arcane type of magic that makes you want to inhale them and go back for more.

Is butter or margarine better for shortbread? ›

Shortbread relies on really good-quality unsalted butter for its flavour, so don't skimp on this and never use margarine! The high butter (or shortening ) content helps to keep the gluten in the flour short and soft. But, for that delectable, friable texture, it's also important to keep a light hand.

Why is it called Scottish shortbread? ›

Shortbread originated in Scotland. Although it was prepared during much of the 12th century, and probably benefited from cultural exchange with French pastry chefs during the Auld Alliance between France and Scotland, the refinement of shortbread is popularly credited to Mary, Queen of Scots in the 16th century.

What are the 3 traditional shapes of shortbread? ›

Shortbread is traditionally formed into one of three shapes: one large circle divided into segments (“Petticoat Tails”); individual round biscuits (“Shortbread Rounds”); or a thick rectangular slab cut into “fingers.”

What is Scottish shortbread made of? ›

Did you know Scottish shortbread is made from just 3 ingredients? Butter, flour, and sugar. No leavening agent (like baking powder) is needed. This is excellent news for bakers everywhere.

What is the new name for shortbread? ›

ABC Bakers - Did you hear the news?! Shortbread is now Trefoils®! | Facebook.

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