Old Lady Gray – Tea Infused Shortbread

This weekend, A Food Coma was featured in a New York Times article about New Jersey food bloggers and restaurant reviews. I’m so proud of all the bloggers mentioned and unbelievably honored to be a part of this group; F. Scott & Zelda, Jersey Bites, John and Lisa are Eating In South Jersey, Off the Broiler, and South Jersey Locavore. But the list goes on (and on and on), with people far more talented than I am.

The local food scene is completely exploding, in a very delicious way. Having spent the past twenty years living and growing here, I can say that New Jersey is a beautiful place. There’s a richness that I took for granted until I left and returned.

The article calls us “vibrant” and that’s exactly true. We are a colorful and dynamic bunch. Or shall I say…zesty?

I can’t really wrap my head around this. So I turned to my kitchen, once again, to show me how to express what I’m feeling.

Thank you Tammy. Thank you New Jersey. Thank you to every single person who has ever clicked on this blog and had a look around. You make a young girl feel alive.

These biscuits are infused with Lady Grey tea and made with a mix of white and wheat flours. They’ve got this beautiful floral aroma and a crumbly feel that goes well with a good cup of tea. They’re more like English digestive biscuits than traditional shortbread cookies.

There’s also an interesting technique used to roll them out, which I learned from Smitten Kitchen‘s recipe for espresso chocolate chip shortbread. The dough is placed inside a ziplock bag, then rolled out evenly. Then all you need to do is cut the bag open and slice the shortbread. No mess involved.

Do you like my makeshift rolling pin? You can use Earl Grey tea if you prefer, I just like the spin on the NYT nickname.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to resume jumping up and down and squealing from excitement.

You understand, right?

Lady Grey Tea Shortbread

Ingredients

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 cup white flour

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup unsalted butter, cut into 1″ pieces

1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

2 1/2 tbsp loose leaf Earl Grey or Lady Grey tea, finely ground

Directions

Combine flours, sugar and salt. Using a mixer or your hands, cut in butter until a soft, crumbly dough forms. Add vanilla and tea, then mix again. Knead with your hands until everything in well combined.

Place dough in a ziplock bag and chill for 30 minutes. Push all the dough to the bottom of the bag, force the air out, then roll flat with a rolling pin. You want the dough to be an even thickness throughout. Cut open the bag (cutting each side then peeling apart works best). Measure and slice the dough into even squares. Using a spatula, arrange on an ungreased baking sheet.

Preheat oven to 350 F. Bake biscuits for 18-20 minutes, until golden. Place them on a cooling rack and allow to cool completely before eating.