Lemon Earl Grey Shortbread Oatmeal Cookies
Crisp and buttery Lemon Earl Grey Shortbread Cookies with a hint of tea, and a hint of lemon. I also made these with brown sugar which helps deepen the flavours in these cookies plus I added some oats which adds to the crips texture and nutty flavour of these beauties too. Adding edible flowers to them is fun and makes them the perfect subtly sweet treat for your afternoon tea, showers, cookie swaps or edible gifts.
Shortbread Cookies have always been my weakness. They are just simple buttery and pure deliciousness. I really cant resist. They are the perfect pick me up with tea or coffee. I’m a big fan of combining flavours in baked goods and earl grey is one flavour I love in all forms. It has a very nice floral scent and flavored with a hint of citrus and so I love to pair it with lemon like I did in these shortbread cookies. The flavors can be as subtle or strong as you like in these cookies. I put a range in the recipe between 1-2 tablespoons of each lemon zest and earl grey tea. You decide how strong you want the flavours to be. I used loose leaf tea in my cookies and just ground it up a little with a pestle and mortar, but you could also give it a quick whiz in your coffee grinder, or even a mini food processor or chopper. If you use earl grey from a tea bag you don’t have to grind it because it’s usually already ground.
I teamed up with Bob’s Red Mill and their Oatmeal Packets to share a recipe using their oat packets. They are just the most convenient, quick and easy way to make oatmeal in the morning but they also make a great addition to these shortbread cookies. I love the texture they add to short bread. The oats add a nutty flavor to this shortbread and it reduces the gluten development, which gives it a more tender, crumbly texture. It is only lightly sweetened and full of rich buttery flavor. Bobʼs Oatmeal Packets come in three flavors. I used the original in this recipe. They are 100% whole grain, vegan, gluten-free, non-GMO project verified and kosher. They come in 8 handy packs with are a quick and easy way to make a nutritious breakfast and are also great added to your baked goods.
How to make lemon earl grey shortbread oatmeal cookies
This oatmeal shortbread is so easy. You don’t need a food processor but if you happen to have one, you can mix the batter right in the processor bowl. If you don’t have a food processor, no problem. There are a few ways to mix the shortbread batter and each method comes out perfectly. I used a hand mixer but you can also use a standing mixer or a pastry cutter too. It only takes 5 to 6 minutes to mix up the batter then the oven does all the work. You will be rewarded with a tender, crisp, and insanely addictive shortbread. Once you have your batter mixed you just roll it out between 2 sheets of parchment paper and then use a cookie cutter to cut out your cookies. Any left over dough can be gathered and rolled out again and recut until you are left with no more dough. Transfer the cookies to a lined baking sheet and chill for approx 20 minutes and then bake.
Tips for making the perfect lemon earl grey shortbread cookies
- Don’t overwork the dough and the less it’s handled the better so the cookies don’t become tough. When I make cutout cookies, I try to cut as many cookies as I can the first time, so I only regather the scraps and reroll the dough once.
- Use good quality butter that you love since it’s a really a big part of shortbread cookies
- Roll out the dough before resting it in the fridge – I know that this might mean working quickly especially if you are making them on a warm day. But trust me it will be easier to roll the dough out once its mixed as opposed to dough that has been chilling. A tip to help with this is rolling the dough out between two pieces of parchment paper. That way there is no dough sticking to the rolling pin or the counter top even if it does soften a little while rolling it out. It also makes it easier to transfer or slide the dough onto a sheet pan.
- Cut out the cookies after the dough has been rolled out but if you find your dough is starting to get a bit sticky it would be a good idea to chill it in the fridge or freezer for few minutes which will help you cut them out easier and transfer them to a baking sheet after.
- At any point if your dough gets sticky or a bit warm - dont sweat it. Simply pop the cookies back in the fridge or freezer for a few minutes to cool then you can continue working with it.
Short bread cookies with edible flowers
Now here’s the fun part. I thought it would be a great idea to use edible flowers to decorate my cookies. I tried two methods. Placing the flowers on the cookies before baking and after. You can use either method. placing them on before they bake, bakes them into the cookies more but they lose almost all of their colour and vibrancy. Placing them on after maintains their vibrancy. Placing them on as soon as they come out of the oven while they are still hot helps them adhere. I used pansies and violets. You can use any edible flowers available for this recipe. However, please be careful! Do your homework and make sure your flowers are safe for shortbread cookies (here’s a handy link).
How to Store Shortbread Cookies
Shortbread is a great cookie-jar cookie, because they keep well at room temperature for several days. These cookies also freeze well, and I freeze them in a freezer bag that I have pressed as much air out of as possible. They will keep for a 1-2 months. If you likes this Shortbread recipe you will love these:
- Jam Drop Shortbread Cookies
- Chocolate Dipped Tahini Shortbread Cookies
- Greek Almond Shortbread Butter Cookies (Kourabiethes)
- Brown Butter Earl Grey Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
I have partnered up with Bob’s Red Mill to bring you this fabulous recipe, but all opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting Olive & Mango.
Recipe
Ingredients
- 8 oz. (1 cup/2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch pieces
- ½ cup packed light or dark brown sugar
- 1-2 tablespoons earl grey loose leaf
- 1-2 tablespoons lemon zest
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 10 oz. (2-¼ cups) all-purpose flour
- ½ cup quick-cooking oats (I used 2 packs of Bob’s Red Mill Oatmeal)
- 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
- 18-24 edible organic pansies or violets (optional for decoration)
Directions
- Line two baking sheets with parchment.
- Combine the butter, brown sugar, lemon zest, earl grey and salt in a stand mixer bowl (use the paddle attachment) or a large mixing bowl, or you can use a hand held mixer. Mix on low speed until the butter combines with the sugar but isn’t perfectly smooth, 1 to 2 min.
- Add the flour, vanilla and oats and mix on low speed, scraping the bowl frequently, until the dough has just about pulled together, about 3 min; don’t overmix.
- Roll: Roll out between two pieces of parchment paper, roll the dough to about ¼ inch thick. Aim for a uniform thickness to ensure even baking. Use a cookie cutter to cut out cookies if dough has not softened or transfer to baking sheet and place in the fridge or freezer to chill for a few minutes before cutting to help make it easier.
- Once cut chill cookies for approx 15-20 minutes in the fridge or freezer while you preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Then bake for 18-20 min or until edges are golden and cookies are set.
- Remove the tray from the oven and gently press the pansies onto the hot cookies, pressing slightly to adhere the flowers to the cookies. Don’t press too hard, the heat of the cookies will do the job. Let the cookies cool completely on a rack.
- Note: the cookies will be soft when they come out of the oven, but will firm up as they cool.
Recipe Notes
- Making these in the food processor: If you are using a food processor, add all the ingredients in except for the butter and pulse a few times. Add the butter and blend the ingredients together by pulsing the food processor. The batter should come together in a smooth mass.
- The lemon and earl grey flavourings are optional - you can use any flavour you like. These would be great with cinnamon or other warming spices and even some chocolate chips.
- The flowers are completely optional but a fun way to gussy these cookies up.
