date love knot cookies

Ingredients:

      Cookie Batter

• 1/2 cup softened butter or margarine (4 ounces)
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1/4 cup warm water (infused with 10oz of acerola cherry & fig tea)*
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 cups flour (rounded cups, don’t feel the need to level off the cup)
• 3/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt

Date Filling

• 6 ounces dates, cut up
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup warm water (us the same acerola cherry and fig tea from note)*

Preparation:

Bring dates, water (infused with tea), and sugar to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring frequently, until dates are thickened, about 5 to 7 minutes. Set aside to cool.

Cream butter and sugar; stir in egg, water (infused with tea), vanilla, flour, baking soda and salt. Drop cookie dough by teaspoonfuls onto a parchment lined cookie sheet. Place about 1/2 teaspoon of date mixture on the top of each cookie, then a small dab of cookie dough on top of the date mixture. Bake at 350° for 10 to 12 minutes.

tea shortbread

Ingredients:

• 2 Tbsp of dry tea crème earl grey (this can be omitted if you don’t want the tea in it) + 3Tbsp for the brewed tea
• 1 cup butter, chilled
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 1/2 cup icing sugar
• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 2 Tbsp brewed tea*

Preparation:

Set oven at 325° F.

*to brew the tea place 3Tbsp of crème earl grey tea in 1/3 cup of hot water, steep for 5 minutes, then strain and measure 2 Tbsp of the tea for the recipe.

Use food processor to blend chilled butter plus dry tea (if adding), icing sugar & cornstarch. Add half the flour amount and the brewed tea. Pulse gently until roughly cut into a “crumbly” texture. Blend in remainder of flour until it “balls” into a smooth dough. Roll in a wax paper log like frozen cookie dough. CHILL 30 MINUTES.

Cut into 1/2 inch circles, bake on a parchment lined cookie sheet until just golden on the bottom, approx 20 minutes. Cool before handling. Makes approx 30. Store in tight tin.