Earl Grey Woodland Cookie Cottage Food

EARL GREY SHORTBREAD COOKIES

Steps:

• In a food processor, pulse together the flour, tea, and salt, until the tea is just spotted throughout the flour. Add the confectioners' sugar, vanilla, and butter. Pulse together just until a dough is formed. Place dough on a sheet of plastic wrap, and roll into a log, about 2 1/2-inches in diameter. Tightly twist each end of wrap, and chill in refrigerator for 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
• Slice the log into 1/3-inch thick disks. Place on parchment or silpat lined baking sheets, 2 inches apart (2 probably needed depending on size of sheets). Bake until the edges are just brown, about 12 minutes. Let cool on sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire racks and cool to room temperature.

EARL GREY TEA COOKIES

Steps:

• Place tea bag in a 1-cup glass measuring cup. Add boiling water; steep 3-5 minutes. Discard tea bag. Cool completely., Preheat oven to 400°. In a small bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, 5-7 minutes. Beat in egg and cooled tea. In another bowl, whisk flour, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, cardamom and salt; gradually beat into creamed mixture., Shape level tablespoons of dough into balls; place 2 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Flatten slightly with bottom of a glass., Bake 6-8 minutes or until light brown. Remove to wire racks to cool completely. Mix confectioners' sugar and remaining cinnamon. Dust cookies with cinnamon mixture.

EARL GREY WOODLAND COOKIE COTTAGE

Steps:

• Cottage: Let dough stand at room temperature until pliable. On separate lightly floured pieces of parchment, roll out each rectangle of dough about 1/8 inch thick. Transfer dough on parchment to baking sheets and refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes.
• Place templates on top; cut out all shapes with a sharp paring knife. Transfer panels to parchment-lined baking sheets and refrigerate until firm. Meanwhile, reroll scraps 1/8-inch thick and refrigerate until firm. Using a ruler and a pizza cutter or sharp paring knife, slice 20 "timbers," each 1/4-inch thick, from rerolled dough.
• Transfer timbers to another parchment-lined baking sheet and refrigerate until firm, about 15 minutes. (Try to arrange timbers to be as straight as possible; if too soft, refrigerate until firm, then transfer to sheet.)
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Using the side of a ruler, score 9 horizontal lines on each roof piece of dough (making an impression but not cutting all the way through). Using the dull side of a butter knife, create "shingles" by making vertical marks every 1/2 inch, staggering with each row.
• Bake 2 sheets of panels at a time, rotating once, until edges turn light golden, 14 to 16 minutes. Bake timbers until edges turn light golden, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer baked pieces to a wire rack; let cool completely.
• Caramel Windows and Door Pane: Place 2 wall templates and front template under parchment or 2 silicone baking mats (for added texture); this will be your guide. Pour 1/2 cup water into a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan. Add 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until sugar has dissolved and syrup is clear.
• Continue to cook, without stirring, but washing down sides of pan with a wet pastry brush two or three times to prevent crystals from forming, until syrup comes to a boil. Let boil, swirling pan occasionally, until light amber, 7 to 8 minutes. Remove from heat.
• Using a small dry measuring cup, pour enough caramel onto parchment to extend about 1/2 inch beyond each window or door frame on template. Let cool completely, about 15 minutes.
• Fill a piping bag fitted with a small round tip (such as Ateco #4) with royal icing. Using a serrated knife, gently cut timbers with a sawing motion to create design for each panel. (Refer to template.) Pipe back of each timber with royal icing; attach in place. Pipe a thin line of royal icing around perimeter of each caramel window or door pane; press gently to secure to inside of corresponding panel. Let icing set completely, about 1 hour.
• Assembly: Make another batch of caramel, following instructions in step 3. Dip one side edge of a wall panel in it; allow excess to drip off. Working quickly (before caramel hardens), join coated edge of wall panel to front panel, forming a corner; press firmly to adhere. Repeat with remaining wall panel and back panel. (You will now have 2 corner pieces.)
• Using a pastry brush, brush edge of each wall panel with caramel; press firmly to adhere to front and back panels. (You will now have a square house; if at any point during assembly caramel begins to harden, gently reheat over low.) Brush more caramel over top edges of back and front panel. Immediately attach roof pieces to coated panels, making sure they are centered and evenly aligned (there should be an overhang of about 1/2 inch). Let cool completely, about 30 minutes.
• Transfer cottage to a large platter or cake stand. To illuminate, set LED votives inside. Pour sanding sugar around cottage, creating deeper "snowdrifts" by walls. Sift confectioners' sugar over roof. Arrange rosemary trees and gum-paste mushrooms around cottage. Hang thyme wreath using bakers' twine or fishing line.

EARL GREY COOKIES

Steps:

• Combine the all-purpose flour, butter, confectioners' sugar, almond flour, tea leaves, orange zest, vanilla, salt and almond extract in a food processor and pulse just until a dough forms. Turn out on a lightly floured piece of plastic wrap and gently press into a 1-inch-thick disc. Chill for 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line 2 sheet pans with parchment paper.
• Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface to 1/4 inch thick and cut with a 3 1/2-inch scalloped cutter or desired cutter. Sprinkle the top of the cookies with sanding sugar. Bake just until the edges are lightly golden, 7 to 12 minutes depending on the size of the cookies. Let cool on the sheet pans.

EARL GREY TEA COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°F
• Pulse together all the dry ingredients in a food processor until the tea leaves are pulverized.
• Add vanilla, water, and butter; pulse together until a dough is formed.
• Divide the dough in half, placing each half on a sheet of plastic wrap.
• Roll each half into a 12-inch log.
• Wrap and chill for 30 minutes.
• Slice each log into 1/3 inch thick pieces.
• Place on baking sheets lined with parchment paper or foil, 2 inches apart.
• Bake until the edges are just brown, about 12 minutes.
• Let cool on sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire racks.

EARL-GREY SUGAR-COOKIE DOUGH

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, tea, baking powder, and salt. In a stand mixer bowl fitted with paddle attachment, beat butter with sugar on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Reduce speed to low; gradually add flour mixture.
• Turn out dough; divide into 4 pieces. Flatten each into a rectangle and wrap in plastic. Refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour and up to 2 days.

CHOCOLATE EARL GREY COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Cream together butter, sugar, and tea. Beat in vanilla, then eggs, one at a time until incorporated. Sift together flour, cocoa powder, and baking powder; fold into egg mixture until just mixed.
• Drop cookies by rounded tablespoonfuls onto a ungreased cookie sheets.
• Bake in preheated oven for 8 minutes.

EARL GREY TEA COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Lightly spray a baking sheet with cooking spray.
• Combine flour, white sugar, confectioners' sugar, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. Cut open tea bags and mix tea leaves evenly into the flour mixture.
• Add butter, eggs, water, and vanilla extract to the flour mixture. Mix with an electric mixer or rubber spatula until dough comes together.
• Roll dough into balls and shape into 2-inch cookies on the prepared baking sheet.
• Bake in the preheated oven until edges are light brown, about 12 minutes. Cool cookies for 5 minutes before serving.