Earl Grey

I could start this post with dramatic satire like, "Quarantine Day 64. Remaining provisions: flour, butter, Earl Grey tea. We haven't seen another living human in weeks and the wolves were out again last night...", which would be less dramatic and satirical if we weren't actually on day 64 of quarantine.

If you, like me, have discovered that your tea cabinet contains 4 differing varieties of Earl Grey tea, and are lucky enough to have found flour at your local grocery store, please set your ovens and follow the instructions below...before they self-destruct, or something like that.

Earl Grey Shortbread
recipe slightly adapted from Claire Robinson

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons loose-leaf Earl Grey tea leaves (3-4 tea bags)
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, room temperature

1. 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 30-60 minutes.

2. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

3. Slice the log into 1/3-inch thick disks (or squares, depending on the shape of your log). Place on parchment or silpat lined baking sheets, 1 inch apart. Bake until the edges are just brown, about 15 minutes. Let cool on sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire racks and cool to room temperature.