Black tea squirrel cookies with rose icing
‘Tis the Season for holiday cookies! Did you know that historically cookies were meant to be displayed as decoration on the Christmas tree? How fascinating! Unfortunately, you won’t be able to decorate your tree with these cookies, they’re too delicious, they’re gonna be gone in no time!
You know me, I have to put tea in everything! I took a family butter cookie recipe and added finely ground Assam black tea leaves. I decorated my cookies with French meringue flavored with rose water and rose petals but you can use any type of icing or buttercream you like. The flavor combination of black tea and rose is a no-brainer (right?) but it’s one that never disappoints. If you choose the French meringue option, make sure your egg whites are pasteurized.
Black tea squirrel cookies with rose icing
Yields 2 dozens squirrel-shaped cookies
Ingredients:
2 cups (250 gr) all purpose flour
½ cup (100 gr) sugar
1 ½ sticks (150 gr) unsalted butter, room temperature
3 small egg yolks
1 ½ tablespoons Assam black loose tea leaves
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Pinch of salt
Icing flavored with rose water
Rose petals
Instructions:
In a mortar and pestle, finely grind the Assam tea leaves. Sift the flour in a large bowl, add sugar, salt and ground tea leaves. Add the butter and egg yolks and blend everything together with a pastry blender tool. Use your hands to quickly shape the dough into a ball and refrigerate for at least an hour. Preheat oven to 350 F (180 C). With a rolling pin roll out the dough to ½ inch (or a little less) thickness. I used my beloved squirrel cookie cutters. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Bake at 350 F for 15-17 minutes. Let cool on baking sheet. When completely cool, decorate with icing and rose petals. Serve with tea, of course!
What holiday cookies are you baking, dear tea friends? Let me know in the comments!
Happy holidays!
Well done, you reached the bottom of this post and you’re in for a little surprise. Let me tell you what really happened the day I tested this recipe, shot these photos and wrote this post. The composure and serenity of my words, photo styling and photos don’t give away anything. Self control level: master. Initially, I didn’t want to share this story, I was too ashamed of myself, but my friend The Lazy Literatus convinced me otherwise.
Geoffrey: You . . at your squirreliest, making squirrel cookies. Yep, totally a blog. (squirrely)
Anna: Eccentric and delirious. It's me.
That day I had dropped my phone on a sidewalk. A huge spiderweb crack, the cover was ruined. Otherwise, still perfectly functioning. I hated myself for being so clumsy. Desperate, I drowned my sorrow in the tea cookies I was testing and shooting. I switched the phone off and put it away in a drawer, I couldn’t bear the sight of it anymore. I’m a disaster. I’m switching back to my “older” phone, I never liked my new one anyway. Such a silly squirrel I am.
