Weather: 40’s, trees are budding What I’m listening to: Winter into Spring, George Winston
Although I have been a staunch coffee drinker for about 20 years, this winter and spring I have started drinking tea in the afternoons and evenings. Where coffee invigorates and heightens, tea centers and soothes. Perhaps this has something to do with my grandmother, who has always been the greatest lover of tea I know, and who has invariably had the same calming affect on me that tea does. There is something about the rattle and whistle of a kettle, the hot water soaking the tea leaves, the way a hot ceramic mug feels when clutched between two hands, and the fragrant steam of a steeping cup that altogether sets the world aright again.
Lately, my go-to afternoon beverage of choice has been a London Fog – a homemade cup of floral Earl Grey, a splash of mellowing vanilla, and a copious glug of cream. There hasn’t been a day so far this month that I haven’t enjoyed one. Those daily pick-me-ups are the inspiration for these delightfully chewy, crackly vanilla bean sugar cookies scented with Earl Grey tea leaves. They are subtle and beautiful and comforting the way lingering long over a cup of tea should be.
You can also find this recipe for Earl Grey Cookies in Alaska Dispatch News. One reader emailed me this review:
Yummmm! I made the cookies and they are definitely a keeper. My son and I thought they were delicious.
By the way….I read your column all the time and have tried various recipes, but this one is my favorite.
1/4 cup coarse sparkle sugar or turbinado sugar, for rolling
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a medium mixing bowl, stir together the flour, salt, baking soda and baking powder. Set aside. In the bowl of a stand-mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar. Add the egg yolks, vanilla and the contents of the two earl grey tea bags, beating until smooth, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed. Incorporate the flour mixture, mixing until just combined, being careful not to over mix.
Using a medium cookie scoop, portion out the cookies, rolling the dough into balls with your palms, and then rolling the balls in coarse sugar. Place the cookies on the cookie sheet, allowing room for the cookies to spread out some. Bake the cookies for 11-13 minutes for soft and chewy cookies (longer for firmer, crunchier cookies).
