Milk/Cream
by: TheRunawaySpoon
February19,2013
4
1 Ratings
- Makes about 3 dozen
Jump to Recipe
Author Notes
The flavor of sweet tea is the flavor of the south -- with the wafting aroma of mint and the tang of lemon, with that tooth-achingly sweet depth. I love to transform those flavors into many forms, from bourbon punches to sorbet to these cookies. They are redolent with those iconic flavors. The texture of these cookies is really that of a classic Southern tea cake, but I just couldn’t bring myself to call them Sweet Tea Tea Cakes. I can imagine nibbling these with a glass of sweet tea punch in my best flowery dress on a country veranda, surrounded by azaleas and magnolias, though I’ll admit it has been awhile since I’ve done anything like that. These cookies also share that amazing Southern trait of adaptability. These fit in anywhere. Serve these cookies on your best silver tray lined with a linen doily or pack them in a brown bag for a tailgate. Perfect for a ladies' luncheon or a backyard barbecue. Just like that string of your grandmother’s pearls. —TheRunawaySpoon
Test Kitchen Notes
WHO: TheRunawaySpoon is a food writer who is happiest in the kitchen.
WHAT: A cakey cookie with a tea-infused, Southern twang.
HOW: This is a standard issue batter, plus smart additions and a little tea-brewing along the way.
WHY WE LOVE IT: This recipe takes everything we love about a good old fashioned glass of sweet tea -- the herbal notes, the mint, and of course, the heavy-handed sweetness -- and bakes it into cookie form. Your 3 p.m. sugar cravings will never be the same. —The Editors
- Test Kitchen-Approved
- Your Best Recipe with Tea Contest Finalist
What You'll Need
Ingredients
- For the Cookies
- 1/2 cupmilk
- 1 black tea bag for iced tea (like orange pekoe)
- 1/2 cuploosely packed fresh mint leaves
- 1 3/4 cupsgranulated sugar
- 1 cupbutter
- 2 eggs
- 1 tablespoonlemon zest
- 3 cupsall-purpose flour
- 4 teaspoonsbaking powder
- 1 teaspoonsalt
- For the Glaze
- 1 black tea bag
- 6 fresh mint leaves
- 3/4 cupwater
- 2 1/2 cupspowdered sugar
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 350°. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Heat the milk in the microwave for 45 seconds. Drop in the tea bag and leave to steep until completely cool. Remove the tea bag. The milk will turn a pale beige, not dark like regular tea.
- Cream the butter, sugar, and mint together in the bowl of an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl. Add the tea milk and beat until combined, then add the lemon zest and beat. Beat in the flour, baking powder and salt slowly until everything is combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Scoop mounds of dough onto the prepared baking sheets. (I use a 2 Tablespoon cookie scoop.) Bake the cookies until puffed up and golden around the edges, about 10 – 12 minutes. Leave to cool on the baking sheets for 2 minutes, then carefully remove to a cooling rack to cool completely. When one baking sheet has cooled, use the last of the dough to make more cookies.
- Cool completely and glaze.
- For the Glaze:Put the tea bag and mint leaves in a measuring cup and pour ¾ cup of boiling water over. Leave to steep for 5 minutes, then remove the tea bag and leave to cool completely.
- Sift the powdered sugar into a bowl and add about 5 Tablespoons of the tea, a bit at a time, whisking until you have a glaze the consistency of heavy cream. Place some foil (or the parchment from the baking sheets) under the cooling racks to catch drips and spoon the glaze over the cookies. I have another trick though – I prefer to dip the top of the cookies in the glaze, swirl them around a bit, very gently, lift them out and let the excess drip off, then return to the cooling rack. I find this gives you a nice even coat of glaze. Leave the cookies until the glaze sets. The cookies can be kept in an airtight container for one day.
Tags:
- Cookie
- American
- Mint
- Milk/Cream
- Dessert
Contest Entries
- Your Best Recipe with Tea
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Wiktoria
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Ruthioruthio
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thefood
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fiveandspice
I think I am like most people. Somewhere in the middle between food snob and food schlub. Just being in the kitchen makes me happy.
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15 Reviews
Wiktoria June 17, 2014
creamed all together
Wiktoria June 17, 2014
I just made this cookies and they are really good and tasty! I added chocolate to mint and butter with sugar and cream all together :D.
Anna D. August 23, 2013
This is a great idea for a cookie, however the cookies lack that southern tea flavor. The mint overpowers the tea in the cookies and icing, and I even doubled the tea bags used. If I ever make these again I would find a loose leaf tea to directly incorporate into the batter, instead of including the mint.
midnitechef April 10, 2013
I think I'd roughly chop up the mint leaves, mine tend to grow big and fat. These look so cute!
Ruthioruthio March 24, 2013
Oh my Goodness!!! I'm making these cookies as I type and I can't wait to try them out!!!!
thefood March 13, 2013
congrats! and good luck! i plan on making these this weekend (if i can get my hands on some nice fresh mint...)
fiveandspice March 8, 2013
Congratulations! I thought these looked delicious from the start, and I still think they do! :)
Helana B. March 8, 2013
These cookies look amazing. I'm saving this recipe in my to-be-baked folder. I love they way you describe the south and these cookies. Especially the part about Grandmother's pearls, so true. I think these would be perfect for a summer picnic! I can't wait to make them and I'll be sure to let you know how it goes.
TheWimpyVegetarian March 7, 2013
Congrats on being a finalist! These look wonderful!!!
drbabs March 7, 2013
Yum, congratulations on being a finalist!
gingerroot March 7, 2013
Mmm...these look fabulous. Congrats on being a finalist!
creamtea March 7, 2013
oh gee, these look good. Congratulations on being a finalist!
Kitchen B. February 23, 2013
Fresh mint, orange pekoe....cookie - delicioso!
HeartBellyAndSoul February 20, 2013
yummy!
fiveandspice February 19, 2013
These look delicious!
