Mother's Day Sweet: Tea Shortbread

Here's an easy homemade treat for mom that is fancy enough to make her feel special. It's a basic shortbread recipe that you add your or her favorite loose tea to. I used a chocolate mint tea but chai, Earl Grey and even green tea powder would all be tasty. It's a crumbly, buttery cookie, and the hint of tea blends in nicely. For a gift to match, package up some of that favorite tea in a mason jar or tin and send it home with mom.

Tea Shortbread Cookies
Recipe adapted from Claire Robinson

1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons loose tea leaves of your choice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, room temperature

In a food processor, pulse together the flour, tea and salt, until the tea is 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 press into a flat round. Chill in refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. On a flour dusted surface, roll the dough out to approximately 1/3-inch thick. (If the dough is too hard to roll or begins to crack, let it rest at room temperature for a few minutes until pliable.) Use a 1 1/2-inch wide square or round cookie cutter or cut the dough out yourself with a sharp knife. Arrange on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake until the edges are just brown, about 10-12 minutes. Let cool on sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire rack and cool to room temperature. Makes approximately 20 cookies.