FRENCH EARL GREY & ORANGE ROOIBOS SHORTBREAD

Ingredients:

1 cup unsalted butter, softened

1/2 cup castor sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons French Earl Grey tea leaves

1 1/2 teaspoons Orange Rooibos tea leaves

2 cups all-purpose flour

Zest of one orange

A pinch of salt

Instructions:

1. Preheat your oven to 160°C. Line a baking tray with parchment paper.

2. In a small food processor, pulse the French Earl Grey and Orange Rooibos tea leaves until they are finely ground. Set aside.

3. In a mixing bowl, cream the softened butter until it becomes smooth and fluffy.

4. Gradually sift in the sugar and continue to mix until the mixture is well combined.

5. Add the finely ground tea leaves, orange zest, and a pinch of salt to the butter-sugar mixture. Mix until the ingredients are evenly distributed.

6. Slowly add the flour to the mixture, mixing until a crumbly dough forms.

7. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead it gently until it comes together into a cohesive ball.

8. Roll the dough into a 1 cm thick round.

9. Use cookie cutters to cut out your desired shapes and place them on the prepared baking paper, leaving a little space between each cookie.

If desired, you can sprinkle some extra tea leaves on top of the cookies for a decorative touch.

10. Bake the cookies in the preheated oven for 12-15 minutes, or until the edges are just starting to turn golden.

11. Remove the cookies from the oven and allow them to cool on the baking paper for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.

Once the shortbread cookies have cooled, serve and enjoy with a cup of French Earl Grey or Orange Rooibos tea for a delightful tea-infused treat.