Almond Shortbread and Adagio Tea

I have loved shortbread ever since I tasted my first bite.  I've tried many different recipes and usually I end up going back to my tried and true Classic Shortbread recipe, which you can view here and here (I love them so much I've posted them twice!).  Also delicious are these Pecan Shortbread cookies from Dorie Greenspan.  But today, I bring you Almond Shortbread cookies from Taste of Beirut. 

These shortbread cookies are quite popular in the Chouf Mountain area of Lebanon. The almond tree is native to the Middle East and was eventually brought to the United States in the 1700s by Franciscan Padres.  Now California is the world's largest supplier of almonds! Deliciously flaky and filled with finely chopped, toasted almonds these cookies have a delightful flavor and aroma.  I actually prefer them without the powdered sugar coating as it's been quite humid here in the Midwest and the sugar didn't stay pretty for long.  

We all know that cookies are perfect with coffee, milk or tea in the afternoon and tea is another of my loves.  Now that there is a hint of fall here and there, I will be enjoying hot tea more often in the afternoon.  

When Ashley from Adagio Teas asked if I would like to try a sampling of their teas I couldn't say YES fast enough!  I was able to select a sample of five different teas and there was another sample of iced tea brew sent with my box.  I loved reading about the family-owned business and how their company began and evolved.  I picked my samples based on reviews of 95 of greater and they were all wonderful. 

The sample packs come in resealable heavy weight plastic bags with about 15 pyramid tea pouches per bag and the Master Teas come in a small tin.  I began my tasting with my favorite flavor, Citrus Mint Green tea.  

As I filled the tea cup with hot water, the color and aroma was immediate.  I loved this flavor and I was able to get 3 tea cups full of delicious tea with one pouch.  My second favorite flavor was the White Peach that you can see below.  

#1 Green Citrus Mint contains green tea, spearmint leaves, lemon grass, lemon verbena, orange peels, marigold flowers, lemon and orange flavor.  

#2 White Peach contains white tea from China, apricots, natural peach flavor and marigold flowers.

My next favorites were a tie between the Formosa Ali Shan which is a Masters Tea (meaning premium and rare select teas, unique outside of Asia, and entirely hand processed), and the Jasmine Silver Needle.  Much more delicate in flavor, they were both delicious.

#3 Formosa Ali Shan is an oolong tea and brews into a creamy cup of tea, with notes of honeysuckle and lilac.  It may be steeped several times.

#4 Jasmine Silver Needle is a white tea with young long tea leaves, hence the name silver needle.  It has a classic Jasmine flavor but soft and delicate.  The aroma of this tea is beautiful!

#5 One of Adagio's most popular teas, traditional black tea called Irish Breakfast tea.  Everything a 'cuppa' should be in the morning...spicy aroma with deep flavor.  Enjoy with or without milk!

#6 Blood Orange Iced Tea Brew is an herbal mix of blood orange peels, hibiscus flowers and rose hips.  Each pouch makes about 4 cups of tea.  It's caffeine free and very refreshing!

I hope you enjoyed my little evaluation of Adagio Teas!  If you are a tea lover, as I am, or know someone who is, I hope you will visit their site and try some of their lovely teas.  Although the samples were provided to me by Adagio Teas my tastes and opinions are my own.

Almond Shortbread Cookies

Printable Recipe

Adapted from Taste of Beirut 

Makes about 4 dozen cookies, depending on the size of your cutter.

1 cup unsalted butter plus 2 tablespoons
1 1/2 cup powdered sugar
2 cups All-purpose flour
1/2 cup rice flour (or cornstarch)  I used Bob's Red Mill Brown Rice Flour
1-3/4 cups almonds, finely chopped in a food processor

1 cup powdered sugar for dusting, optional

Preheat oven to 350F.

In a food processor, pulse almonds in short bursts until finely chopped (stopping to scrape the bottom edges frequently.  Don't over process or it will turn into almond butter! 

Place the finely chopped almonds on a small, rimmed baking sheet and bake for about 7 minutes or so, until slightly golden and fragrant.  Remove and cool completely.

With an electric mixer, beat the butter and powdered sugar until light and fluffy.  Slowly add in the AP flour and rice flour (or cornstarch) until incorporated, then add the cooled chopped almonds.

Cover dough and refrigerate for about 30 minutes.

On a large sheet of parchment, waxed paper, or lightly floured surface, roll out one-third of the dough, using another sheet of parchment or waxed paper on top if the dough sticks to the rolling pin, to a thickness of about 1/4 inch.  Cut with a cookie cutter.  Incorporate scraps into next one-third of the dough and repeat.

Bake in a preheated 350F oven for about 13-15 minutes or until light golden in color.  Cool for about 5 minutes on the baking sheet before removing. 

If desired, sprinkle with powdered sugar when cool enough to handle but still warm.  I preferred them without powdered sugar.

Classic Shortbread Cookies

My apologies if you received this post by email!  For some reason Feedburner automatically sent out this post from last year and I am not sure why that happened but I do know fellow bloggers have been having similar issues.

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This is my all-time, favorite cookie made in a ceramic Brown Bag brand shortbread pan that I purchased on eBay a few years ago. The pattern is called Wild Flowers and each triangle has a lovely impression of a flower.

The pans were popular in the 80's and I was surprised to find that they are still made!  I saw quite a nice selection on Amazon and eBay. 

Tea in my favorite new infuser (Tea Forte) - a Christmas gift from a daughter.  Flowers blooming - a favorite cookie and tea - what could be better to ease a sore and achy back? I spent all afternoon last Sunday shoveling, raking, planting, bending and lifting cubic yards of potting soil.  My back is still paying the price!  But I was happy to get almost everything done before the rain began on Memorial Day.

This is only the second time I've used my ceramic shortbread pan.  The first time was a disaster with the cookies sticking to the pan and so I packed it away.  Then, I remembered the wonderful wild flower design and, with flowers blooming in the garden again, I decided it was time to give it another try.
 

This time, I did some research and found the Brown Bag website where it mentions to bake in the lower 1/3rd of the oven and also to make sure it is well baked.  I'm sure I didn't cook mine long enough the first time and that is why it stuck to the pan.

I like to add a small amount of rice flour to my shortbread to give it a more 'sandy' texture so that is the only change I made to the recipe. I used a little less AP flour and replaced the rest with rice flour. This time, I used brown rice flour from Bob's Red Mill.

These are flaky, melt-in-your-mouth shortbread!

Classic Shortbread
Adapted from the Brown Bag Website
Printable Recipe

1/2 cup butter at room temperature
1/3 cup powdered sugar (unsifted)
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 cup flour (unsifted)
1/4 cup brown rice or plain flour (I use Bob's Red Mill Brand)

Preheat oven to 325F.

Using the back of a large, wooden spoon, cream the butter until it is light. Add the powered sugar and blend, then mix in the vanilla. Work in the flours until just blended then knead the dough on an unfloured surface until smooth, about 1-2 minutes.

If using a ceramic shortbread pan, spray it very lightly with a non-stick vegetable oil spray (I used Baker's Joy). I also rubbed a small amount of softened butter onto the pan. Put the ball of dough in the middle of the pan, and working out from the center, firmly press the dough into the pan. Prick the entire surface with a fork thoroughly, and bake the shortbread in the bottom 1/3rd of the oven for about 30-35 minutes, or until it is lightly browned. Be sure that the middle is thoroughly cooked and doesn’t look slightly opaque or the shortbread could stick in the pan.

Remove the pan from the oven and allow to cool for about 10 minutes. I very gently pressed on the edge of the shortbread with a flat icing knife all around the edges to help it release. Then, place a cutting board over the top of the shortbread pan and carefully flip it over. Gently lift off the pan and hopefully, it will have released. If not, lift up the pan about 1" from the cutting board and let it drop. Then, cut the shortbread into serving pieces right away while it is still warm.

If you don't have a shortbread pan, simply pat the kneaded shortbread dough into a small (7-8") tart pan. You could even place it on a baking sheet and pat it out into a 7-8" free-form square or circle. Cut into pieces while still warm.

Maida Heatter's Chocolate Shortbread Cookies

Chocolate is never far from my mind - a craving, desire, a love. Whenever I think of a dessert, the first flavors that immediately pop into my head are either chocolate or lemon...sometimes both ;)

Shortbread is high on the list of cookie favorites and this past weekend I needed a cookie fix.

I love Dorie Greenspans World Peace cookies and have made them often. I wanted to try something a little different and decided on Maida Heatter's Chocolate Shortbread cookies.

It was a wonderful cookie but World Peace cookies by Dorie Greenspan still rule the world, in my opinion. I think it's the addition of chopped bittersweet chocolate that gives me that intense chocolate flavor that I need.

I used basic cocoa when I made the recipe, but should I make them again, I would buy a better cocoa to pump up the chocolate flavor. Please don't misunderstand, these were wonderful, shortbread-y cookies and if you don't need the intense chocolate flavor that I crave, you may love these. Everyone I served them to enjoyed them!



Chocolate Shortbread Cookies
Adapted from a Maida Heatter Recipe
Printable Recipe

Makes 25 to 30 cookies.

2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted then measured by scoop and level process
1/2 cup very best quality unsweetened cocoa powder you can find
1 cup confectioners'(powdered) sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 sticks (1/2 pound) unsalted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Line a baking sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper.

Cream butter. Add vanilla, sugar and salt and beat to mix. Add the flour and cocoa, and mix only until the dough holds together. Form the mixture into a ball, and flatten slightly.

Flour a pastry cloth or work surface and rub a little flour onto a rolling pin as well. Place the dough on the surface, turning it to coat both sides with flour. With the rolling pin, roll the dough into a square, 1/2 inch thick, using your hands to help shape it. A uniform thickness is important. Cut the dough into 1-1/2 inch squares. Using a fork, pierce the cookies 2-3 times.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes.

Shortbread Cookies ~ A Few of My Favorite Things

"Snowflakes that stay on my nose and eyelashes...
 Silver white winters that melt into springs -
 These are a few of my favorite things!"

Here is one of my favorite things... Shortbread cookies!


Shortbread Recipe

1 cup soft salted butter
1/2 cup Baker’s Sugar (superfine)
2 cups all purpose white flour (I substitute ½ cup of rice flour and 1-1/2 cups AP flour for a flakier texture which I prefer)

Cream the butter until very light and fluffy. Cream in the sugar a little at a time until the sugar dissolves (this takes a while).

Mix in about 1-1/2 cups flour gently by hand. Turn out on a lightly floured board and knead in only as much flour as is needed to make soft shape-able dough that holds together well. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. Roll out about 1/3 inch thick and cut into shapes with a knife or cookie cutters, or pat into a 1/3 inch thick round (or rectangle) pan by hand (I use a 9x9x2 pan), prick with a fork every 1-2".

Bake on ungreased cookie sheets at 300 degrees for 30 to 50 minutes, (depending on the size you are making...cut-outs will take less time, pan shortbread will take more time) until pale golden brown all over. I like to sift more superfine sugar over the top when they come out of the oven. Let sit for a few minutes before removing to a cooling rack. If you are making pan shortbread, cut into small squares with a very sharp knife right away, then allow to cool.