GRAND WEDDING

The moment that I had my first taste of TWG Grand Wedding Tea during our APAC Summit in St Regis Singapore, I began to wonder how great the black tea - infused with the flavours exotic fruits - would turn out in a shortbread or a tea loaf.  I couldn't get the thought out of my mind for months.  This afternoon, I finally turned notion into action and made Grand Wedding Shortbread Cookies.

In the oven, the cookies were already emitting a lovely fragrance. I couldn't quite place it. Light, sweet and fruity - is it mangoes or promegranade? Mum, who had just stepped into the kitchen, took a dramatic whiff and declared, "我嗅到桃子香!" ("I smell peaches!")

"GRAND WEDDING" SHORTBREAD COOKIES

225 grams butter
60 grams icing sugar

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

260 grams all-purpose flour

4 x TWG Grand Wedding® teabags
1/4 teaspoon salt

In a mixing bowl, beat the butter and sugar just until smooth and creamy.  Beat in the vanilla extract.

In a small bowl, mix together the flour, tea leaves and salt.  Stir the flour mixture into the beaten butter until combined.

Form the dough into a log, about 4-cm in diameter.  Wrap with plastic and refrigerate overnight.

When you're ready to bake, preheat your oven at 180 degrees C. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.

Unwrap the dough log and, using a very sharp knife, cut the chilled dough into slices no thicker than ½ cm. Place the slices on prepared baking sheets, spacing them well apart. 

Bake the cookies for 8 to 10 minutes, rotating the baking sheet midway during baking, until the edges of the cookies are lightly brown. When the cookies are baked, rest them for a few minutes to firm up a bit, then transfer to wire racks. Allow the cookies to cool completely before storing in an airtight container.

Enjoy!