I use my Early Grey Shortbread Cookies recipe and fill them with vanilla bean buttercream for a delicious Earl Grey Sandwich Cookie. This simple cookie sandwich is easy but impressive!
If you love sandwich cookies as much as I do, be sure to check out some of my other favorites like my Chocolate Lemon Poppy Seed Sandwich Cookies, Homemade Vanilla Oreo Cookies, or my Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Sandwich Cookies.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
These Earl Grey Sandwich Cookies are combine the timeless charm of buttery and sweet shortbread cookies with the fragrant allure of Earl Grey tea. These cookies are easy to make, as I just open up Earl Grey tea bags and add into the flour when mixing.
I fill these Earl Grey Sandwich Cookies with a classic buttercream frosting. This light and creamy filling compliments the Earl Grey flavored cookies, just like if you'd add a splash of milk into your Earl Grey tea.
Tips for Earl Grey Sandwich Cookies
• Make sure your butter is soft! This is so key for these shortbread cookies. While some shortbreads actually call for cold butter, this recipe requires it to be room temperature soft. The best way to achieve this naturally is to let your butter soften naturally at room temperature. This prevents pockets of butter getting melted in the microwave, resulting in a less than desirable texture in the finished cookies. Shortbread cookies should be crisp, buttery, and dense. So the butter is super important! Leave butter out on the counter overnight for the best success before starting this recipe.
• The dough should feel like play dough in your hands. If it's not smooth and it's not cohesive, mix it a little longer. If you've been mixing it and it's not coming together, it's the butters fault – or yours, as you didn't use soft butter! That's why the butter is so key in this recipe. It should come together very quickly, only a minute or two at the most. So if you're having issues here, then look to the temperature of your butter.
• Use a high quality organic Earl Grey tea that you like for the best flavor!
• Make sure to allow the cookies to cool completely before filling them, otherwise the filling will melt if the cookies are still warm.
• Shortbread cookies are supposed to be crisp – so these are best kept at out on a platter or in a cookie jar that is not completely sealed. Unlike a lot of baked goods, which should be stored in an airtight container, these should not be stored in an airtight container because they will soften.
Ingredients for Earl Grey Sandwich Cookies
Florida Crystals Organic Powdered Sugar
Simply Organic Vanilla Extract
Cairnspring Mills Organic All Purpose Flour
Costco Kirkland Organic Cane Sugar
Why Organic
Why use organic ingredients in this recipe? You all know I’m a huge organic advocate, and I bet you may be thinking sometimes, Why would I even bother to use organic ingredients in something that is so sweet and indulgent? But, that is the exact reason why you should use organic ingredients! Sweet things need to have flavor in order to be good, otherwise they are just sweet and they don’t taste like much else. Organic ingredients are more pure than conventional ones, therefore they actually have more flavor than the non organic options. Say it with me, organic means more flavor! And not just more flavor but a more true and pure flavor. And organic ingredients are much healthier for you to eat in general as they do not contain GMOs or anything artificial. Plus, you are being environmentally friendly when you choose organic ingredients!
So, I highly recommend that you buy the best organic ingredients for this recipe! You can also shop my Amazon Storefront for all my favorite organic ingredients here. Tip – hover over each ingredient to see the name. And if you want to learn more about organic foods and the difference, read my post here on Food Labels and What They Mean.
Earl grey tea makes a wonderful addition to a buttery and crisp shortbread cookie. These are filled with a creamy vanilla center, for the perfect pairing!
Ingredients
- Dough
1 cup (226 grams) organic salted butter, softened
142 grams (1 cup) organic powdered sugar, sifted
2 teaspoons organic vanilla extract
15 grams (2 teaspoons) organic raw honey
255 grams (2 cups) organic all purpose flour
2 organic Earl Grey tea bags
Organic cane sugar for dusting
- Filling
226 grams (1 1/2 cups plus 1 tablespoon) organic powdered sugar, sifted
1/2 cup (113 grams) organic salted butter, softened
1 to 2 teaspoons organic milk
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper.
- To make the dough: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract. Mix on low until combined and you don’t see powdered sugar anymore, there will still be a few chunks of butter but that is okay because it’s very soft.
- Add the flour and contents of the Earl Grey tea bags into the butter mixture and mix on low until combined and smooth. The dough should feel like play dough in your hands.
- Using your hands, form the dough into 36 balls and place them on the prepared cookie sheets. Flatten each one slightly so they are about 1 3/4-inch in diameter.
- Bake for 13 minutes until golden brown. Sprinkle the tops with cane sugar immediately after coming out of the oven. Allow to cool completely on the cookie sheets.
- To make the filling: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the powdered sugar, butter, and milk and mix on low until combined. Speed mixer up to high for 1 minute or until light and fluffy. Put in a piping bag with no tip.
- Turn over every other cookie so they are all paired. Pipe a dollop of filling onto each cookie and sandwich them together.
- Store in a cool dry place, or in an airtight container for up to 7 days.
Notes
- Gluten Free – Replace the flour with 226 grams (scant 1 1/2 cups) organic gluten free flour blend and 57 grams (1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoons) organic coconut flour.
- High Altitude – Bake at 350°F for 12 minutes or until golden brown.
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Make sure to check out my Eggless Chocolate Chip Cookies recipe, which I'm sure you'll love too! And, share it with someone who you think may also like it!
