It’s no secret that I have Vanilla Tea pulsing through my veins. There is also nothing better than dunking freshly baked cookies into tea. You’re either a dunker or you’re not… but tea and cookies always go together.
I’ve been experimenting using Vanilla Tea in baking and decided to try a recipe that I found online, but I adapted it.
I found a recipe for Earl Grey cookies that looked really interesting and simple. It automatically made me think of my obvious tea choice. If you’re not a fan of Vanilla tea (say what?) substitute it with Earl Grey.
They turned out delicious and my entire apartment smells deliciously of Vanilla.
VANILLA TEA COOKIES:
Ingredients:
2 cups of Sasko Cake Flour
½ cup of granulated sugar
½ cup of Castor sugar
Vanilla Tea from approximately 6 tea bags.
Pinch of salt
1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract
1 cup of unsalted butter cut into pieces
Preparation:
Heat the oven to 180 degrees.
Pulse together all the dry ingredients in a food processor or a blender until the tea leaves are pulverized.
Add the vanilla, 1 table spoon of water and the butter.
Pulse together until a dough is formed.
Divide the dough in half. Place each half on a sheet of plastic wrap and roll into a 30 cm log, about 5cm in diameter.
Wrap and chill for 30 minutes.
Slice each log into disks
Place on foil lined baking sheets, 2 inches apart. Bake until the edges are just brown, about 12 minutes.
Let cool on sheets for 5 mins so that they harden.
I bought these Vanilla pods in Mauritius and their aroma is just beautiful.
My favourite Vanilla Tea is Bois Cheri from Mauritius – it’s not easily accessible in SA, although I have seen it in a few Spars. You can use Twinings Vanilla Tea.
Tear open 6 tea bags and decanter the tea.
Place the Sasko Cake Flour (don’t worry about using a sieve because the blender will do it all for you), castor sugar, granulated sugar, salt and tea into a food processor or a blender.
Tip: Sasko Cake Flour is honestly my favourite flour to use – it’s light, fluffy, rarely lumpy and I know this because when I do use a sieve (see other recipes), I’m very rarely left with those little clumpy beads in the sieve – you know the ones, where you have use a wooden spoon to stir and loosen them.
Pulverise so that the tea is ground up finely with the Sasko Flour and sugars.
Slice each Vanilla pod lengthwise and then take a teaspoon and scrape the extract out. I used about 4 Vanilla pods.
Tip: If you don’t have Vanilla pods, buy a Vanilla paste and use 2 or 3 pumps. You can see a pic of it in ingredients, even though I didn’t use it.
Tip: Make sure the butter is room temperature and cut into small pieces so that it is easier to mix.
Tip: You may want to add more water, but don’t. 2 Tablespoons is plenty.
Tip: Use some of the Sasko Cake Flour on the cling wrap so that your dough doesn’t stick. It also makes it easier to roll.
Tip: Allow them to cool and harden.
Serve with, you guessed it, a cup of Vanilla Tea and enjoy.
Sasko Flour have an awesome range of products, from their Cake Flour, Self-Raising Flour, Digestive Bran, Brown Bread, White Bread, Crushed Wheat and Bran-Rich Self-Raising to their easy Quick Treat products. You have to try their Scones mix, the Vanilla, Chocolate and Bran Muffins mix, Pancake Mix and Flapjack Mix.
For more delicious recipes with Sasko Flour, visit their Facebook Page here and website
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