Delicious cookies for afternoon coffee or to bring to a party!
This is a recipe I have had in my arsenal since Christmas. It came from my grandmother, and I tweaked it over time to suit my own needs. The base is a blank canvas, just waiting to be painted on.
Classic shortbread is wonderful as it is — but I love to play with flavours. When people ask about my hobbies, maybe I should stop saying I like to cook and bake, and just say I like to experiment and play with food. It’s such a beautiful gateway into connecting with your inner child. We were always told not to play with our food — but I am taking back my power and finally giving little me exactly what she wanted. 🎨
This time I went with orange. The idea came to me this morning when I was making homemade ginger shots — I saved the orange and lemon peels rather than throwing them away, and grated the zest before juicing the fruit.
I wanted these to be a little special, since I’m bringing them to a party with friends today, so I had a look at what was in my cupboard. I love the combination of citrus and Earl Grey — they work beautifully together, partly because Earl Grey is already scented with bergamot. I infused the tea directly into coconut oil, though normally I would simply steep it in water or milk. This recipe didn’t require either, so coconut oil it was.
I find I always get the best results with citrus zest when I rub it into the sugar first. The last time I made these I did a lemon and rosemary version — I rubbed the sugar with lemon zest and finely chopped rosemary, and the flavour extracted itself beautifully.
This recipe comes together very quickly. It requires almost no kneading, and once the dough is chilled you simply slice it with a knife. No fuss, no mess. You can have them on the table in under an hour if you pop the dough in the freezer instead of the fridge.
I would normally make these with butter, but I didn’t have any on hand today. As with all my recipes, I substitute as I go — and I accidentally made them vegan! 🌿
This is a perfect recipe to play around with. Find what flavours you love, use what you have, and get baking!
Vegan Orange & Earl Grey Shortbread
Ingredients
Method
- In a small pot, gently heat the coconut oil until melted. Add the earl grey tea — loose leaf works best, but if you only have teabags, simply tear them open and pour the tea directly into the oil. Turn the heat off. Let it infuse while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.
- Grate the zest of one lemon and one orange. Add both to the sugar and rub together with your fingertips until the sugar turns a pale orange colour and smells fragrant.
- Squeeze the juice of the orange and add it to the bowl with the sugar. Add the remaining ingredients and stir to combine.
- Finally, strain the infused coconut oil through a sieve directly into the bowl, discarding the tea. The oil should be cool to the touch by now — you want it liquid, but not hot.
- Mix everything together by hand, just until combined. The dough will look crumbly and greasy — that is completely normal and exactly right. Don't worry if it doesn't hold together perfectly.
- Tip the dough onto a sheet of cling film and shape it into a log, pressing it together firmly like a sandcastle. Roll it up tightly in the cling film and twist the ends to seal.
- Place the log in the fridge for at least 15 minutes — or overnight if you'd like to bake them another day. Both work perfectly.
- When ready to bake, slice the log into rounds and place them on a baking tray lined with baking paper.
- Bake at 180°C for 15 minutes, or until just lightly golden at the edges.
- Once the cookies are completely cooled, prepare the chocolate coating. Melt the chocolate with a little coconut oil in the microwave in 30 second bursts, stirring in between. Be careful not to overheat it!
- Dip one half of each shortbread into the melted chocolate and place back onto the baking paper until the chocolate sets completely.
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