EARL GREY SPRITZ COOKIES

• Spritz cookies made by extruding soft cookie dough through a special press fitted with a decorative die, have an undeniable nostalgia factor for us. They are pretty and festive, and we always make a few flavors of them during the holidays.
• These unique and aromatic cookies get their flavor by infusing the butter with Earl Grey tea.
• Most people don’t have a cookie press, so the recipe below describes shaping the dough into balls by hand.

CHILLING TIME: 3 hours for the butter, plus 2 hours or up to overnight for the dough.

SHELF LIFE: 5 days.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 cup (8 ounces) unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 3 tablespoons loose-leaf Earl Grey tea
• 1 tablespoon bergamot olive oil (see Note)
• 2¼ cups (10 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• ¾ cup (3½ ounces) powdered sugar, measured then sifted, plus about ½ cup more for rolling
• 2 large egg yolks
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Combine the butter, tea leaves, and olive oil in a small saucepan and put the pan over medium heat. Stir frequently until the butter is completely melted. Remove from the heat, cover, and let steep for 15 minutes. Strain the butter through a fine-mesh strainer and into a heatproof bowl. Refrigerate until solid, about 3 hours.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour and salt and set aside.
3. Remove the chilled butter from the refrigerator and transfer it to the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, breaking it into 1-to 2-inch chunks as you go. Add the ¾ cup powdered sugar. Mix on low speed at first, and then increase to medium speed and continue mixing until the mixture is smooth, 1½ to 2 minutes. Scrape down the bowl and, with the motor running, add the egg yolks one at a time, completely mixing in each yolk before adding the next. Add the vanilla and mix to blend. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, add the flour mixture, and mix on low speed just until the dough comes together, about 30 seconds.
4. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill until the dough is firm, at least 2 hours or up to overnight.
5. When you’re ready to bake, position racks in the top and bottom thirds of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or nonstick mats. Scoop up 1 tablespoon of dough and form the dough into a ball. Repeat until all the dough has been shaped. Place the balls 2 inches apart on the baking sheets. Flatten the balls slightly with the palm of your hand so that they’re about ½ inch thick.
6. Bake for 7 minutes, then rotate the baking sheets top to bottom and front to back. Continue to bake until the cookies are golden brown on the edges, 8 to 9 minutes longer. Let the cookies cool for a minute on the baking sheet, then transfer to a cooling rack. Once the cookies are completely cool, roll in the ½ cup powdered sugar. Store in an airtight container.

NOTE:

• The bergamot olive oil we use is made by pressing bergamots (the citrus fruit that gives Earl Grey tea its unique flavor) with ripe olives to produce an aromatic, citrusy olive oil. If you can’t find bergamot olive oil, you can substitute blood