Peppermint and Elderberry Infused Tea Cookies
Print RecipeServings: 24 servings
This recipe is written using Salted Butter but if you want to use Unsalted Butter add 1/2 tsp Kosher Salt to the dry ingredients in the recipe.** The dough must be fully chilled before portioning cookie. It is much easier to work with.**The recipe can be doubled or increased as you like. Typically we make this recipe at holidays and do at least a double recipe.
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Equipment
- 2 Baking Sheet Pans
- 2 Non Stick Baking Mats or parchment paper
- 1 Small Saucepan for butter infusion
- 1 Mesh Strainer
- Cheesecloth - enough to cover strainer
- 1 Small Scoop to portion dough
- 1 Kitchen Style Mixer or Bowl, Whisk
- 1 1/2 cup measure with flat bottom to press cookies onto sheet pan
Recipe Multiplier
Butter Infusion
- ¾ cup Salted Butter
- 3 tbsp Stay Well Tea Blend (Mystic Valley Farm)
Cookie Recipe
- ½ cup 1/2 cup Butter Infusion (chilled and returned to softened room temperature)
- ½ cup 1/2 cup Granulated Sugar
- ½ cup 1/2 cup Powdered Sugar
- 1 ea Egg
- ½ cup Vegetable Oil
- 3 drops Vanilla Extract
- ½ tsp Baking Soda
- ½ tsp Cream of Tartar
- 2 cups plus 1 tbsp All Purpose Flour
- 3 tbsp Granulated Sugar
Instructions
Infusing the Butter
- Place the butter in the smallpan.
- Add the 3 tbsp of Stay Well Tea to the butter in the saucepan.
- Heat the ingredients over a medium heat until butter is melted.
- Once the butter is melted set a timer for 5 minutes. The butter should be slightly simmering but if there is steam rising from the butter and tea infusion that is good.
- Stir occasionally while cooking the infusion.
- Once the 5 minutes have passed, place the pot on a cold burner and steep the infusion for 10 minutes.
- Place the strainer with the cheesecloth over a bowl. Strain the infusion through the cheesecloth and strainer. Press the tea ingredients to extract as much butter and tea flavor into the butter.
- Reserve the infused butter in the refrigerator to chill the butter.
- Before assembling the cookie dough the infused butter should be allowed to be softened at room temperature.
Assembling the Cookie Dough
- In a mixing bowl with a paddle attachment, add the softened Infused Butter and both the granulated sugar and powdered sugar.
- Turn on mixer and cream together the butter and sugars to a smooth consistency.
- Add the Egg, mix to incorporate the egg into the creamed butter and sugar. Scrape the bowl as needed to incorporate.
- Drizzle in the oil while mixing to allow the oil to slowly incorporate. Scrape the bowl as needed to incorporate.
- Mix to combine the flour, cream of tartar and baking soda.
- Add the flour mixture in ½ cup increments to the mixing bowl. Mixing to combine between additions. Scraping the bowl as needed during the process.
- Once the flour mixture is added, turn out the cookie dough onto plastic wrap and flatten into a round or rectangle about 1" thick. Chill the dough in the refrigerator for 4-24 hours to harden the dough.
Baking the Cookies
- Preheat the oven to 350°
- Line the baking sheet pans with the non stick baking mat or parchment paper.
- Using a disher scoop portion a scoop of dough. The dough ball should be about 1 ½" diameter.
- In the palm of your hands, roll the dough into a ball.
- Place the rolled dough ball onto the baking sheet. Continue the process until the baking sheet has 12 cookies spaced evenly apart.
- On a small plate, pour the sugar on to the plate.
- For the first cookie only - Using the ½ cup measure, press on the remaining dough to moisten the bottom of the measuring cup.
- Press the measuring cup onto the sugar on the plate.
- Press the measuring cup onto one of the rolled cookie balls on the baking sheet. Press to about ¼" thick. Remove the measuring cup from the cookie and a fine layer of sugar should be pressed into the cookie.
- Repeat the process for the remaining cookies. Press the measuring cup onto the sugared plate and then onto the rolled cookie on the sheet pan.
- Bake the cookies for 8-10 minutes. The cookies should have a slight color change around the edge but it should not be browning.
- While the first batch of cookies are baking, you can scoop the second batch of cookies and press them with the sugared measuring cup.
- Remove the cookies from the oven and let them cool for a couple of minutes on the baking sheet. After a couple of minutes, using a spatula, place the cookies onto a wire cooling rack.
- Bake the second batch of cookies when you remove the first from the oven.
- Repeat the process of cooling the second batch of cookies the same as the first. Once cooled, place the cookies in an airtight container. The cookies freeze well for up to 3 months, pull from the freezer and let thaw at room temperature. Enjoy!