The "cuppa" is an important ritual in our home. If it was raining outside and my mum was set to drive the carpool, she'd sigh and tell us we were made of sugar, and would melt if exposed to the raindrops. So inside we would stay, watching a Doris Day film while balancing a cup of earl grey on my lap as she painted my nails. After an hour or two of an excruciatingly boring school tour, my mum pulled me aside before we entered the Chem lab. It took little convincing for us to duck out early and catch a high tea around the corner. Somehow scones make truancy even more delicious. Every night, every morning, if you are rustling in the kitchen and she is in shouting distance you will probably find yourself making a cup of chamomile or her current favorite, rose sencha for you to share in front of the fireplace.
This little break from the day punctuated with baked goods has always been a favorite of mine. So for this first Afternoon Tea for Dujour Magazine, I paired one of my favorite Earl Greys, Blue Flower Earl Grey by Chado Tea Room, with French Lavender Sables (a French butter cookie) and earl grey infused biscotti. The mellow earthiness of the lavender works beautifully with the bergamot notes in the earl grey, and toothsome texture of the biscotti against the tender sables keeps your palette interested. For the Earl Grey, steep one teaspoon per cup for 3-5 minutes in 205 F water. Enjoy!
French Lavender Sables
French Lavender Sables from Claire Thomas on Vimeo.
Makes 30 cookies
8 oz unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup granulated white sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
1 large egg
1 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 dried lavender flowers, crushed
2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 large egg (for egg wash)
2 tablespoons crystal sugar
In the bowl of your electric mixer, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy (2-3 minutes). Add the egg, lavender, and vanilla extract and beat until blended.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and beat just until incorporated. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface, knead the dough a few times to bring it together, and then divide the dough in half. Wrap each half in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm (at least an hour).
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and place rack in the center of the oven. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicon baking sheets and set aside.
Remove one portion of the dough from the refrigerator and place on a lightly floured work surface. Roll out the dough until it is 1/4 inch thick. Using a lightly floured 2 inch round fluted cookie cutter, cut out the cookies, placing them on the prepared sheet. Place the baking sheet of cut out cookies in the refrigerator for about 15 -20 minutes to chill the dough. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk the egg for the egg wash. Remove the cookies from the refrigerator and brush the tops with the egg wash and sprinkle with crystal sugar. Bake cookies for about 15-20 minutes or until golden brown around the edges.
Earl Grey Biscotti
4 tablespoons softened unsalted butter
1 cup of sugar
3 extra large eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups of flour, sifted
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg, beaten
2 tablespoons crystallized sugar
1 teaspoon lavender flowers
1 cup heavily steeped Earl Grey Tea
Directions:
Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt and set aside.
Preheat the oven at 350 F. Mix together the butter and sugar until they form moist crumbs, clumping together. Add the 3 eggs and mix together until light in color and the mixture forms ribbons when you lift the whisk out of the batter. Add the vanilla and mix well. Then, add the dry ingredients in batches of about a 1/2 cup at a time. Mix on low until just blended.
On a cookie sheet with a silicon pad or parchment paper, place the mixture (which is now a very thick dough). Heavily flour your hands and form the dough into a log about 1 1/2 inches high, and 3 inches wide. It may take up the entire length of the cookie sheet. Brush the beaten egg over the log, then sprinkle with the lavender and the 2 tablespoons of crystallized sugar.
Bake for 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and cut the loaf into 1/2 inch slices. Dip the pieces into the tea until just soaked. Place the slices on the cookie sheet and bake for 20 minutes, flip them, then bake for another 20. If the biscotti appear too moist in the center, put them back in the oven for an extra 5 minutes. Let cool and enjoy!
Tea Towels by Sur la Table, Lavender Motif Kitchen towel and Blue Striped Kitchen Towels:
The gilded teapot is my Great Grandmothers', but for something similar, check out this Waechtersbach Heirloom Chocolate and Gold Teapot.
The tea cup is a vintage find, but for something similar, check out these Blue Banded Porcelain Cups by Williams Sonoma.
For a vase similar to my mom's fabulous Betty Lou Nichols, check out the Head Vase Museum, with lists of other style and manufacturers.
For the Earl Grey Tea with Blue Flowers, please see Chado Tea Room.
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