Keep your holiday cookie spread merry and bright with these floral and citrusy Earl Grey Sandwich Cookies. Festively shaped into Christmas trees and filled with green-tinted buttercream, these cookies are sure to steal the show. Flavored with finely ground Earl Grey tea, each melt-in-your-mouth cookie is made even more tender with the addition of rich Kerrygold Unsalted Butter. Vanilla Orange Buttercream sandwiched in the middle only further accentuates the citrusy bergamot flavor of the Earl Grey tea while also adding a velvety-rich smoothness to each bite thanks to Kerrygold butter. A sprinkling of sanding sugar adds the perfect sweet crunch, giving each cookie just the right amount of holiday sparkle. These cookies can be the star of your next holiday party or the perfect accompaniment to a cup of afternoon tea. Regardless of the occasion, they’re sure to be a holiday hit!
Kerrygold Unsalted Butter, with its naturally higher butterfat content and gorgeous golden hue, is the natural choice for bakers. All Kerrygold butter comes from the milk of grass-fed cows that are free of growth hormones. This creamy Irish butter also boasts a nuanced cultured flavor profile that’ll add both depth and buttery richness to your bakes. The cows’ grazing on lush green grass only adds to this Pure Irish Butter’s milky richness. Whether used in cookie dough, piecrusts, cakes, or buttercream, Kerrygold ensures unprecedented flavor and texture in all of your bakes.
- 1 cup (227 grams) Kerrygold Unsalted Butter, softened
- ⅔ cup (133 grams) granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon (6 grams) vanilla bean paste
- ¾ teaspoon (2.25 grams) kosher salt
- 2⅓ cups (292 grams) all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon (6 grams) finely ground Earl Grey tea
- 2 tablespoons (12 grams) sanding sugar
- Vanilla Orange Buttercream (recipe follows)
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter, granulated sugar, vanilla bean paste, and salt at medium speed until creamy, 2 to 3 minutes, stopping to scrape sides of bowl. With mixer on low speed, gradually add flour and tea, beating until dough begins to clump together. Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface, and shape into a disk. Wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate until chilled, about 1 hour.
- Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll dough to ⅛-inch thickness. Using a 3½-inch Christmas tree-shaped cutter, cut dough, rerolling scraps, and place 1 inch apart on prepared pans. Sprinkle with sanding sugar. Freeze until firm, about 10 minutes.
- Bake until edges are lightly golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes. Let cool on pans for 5 minutes. Remove from pans, and let cool completely on wire racks.
- Spoon Vanilla Orange Buttercream into a pastry bag fitted with a large French star piping tip (Ateco #862). Pipe about 2 tablespoons (about 26 grams) buttercream onto flat side of half of cookies. Place remaining cookies, flat side down, on top of buttercream. Serve immediately.
- ¾ cup (170 grams) Kerrygold Unsalted Butter, softened
- ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons (6 grams) tightly packed orange zest
- 1 teaspoon (6 grams) vanilla bean paste
- 2 cups (240 grams) confectioners’ sugar
- 1 tablespoon (15 grams) heavy whipping cream, room temperature
- Green gel food coloring
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and salt at medium speed until smooth, 2 to 3 minutes. Beat in orange zest and vanilla bean paste. With mixer on low speed, gradually add confectioners’ sugar, beating until combined. Add cream; increase mixer speed to medium, and beat until light and airy, 1 to 2 minutes. Beat in food coloring until desired shade is reached. Use immediately.
