Earl Grey Brown Butter Shortbread Cookies with Chocolate Chunks
I’m an avid tea lover, but as with most things, I do have a favorite. Me thinks you could guess it from these Earl Grey brown butter shortbread cookies.
These cookies bring together two of my favorites: Earl Grey and chocolate. When I’m sipping my daily London Fog, if I can pair it with either something chocolate-y or something cinnamony, I am, in fact, in heaven.
Oh, and I have a deep love for the simplicity that is a shortbread cookie. Though I do prefer mine a little more tender than the more traditional snap.
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EARL GREY BROWN BUTTER SHORTBREAD COOKIES
Originally, with this recipe, I wanted to play with the idea of a shortbread cookie version of a chocolate chip cookie. While also adding in some tea flavor (because of the aforementioned Earl Grey and chocolate flavor BFF-dom).
After many tests, these landed firmly in the category of shortbread cookies first, with chocolate and tea flavors second. Which, let’s be honest, makes the most sense for a shortbread dough base.
My favorite thing about these cookies, and really shortbread in general, is that they really do be getting even better as the days go by.
Can I make these without the tea? Yep! If you prefer to omit the Earl Grey *gasp*, you’re more than welcome to lose it.
INGREDIENTS
- Butter: when browned, it adds a deep nutty flavor for a rich shortbread base
- Granulated sugar: provides sweetness and helps create a crisp, tender texture
- Brown sugar: adds moisture and a subtle caramel-like flavor
- Vanilla extract: enhances the overall taste
- Flour: provides structure and gives the cookies their classic shortbread crumb
- Cornstarch: softens the texture for a more melt-in-your-mouth bite
- Salt: balances sweetness and enhances the flavors
- Earl Grey tea: infuses the cookies with a unique floral-y flavor
- Milk or dark chocolate: adds richness and contrast with pockets of melty goodness
Should my dough be this crumbly? Likely, yes. This is a dry dough, and since we’re not pressing it into a pan but rolling it into a log, you will have to compress and roll to pack it into shape. Once it sets in the fridge, it’ll be easy to slice and bake, don’t worry!
HOW TO MAKE EARL GREY BROWN BUTTER SHORTBREAD COOKIES
Start by browning your butter…
Add the 13 tbsp of butter to a pot over medium heat and, once melted, swirl and scrape the pan occasionally as the milk solids rise, fall, and turn golden brown. Immediately pour your browned butter into a heat-safe bowl.
Stir in the remaining tablespoon of cold butter. Let the browned butter cool at room temperature for 15 minutes before transferring it to the fridge until it firms to a softened, spreadable consistency, about 1 hour.
You want softened butter for the perfect texture for your shortbread cookie dough.
Make your Earl Grey brown butter shortbread cookie dough…
Once cooled, add the browned butter to a bowl with the granulated sugar and brown sugar, beating until smooth and combined. Mix in the vanilla extract to add that warm flavor to the cookies.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, salt, and finely ground Earl Grey tea leaves. This dry mixture creates the tender, melt-in-your-mouth texture and signature tea-infused flavor.
Gradually add the dry ingredients to the butter and sugar mixture, mixing until just combined. While you can still see some unmixed flour, fold in the chopped chocolate and gently press the dough against the sides of the bowl to help bring it together.
Shape and chill your chocolate chunk shortbread cookie dough…
Transfer the crumbly dough onto a piece of parchment paper and press it into a cohesive mass. Roll it into a 2-inch diameter log, taking a few minutes to firmly shape it as it comes together.
Wrap the dough log tightly in parchment paper and refrigerate for at least 3 hours or overnight. Chilling the dough helps develop flavor and ensures clean slices when baking.
Bake and cool your cookies…
Preheat your oven to 350°F and line a baking tray with parchment paper. Slice the chilled shortbread dough into ¾-inch thick rounds and arrange about five cookies per tray to allow for even baking.
Bake for 10–12 minutes, until the edges develop a very light golden halo while the centers remain pale. For the best tender shortbread texture, avoid overbaking, as this can make the cookies too crisp.
Let the cookies cool on the baking tray for 5 minutes before carefully sliding the parchment onto the counter to cool completely. Repeat with the remaining dough and enjoy!
3 reasons you’ll love these Earl Grey brown butter shortbread cookies…
TIPS & VARIATIONS
- While I love tea leaves for drinking, I do find it easiest to grab a box of tea bags for baking. The tea in the sachets is perfectly finely ground, so simply snip open and measure!
- If you prefer to omit the tea, go right ahead. Though I hope you try it with, to experience all the Earl Grey and chocolate flavors.
- I used a mix of milk chocolate and dark chocolate. You can mix and match as you please (even white chocolate would be delicious!) or just do one chocolate flavor throughout.
- Make sure to cut your chocolate small enough, no larger than chip size, with a mix of small shavings and chunks! If your chocolate is too chunky, the dough won’t properly stick together when rolling, slicing, and baking.
- This dough is veryyy crumbly! Don’t panic, just smear it together as best you can in your mixing bowl before transferring to your parchment paper and pressing into a log. It will take you a few minutes, but as you press, the butter will start to hydrate the flour, and everything will stick together deliciously!
- If you prefer to bake these in a pan, instead of rolling and slicing, go for it! Press the dough into a parchment-lined 8×8 baking tray and bake at 315°F for 22-27 minutes until you see the lightest of golden halos along the edge of the crust
MAKING AHEAD & STORING
To save time on the day of, you can make your brown butter the day before. Just remove it from the fridge and leave it at room temperature for about an hour, so it can soften before you whip up your shortbread cookie dough.
Once sliced, your cookie dough will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days or in the freezer for up to 2 months. You can bake directly from frozen, but you’ll likely need to add an extra minute or two to the bake time.
Once baked, store your Earl Grey brown butter shortbread cookies in an airtight container at room temperature. They will keep for up to 5 days!
MORE EASY COOKIE RECIPES
- Dark Chocolate Oat Pantry Cookies
- Big Soft Ginger Cookies
- Easy Snickerdoodle Shortbread
- No-Bake Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies
- Fudgy Texas Sheet Cake Cookies
EQUIPMENT YOU’LL NEED
Equipment
- Small pot
- Measuring Cups
- Measuring Spoons
- Mixing Bowls
- Parchment Paper
- Spatula
- Knife
- Baking Sheet
Ingredients
- 13 tbsp butter
- 1 tbsp butter
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- 2 tbsp brown sugar lightly packed
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 2 cups flour
- 2 tbsp flour
- 5 tbsp cornstarch
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 ½ tsp Earl Grey tea leaves fine
- 2 oz milk or dark chocolate chopped
Instructions
- Start by browning your butter. Add your 13 tbsp of butter to a pot and place it over medium heat. Once it melts, swirl the butter in the pan, occasionally scraping down the sides, every minute or so. The milk solids will rise up to the top before falling and browning. Once the solids are golden brown, immediately pour your browned butter into a heat-safe bowl. Add in the remaining 1 tbsp of cold butter and leave to cool slightly at room temperature for 15 minutes, before placing in the fridge to “harden” to a softened, room temperature state (about an hour)
- Once your browned butter has cooled, add it to a bowl with both sugars and beat for a minute. Mix in vanilla
- In a separate bowl, combine your flour, cornstarch, salt, and fine tea leaves
- Gradually add your dry ingredients to the butter/sugar, and when there are still a few flour streaks, fold in your chopped chocolate. Mix until just combined (it will be crumbly), then use a spatula to smear the dough along the sides of the bowl to help bring together
- Transfer your dough to a piece of parchment paper. At this stage, it will still be very crumbly. Press and roll into a 2-inch diameter log. Don’t stress, this will take a few minutes to press together
- Wrap your dough log tightly in parchment paper, and place it in the fridge for at least 3 hours or overnight
- Preheat oven to 350°F
- Remove your shortbread log from the fridge, cut it into ¾-inch thick discs, and place it on a parchment-lined baking tray. You should be able to bake 5 cookies at a time.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes, until you see a very light golden halo around the edges of the cookie. For a more tender shortbread, be careful not to overbake or risk having a more crunchy cookie!
- Remove from the oven and leave your cookies on the tray for 5 minutes. Then gently slide the parchment paper with the cookies off the tray, onto your counter, and cool completely. Repeat with the remaining cookies!
