Plum Tea and Shortbread Cookies
A delicious summer pairing. Plum tea, a recipe handed over from Aunt Kare, has a sweet, fresh flavor. Brown sugar shortbread is perfect with any tea – an easy combination of butter, sugar, and flour. 
Plum Tea
- 4 quarts boiling water, divided
- 2 cups sugar
- 2 cups freshly squeezed orange juice (8-10 medium oranges) with pulp
- .05 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (2-3 lemons), no pulp
- 4 family-sized teabags or 16 regular teabags
- water
Steep teabags in 2 quarts of boiling water for 15 minutes. To the other 2 quarts boiling water, add the sugar and stir until dissolved. In a heat-safe pitcher, add the tea (discard bags after 15 min), sugar water, orange juice, and lemon juice. Add enough water to make 1 full gallon. Chill and serve over ice.
Brown Sugar Shortbread
- 2 cups butter (not margerine)
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- pinch of salt
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 4 to 4.5 cups flour
In a food processor, cream butter and brown sugar until smooth. Add salt and vanilla. Add flour 1 cup at a time, until 3 cups. After 3 cups of flour have been added, turn dough out onto a floured surface and knead in an additional cup to cup and a half of flour. Pat dough into a 9×13 pan, score into rectangles. Prick each rectangle with a fork. Bake at 325 for 20-25 minutes, until brown on the edges. Cut along scored lines when cool, serve.
May 26th, 2009 | Category: casual, cookies
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