Oolong and Lemon Olive Oil Shortbread

This is a treat I developed for a tea and olive oil tasting event at local-to-me The Quail & Olive. Though it wasn't my event, Anni had given me some of the components and I was inspired into the kitchen. Per usual. Then I shared the with the guests.

I also had the tasting notes from Josias of Split Tea Co., so I had a starting point that got my culinary creativity flowing. For the Oolong Tea, he had mentioned aromas of jasmine with flavors of honey. I already knew that Anni's Co-Milled Lemon Olive Oil had a gentle peppery finish. So, I went with a simple tea-speckled shortbread cookie that was dotted with candied lemon peel. None of these treats are super-sweet, so they are definitely my kind of dessert.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup Lemon Olive Oil (on The Quail & Olive website)

• 1 egg, separated

• 2 Tablespoons + 1 teaspoon organic granulated sugar plus more for sprinkling

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1 teaspoon oolong tea leaves, slightly crushed (on the Split Tea Co. website)

• 1-1/2 cup flour

• 1/2 cup candied lemon peel

Procedure

Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit and line a square baking dish with parchment paper.

Place the olive oil, egg yolk, sugar, salt and tea leaves in a mixing bowl. Stir until everything is moistened. Fold the flour into the olive oil mixture. Knead in the candied lemon peel and turn the dough into the prepared pan. Press down to create a smooth top.

Whisk the egg white, then brush over the shortbread. Spinkle with more sugar and place in the oven. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes. You want it still soft, but no longer glossy looking. Let cool for 5 minutes.

Use a sharp knife to score the shortbread into small squares. Let cool for another 20 minutes before slicing all the way through the cookies. Then cool completely.

Stay tuned for the full tea-olive oil treats line-up.