Lemon Shortbread Tea Cookies

(no, the string is not edible, although Joann had the awesome idea to use dental floss so that you can use it when you are done eating!! clever!)

Dave and I brought these cookies to Christmases in NY and NJ.  Although I don't like lemon cookies, I was excited to make them because they are so cute!  I found the recipe on Pinterest, but was upset when I saw that the recipe was in French!  Not a huge deal, but after I converted the measurements I realized the amounts are kind of weird...sorry!

Ingredients:
6.3oz butter or margarine, softened
2.5oz confectioner's sugar 
zest from 1/4 lemon    
1 egg yolk
4 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 pinch of salt
9.9oz flour
dark chocolate for dipping
thick white cotton type thread embroidery
labels ( here or here or here or here )

Directions:

1. Cream together softened butter and confectioner's sugar.  Add the lemon zest, egg yolk and lemon juice and mix thoroughly until everything is well incorporated.
2. Sift the flour and salt and gradually add to butter mixture just enough to form a dough 
3. Form a ball with the dough, coarsely crush disk and wrap in plastic wrap. Place in the fridge to harden least half an hour.
4. Preheat oven to 350°F. Prepare cookie sheets with parchment paper.
5. Lightly flour the work surface.  Roll out the dough to a thickness of about 1/5 inch. 
6. Cut out the cookies using a teabag as a template, or by eye-balling it (cut the rectangles first, then cut off the top 2 corners).  Use a straw to cut the hole, then refrigerate the uncooked cookies for 10-20 minutes to prevent spreading.
7. With the rack in the center, bake the cookies about 15-18 min. Shortbread should remain quite pale with gold trim (underneath should be light brown). Let cool 5 minutes then using a spatula transfer the cookies on a wire rack and leave until completely cooled
8. Loop cotton thread through the hole, and add labels (if using)
9. Melt the chocolate in a double boiler and dip the cookies halfway up to mimic the tea leaves, and place on waxed paper.  Allow to cool in the refrigerator.

Next time I made them, I think I will add little labels to the end of the strings with sayings on them (like the Salada tea bags!)


Recipe translated from Le Pétrin