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Blueberry Biscottea shortbread cookies made with white tea and blueberry juice. We’re not going to jump on the bandwagon and call them “antioxidant cookies”—just enjoy them for the novelty and fine flavor. |
| WHAT IT IS: Traditional Scottish shortbread in five flavors, plus three gluten-free varieties, that include finely-ground organic tea leaves. |
| WHY IT’S DIFFERENT: The buttery shortbread has “something different”—in this case, some tea leaves that add a catchy bit of flavor to the general appeal of the shortbread. |
WHY WE LOVE IT: These “tea biscuits” earn their name. The subtle tea flavorings are charming, and they do pair with their corresponding teas, hot or iced. Serve mint shortbread with mint tea, honeybush shortbread with honeybush tea, etc. They’re good eating and a fun gift. |
| WHERE TO BUY IT: PleasuresOfTea.com. |
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Biscottea:
Stylish Shortbread
CAPSULE REPORT: At a recent coffee and tea fair, what excited us most was not any of the fine coffees or teas, but Biscottea, a line of all-natural shortbread cookies baked with organic teas—just a touch, to provide interest. The buttery Scottish shortbread without the tea inclusions would have been good enough to accompany any cup of tea. But Laurance Milner has created a delightful line that, apart from adding a good general-purpose cookie to the specialty shelves, allows tea lovers to pair different tea-flavored shortbreads with different teas. Have some Earl Grey Biscottea shortbread with your Earl Grey tea, mint Biscottea shortbread with mint tea, and so forth.
Some might find this gimmicky, but gimmicky is a blessing when it tastes good: The large (two-inch) squares of shortbread certainly satisfy. These tea biscuits (biscot-tea, in case you missed the pun or want to confuse them with Italian biscotti) are available in individual packages of two as well as full boxes of ten. Flavors include African Honeybush Tea (a red tea) Shortbread, Blueberry Shortbread with Organic White Tea, Chai Shortbread with Organic Chai Spices, Earl Grey Shortbread with Organic Darjeeling Tea (infused with Earl Grey’s signature bergamot orange flavor) and Mint Tea with Organic Peppermint & Spearmint Leaves. The Blueberry, Chai and Earl Grey flavors are also available in gluten-free varieties. The line is certified kosher (dairy) by Orthodox Union.
The company says that Biscottea are “created with real tea for real tea lovers.” But anyone will enjoy them, even if there’s no cup of tea in sight. Read more about this elegant and fun selection of cookies in the full review below. Put them on your stocking stuffer list. And buy some now, for your favorite tea lovers.
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THE NIBBLE does not sell the foods we review
or receive fees from manufacturers for recommending them.
Our recommendations are based purely on our opinion, after tasting thousands of products each year, that they represent the best in their respective categories. |
Enjoy Tea With Your Biscottea
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| Insulated Tea Cups By Bodum. Bodum’s cups and saucers make drinking tea or coffee a more luxurious experience. In this sleek combination, a clear, handblown, double-walled glass cup pairs with a stainless-steel saucer. The insulating double wall keeps contents hot or cold, while the outer surface remains cool. The cups are microwave- and dishwasher-safe. Item #23511. Click here for more information. |
Chef'sChoice Cordless Teakettle. Where do you use a cordless teakettle? At the table, instead of having to return to the kitchen for hot water. Ditto in the study, family room, bedroom, or at the office and anywhere you don’t have handy access to burners to boil water. It sits right on the table or other surface. You need electricity to boil the water, but then the cord unplugs and tucks into the base. Item #97373. Click here for more information. |
Find These And Other Great Products
At Chefs Catalog Online |
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Biscottea: Stylish Shortbread
INDEX OF REVIEW
Click on the black links to visit other pages.
PLUS
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MORE TO DISCOVER
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Shortbread History
Shortbread is a type of cookie with a high butter content: The traditional recipe is one part sugar, two parts butter and three parts flour. It has been called the ancestor of all butter cookies. The original shortbreads were made with oatmeal; the more elegant white flour came later. The addition of rice flour gives shortbread a grainy, crumbly texture, while cornstarch (corn flour) gives it a more dense texture.
Shortbread originated in Scotland (where cookies are called biscuits) in medieval times. According to EnglishTeaStore.com, Scottish shortbread evolved from medieval biscuit bread, a twice-baked, enriched bread roll dusted with sugar and spices and hardened into a rusk. Eventually, butter was substituted for yeast, and shortbread was born.
Shortbread may have been made as early as the 12th century, but its invention is often attributed to Mary, Queen of Scots (1542-1587) in the 16th century. Recipes first appear in cookbooks of the time, although origination often precedes the first reference in print by a significant amount of time. (And Mary didn’t enjoy shortbread with tea, nor did Queen Elizabeth I [1533-1603], because tea didn’t arrive in England until September of 1658.)
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Those who avoid caffeine can enjoy Honeybush Biscottea, made with an herbal red tea from Africa. |
The Name “Shortbread”
There are two different explanations for the name of the cookie. Some sources cite the crumbly or “short” texture of the product. Others attribute the name to its high percentage of shortening, or butter (the word “shortening” refers to any fat). But why “bread?” The best explanation is that early Scottish bakers fought to prevent shortbread from being classified as a biscuit (cookie) to avoid paying a government tax on biscuits.
The cookies are baked at a low temperature to prevent browning. Traditionally, shortbread has been baked in a large round that is scored into triangles, a throwback to ancient New Year’s cakes that were symbols of the sun (from the earlier days of sun worship—the edges are traditionally “notched” by pinching with the finger and thumb, thought to symbolize the sun’s rays).
The Buttery Nature Of Shortbread
Butteriness is an important quality in shortbread; so much so that in 1921 the British government legislated that a product called shortbread must get at least 51% of its fat from real butter. Outside of the U.K., however, there is no such requirement. Check the label to ensure yourself of an authentic shortbread experience; hold out for 100% butter.
You’ll find shortbread baked in every traditional cookie shape, including rounds, squares and long fingers. While it is a famous accompaniment to tea, the cookies are also served with wine and Champagne (and of course, with coffee, milk and hot chocolate)—and it goes great with ice cream.
Scotland has its regional shortbread variations. In the Shetland Islands and Orkney Islands, for example, caraway seeds are added to the recipe, and the cookie is called “Bride’s Bonn.” At Christmas, a variation is made with citrus peel and almonds. But if anyone ever thought to add tea leaves, the concept never took off. With the addition of organic teas, Biscottea is at the ready to open the eyes of shortbread lovers to this overdue experience.
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When buying shortbread, check the ingredients list
to be sure that you’re getting 100% butter. |
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