Here are some tea pairings–black and green teas–to serve with cookies. I hope you will enjoy these and buttery cookie pairings as much as I do!
Winter is cookie season! Cookies are my absolute favorite dessert. Seriously, I could easily rattle off 10 or more “favorite cookies!” So, I really feel the call to bake and enjoy cookies more often when the the cooler weather comes. A steaming cup of tea, of course, is wonderful with cookies. Before we get to the pairings, let’s talk more about buttery cookies.
Buttery Cookies to Pair with Teas
This post focuses on buttery cookies without spices, but maybe including vanilla, like shortbread. I’ve also made a German piped cookie, called Spritzgebäcken or Spritzgebäck (shown in nearby photos). I also think buttery cookies with citrus zest–like this cookie recipe, but without the Earl Grey tea–would also be delicious with these pairings.
In case you were wondering, the main difference between “butter cookies” and Spritzgebäcken is the latter have an egg (or just an egg white–it varies) in the dough. That addition makes the Spritzgebäcken softer.
So, here are several tea and buttery cookie pairings that I think work beautifully.
First Pairing: Sri Lankan Black Tea
Sri Lankan black tea, sometimes sold as “Ceylon” tea, has a rounded, silky and slightly sweet taste with very low astringency. Some of them also have a natural vanilla note to me, too. I enjoy Ceylon teas without sugar or milk, but they could easily take both, especially if steeped strongly.
There is something so complementary about the flavors of a Ceylon tea and buttery cookies. Neither eclipses the other and the flavors are very harmonious. A tea and buttery cooking pairing like this is a great way to enhance your tea time.
I’ve purchased really good Sri Lankan teas from The Steeping Room. (This post is *not* sponsored! Just giving a shout-out to a tea source I’ve enjoyed for many years.)
In the photos below, I’ve steeped their Forest Hill Handmade Wild Black Tea Rods –a really fun way to steep loose leaf tea and not need a strainer! (Most Sri Lankan teas, by the way, come as you’d expect–not in these rods.)
Second Pairing: Kashmiri Kahwa
Maybe you are more of a green tea drinker? I recommend Kashmiri Kahwa. Kahwa literally means “sweetened tea” in Kashmiri. It is a green tea with spices such as cardamon, cinnamon, and sometimes saffron or rose petals. Its origin is in Southeast and Central Asia. Traditionally, it’s prepared with sugar and honey and chopped nuts (particularly almonds or walnuts).
Although I gravitate to green teas more in spring and summer, kahwa has those warming spices. So, it feels perfect for winter! I tend not to add sugar to green tea; however, adding a sweet, buttery cookie gives me the “sweetened” element.
I was surprised and delighted by this tea and buttery cookie pairing. The buttery notes played very well with the green-tea base of this tea and gently enhanced the spices in the tea.
My friend, Katie, generously brought this green tea blend back from a trip to India. And, there was no brand on the box. So, I can’t share where to get the delicious blend that I used. But, an internet search should help you find some brands or how to blend your own at home.
Third Pairing: Malty Black Tea
The third pairing might be the one most accessible and common to many people in the U.S., Canada, and the U.K.–that malty black tea that we probably already have in our cupboard!
Growing up, I drank rivers of Lipton tea with milk and sugar. I still enjoy a hearty cup of it. It pairs beautifully–with or without milk–with buttery cookies. Don’t overlook the possibilities at hand for tea and buttery cooking pairings.
More Buttery Cooking Pairings
I will sneak in two additional pairings here! Matcha and hojicha both go beautifully with buttery cookies. Matcha is finely ground green tea grown under special shading conditions. Hojicha is roasted green tea. Both are traditionally made in Japan. They are two more excellent examples of tea and buttery cooking pairings…in my opinion.
There are so many more I could mention! Maybe in another post. Did I miss your favorite tea and cookie pairing? If so, please let me know.
Looking for More Cozy Winter Vibes?
Besides tea and cookie pairings, another way to honor and deepen your tea time is to pair it with mindfulness and journaling! Interested? Check out my Winter Rest Kit for Tea Lovers.