Alpine Chai Biscuits

These gently spiced shortbread-style biscuits are made with Alpine Chai Herbal Tea, finely ground so the roasted dandelion and chicory roots, warming spices and orange peel flavour every bite.

This recipe was created specifically for Alpine Apothecary Alpine Chai Herbal Tea. Do not substitute a regular chai blend, as most contain black tea and a different balance of spices. Ground black tea will change the flavour, texture and caffeine content of the biscuits, so the result will not be the same.

Yield: approximately 18 small biscuits
Preparation: 15 minutes, plus 20 minutes chilling
Baking: 12 to 15 minutes

Ingredients

• 125 g butter, softened
• 70 g brown sugar
• 180 g plain flour
• 1 tablespoon Alpine Chai Herbal Tea
• A small pinch of salt
  
• Cinnamon sugar for sprinkling, optional

Method

1. Place the Alpine Chai in a spice grinder and grind it to a fine powder. Sieve it, then regrind any coarse pieces. This removes hard pieces of root and whole spice that could feel gritty in the biscuits.
2. Cream the softened butter and brown sugar until smooth.
3. Mix in the finely ground Alpine Chai, if using.
4. Add the flour and salt. Mix just until a soft dough forms.
5. Roll the dough into small balls and place them on a lined baking tray. Flatten gently with your fingers or the base of a glass.
6. Chill the tray for 20 minutes while the oven heats to 160°C fan-forced.
7. Sprinkle lightly with cinnamon sugar, if using, then bake for 12 to 15 minutes. The edges should be lightly golden while the centres remain pale.
8. Leave on the tray for 5 minutes before transferring to a rack to cool completely.

A little tip

The tea must be ground very finely for this recipe. Because Alpine Chai contains real roasted roots and whole spices, simply crushing it with a spoon will leave the biscuits too coarse.

Enjoy them with a freshly brewed cup of Alpine Chai Herbal Tea.