Kumquat and Chamomile Shortbreads

Let’s have a tea party!  I’ll bring the cookies!

Shortbreads, really.  I LOVE shortbreads.  Buttery, not too sweet, soft but not really chewy.  So delicious.  These ones though have a little something extra to them.

Kumquat and chamomile tea.  Say it with me now: yum.  Yum, yum, yum.

Tart, bright kumquats.  Fragrant, earthy chamomile.   Thin slices of kumquat on top and just a sprinkle of raw sugar for a little extra sweetness.  These babies disappeared from the table pretty quickly.

These shortbreads pack in a surprising amount of flavor.  Both the citrus and floral flavors really come through and compliment each other really well.  My mom, upon trying them for the first time, said 2 things: one, that they were so flavorful and bright, and two, that she believes I chose my flavor combinations by throwing darts at a board full of ingredients.  I guess it’s kind of a weird combination of flavors, but it works.  Check and mate.

On a little sidenote, this recipe requires a 1/4 cup of fresh kumquat juice.  This requires actually juicing kumquats.  A lot of kumquats.  An absolutely insane amount of kumquats.  Because each one contains about, oh, 1/2 a teaspoon of juice.  I started feeling like an episode of I Love Lucy; juicing dozens of kumquats to get literally a couple of drops of juice per fruit.  It’s quite comical.

So, your next tea party, make these shortbreads.  Maybe serve with some kumquat curd!  Just be sure to reserve an hour and several hundred kumquats for juicing.  Seriously.  THG

Kumquat and Chamomile Shortbreads

3/4 cup (3 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 cup sugar

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 tsp. orange extract

1/4 cup fresh kumquat juice

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp. salt

1/3 cup chamomile tea

10-12 kumquats, sliced thinly widthwise

raw sugar for topping

In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.  Add extracts and kumquat juice and mix to combine.  Sift together flour and salt and add to butter mixture.  Mix on low until just combined.  Add chamomile tea and mix until combined.  Dump dough out onto a floured surface and form into a disk.  Cover in plastic wrap and refrigerate 1-2 hours.

Preheat oven to 350ºF.

Roll out shortbread dough to 1/4” thickness.  Cut into 3” by 1” strips.  Place onto ungreased cookie sheets.  Lightly press kumquat slices into each shortbread, 2 to 3 per shortbread.  Sprinkle with raw sugar.  Bake in the middle of oven for 20-25 minutes until golden brown.  Remove from oven and cool on baking sheet.

Makes approximately 30 1×3 inch shortbreads