Cookie #41 - Massachusetts Tea & Honey Cookies

"On December 16, 1773, after officials in Boston refused to return three shiploads of taxed tea to Britain, a group of colonists boarded the ships and destroyed the tea by throwing it into Boston Harbor. The incident remains an iconic event of American history, and other political protests often refer to it." - Wikipedia

My first thought for Massachusetts was to do a Boston Creme Pie cookie.  Then I started to think about it:  I had yet to see a tea flavored cookie, so I was anxious to try my hand at it.  After a bit of searching, I came across a few recipes for all sorts of tea flavored shortbreads, cookies and cakes.  Black tea, green tea, white tea - and this really awesome looking stuff called matcha (which will have to make it into a cookie later).  I chose to do a shortbread type cookie and sweetened it with honey.  The resulting cookie was dry like a shortbread and the flavor was very subtle.  I was pleased with how these turned out and think that after some further tweaking, they could really be an excellent cookie.

Massachusetts Tea & Honey Cookies

2 cups flour

3/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking powder

1 tbsp tea (I used Earl Gray tea right from the tea bag)

6 tbsp butter

2 tbsp honey

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Cream butter and honey together until smooth.  Sift flour, salt and baking soda together in a small bowl and add slowly to butter and honey.  Stir in tea.

Roll into 1" balls and place 2" apart on parchment lined baking sheets.  Flatten each ball with the bottom of a glass dipped in flour to prevent sticking.

Bake for 8-10 minutes or until the bottoms are just golden brown.  Transfer to a wire rack to cool.