C is for Cookies (Apricot, Sage and Earl Grey tea)

Here are 2 more of my favorite Christmas cookies:

APRICOT-SAGE COOKIES

What you need

1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/3 cup sugar

1/4 cup yellow cornmeal

1/2 cup butter

2 tbsp snipped fresh sage, lemon thyme, or rosemary, or 2 teaspoons dried sage or rosemary, crushed

3 tbsp milk

1 tablespoon water

Fresh sage leaves (optional)

Sugar

2 tbsp apricot preserve

What to do

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. In a medium bowl stir together flour, sugar, and cornmeal. Using a pastry blender, cut in butter until mixture resembles fine crumbs and starts to cling. Stir in fresh herb. Add milk and stir with a fork to combine. Form mixture into a ball and knead until smooth. Divide dough in half.

On a lightly floured surface, roll half of the dough at a time until 1/8 inch thick. Using a 2-1/2-inch round cookie cutter, cut out dough.

If desired, top half of the cutouts with one or two small sage leaves. Sprinkle with sugar. Place cutouts 1 inch apart on an ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake about 7 minutes or until edges are firm and bottoms are very lightly browned. Transfer cookies to a wire rack and let cool.

Snip any large pieces of fruit in apricot preserves. Spread the bottoms of cookies without sage leaves with preserves. Top with sage-topped cookies, flat sides down. Makes 16 sandwich cookies.

To Store: Place in layers separated by waxed paper in an airtight container; cover. Store at room temperature up to 3 days or freeze unfilled cookies up to 3 months. Thaw cookies; fill.

Notes:

Cookies should be fairly thin

Most of sage leaves of my cookies dried up in the oven so I just sprinkled some granulated sugar.

Be generous with the apricot preserve!!!

Image from Better Homes and Gardens

EARL GREY TEA COOKIES

What you need

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
2 tbsp Earl Grey tea leaves, from approximately 6 tea bags
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 cup unsalted butter, cut into pieces

What to do

Heat oven to 375° F. Pulse together all the dry ingredients in a food processor until the tea leaves are pulverized. Add vanilla, 1 tsp water, and butter. Pulse together until dough is formed.

Divide dough in half. Place each half on a sheet of plastic wrap and roll into a 12-inch log, about 2 inches in diameter. Wrap and chill for 30 minutes.

Slice each log into disks, 1/3 inch thick. Place on parchment- or foil-lined baking sheets, 2 inches apart. Bake until edges are just brown, about 12 minutes. Let cool on sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire racks.