When I came up with my shortbread cookie recipe, I had in mind a slightly sweet, light tea cookie that is also nutritious. First I created a citrus version, which contains Meyer lemon or orange zest and is topped with a very thin slice of citrus fruit. But with such a great shortbread dough base, I couldn’t stop at just one cookie flavor. I opened my fridge and noticed some unsalted pistachios and decided to add them to the dough with coconut flakes and almond extract. The results were delicious!
These tea cookies are soft, buttery, and light — perfect for a shower or afternoon tea. The almond flour and coconut flour make them good sources of protein, fiber, and healthy fats. They are not a weight loss food, mind you, but they’re better for you than most desserts out there. And I say, if you’re going to eat a dessert, why not choose one that also contains lots of nutrients and doesn’t make you feel terrible after you eat it?
These cookies contain real ingredients — no white sugar, bleached flour, shortening, or corn syrup! I’m a tad addicted . . .
Citrus Tea Cookies
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup almond flour (Bob’s Red Mill)
- 1/4 cup coconut flour
- 2 T. sweet white sorghum flour
- 1/4 t. fine sea salt
- 1 t. lemon zest or orange zest
- 1 t. lemon juice
- Scant 1/2 cup melted Earth Balance or coconut oil
- 1/4 cup maple syrup, honey, or agave nectar
- 1 t. vanilla extract
- 1 orange or 1 Meyer lemon, sliced very thin (use a mandolin on the thinnest setting)
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Combine dry ingredients in a small mixing bowl, breaking up any clumps of flour. In a separate bowl, stir together wet ingredients.
- Pour wet ingredients into dry, and stir until a dough forms. Place bowl in the fridge to firm up for easier handling.
- Slice orange or Meyer lemon and cut or pull away peel carefully. Discard peel.
- Remove dough from fridge and form small balls with your hands, pressing them into flat disks on the baking sheet. Alternatively, press dough into cookie cutters on the baking sheet. Top each cookie with a citrus slice.
- Bake for 18-22 minutes, or until the bottom edges of the cookies are golden and the citrus slices look dry. Let cool at least 15 minutes on the baking sheet to prevent crumbling. You may want to cut the larger cookies in half (carefully), because the fruit tends to come off with the first bite. The smaller cookies are easier to eat.
Citrus Tea Cookie topped with a Cara Cara orange slice before baking
Citrus Tea Cookie topped with a Meyer lemon slice prior to baking
Pistachio Coconut Tea Cookies
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup almond flour (Bob’s Red Mill)
- 1/4 cup coconut flour
- 2 T. sweet white sorghum flour
- 1/4 t. fine sea salt
- 2 T. roasted, unsalted pistachios, shells removed
- 2 T. unsweetened coconut flakes
- Scant 1/2 cup melted Earth Balance or coconut oil
- 1/4 cup +1 T. maple syrup, honey, or agave nectar
- 1 t. almond extract
- Extra pistachios to top the cookies after they are baked
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a food processor, combine pistachios and coconut flakes and pulse until you achieve a coarse texture (see photo below).
- In a small mixing bowl, combine all dry ingredients, including the pistachio-coconut flour. Stir to break up any clumps.
- In a separate bowl, combine the wet ingredients. Pour wet ingredients into the dry and stir until a dough forms. Place in the fridge for a few minutes to firm up for easier handling.
- With your hands, form small dough balls and press them into flat disks on the baking sheet or press them into cookie cutters on the baking sheet.
- Bake 18-22 minutes or until the bottom edges are golden. Before cookies cool, press a pistachio into the middle of each cookie. Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet at least 15 minutes so they don’t crumble.
A combination of cookies made with cookie cutters and hand-pressed cookies
My husband and I can’t stop eating these tea cookies! They’re so easy to make that whenever we run out, I just make another batch.
Try them and let me know what you think! 🙂
These are so cool!