2012 © copyright Savory Simple, all rights reserved
I love going to High Tea every now and then with friends. Tea rooms are full of elegant touches that create a pleasant atmosphere for girl time. Everyone is served their own pot of tea and tiered trays full of mini sandwiches and desserts. It’s a great way to enjoy a few hours on the weekend.
I’ve had rose and orange blossom water sitting in my pantry for a few months after picking them up at Dean and Deluca. When I made lavender shortbread cookies I realized they would work perfectly in the same recipe. Now I just have to master mini sandwiches and I’ll be able to host High Tea at home!
These are cut smaller than the lavender cookies so that they’re the perfect dipping size. I also divided the batch in half after creaming the butter and sugar before adding additional ingredients. This recipe makes quite a few shortbread cookies, so a half batch of each flavor is plenty (for me).
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter, cubed and at room temperature
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 4 teaspoon rose water OR orange blossom water
- 1 3/4 cup all purpose flour
Instructions
- Cream the butter, sugar and salt in a stand mixer on medium-high until light and fluffy. If you're making a half batch of each flavor, divide the mixture and set one half aside. Also, make sure to divide the rest of the ingredients in half.
- Add the vanilla and one of the waters, then lower the speed and slowly add the flour until the dough is combined.
- Roll the dough tightly in plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for at least an hour, or until the butter firms up. You can speed up the process by using the freezer.
- Roll out the dough to around 1/2 inch thick. I rolled it in between 2 sheets of parchment paper, which isn’t essential but helps avoid a mess and keeps the dough smooth.
- Using a cookie cutter, cut dough into rounds and then place them on a sheet tray covered with parchment. Roll the excess scraps in a ball and repeat the process until you have used all the dough.
- Chill the dough for at least 30 minutes.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes for 350 degrees F, or until lightly golden on top. Allow to cool to room temperature.
These look and sound Fragrant-Lovely! Must try! Thanks for sharing!
Lovely cookies! Ritchey and I enjoy tea rooms, too! When we are on vacation we always try to find one!
Wow! these sound SO delicious! They also look absolute perfection…
I shall have to try these, they sound lovely! Beautiful photograph too – I love pretty china.
I grew up in Nova Scotia. Every Christmas my aunt would mail us a box of green and red tinted shortbread cookies that were so light and buttery they almost disappeared on your tongue. These look wonderful.
Lovely shot – you should look at a site called http://dormouseandtheteapot.com/ which sells the most fabulous china tea cups and saucers..
Lovely recipe and photo! If you want to master tea sandwiches, here’s a tip from my mom (who used to work in a tea shop): Keep a spray bottle filled with water on hand and very lightly mist the sandwiches as you are working. Keep them covered with a clean dish cloth to prevent the bread from drying out. Good luck!
Thanks for the tips!
I love High Tea, a great idea to go with your friends. We have this in Victoria at the Fairmont Hotel. I happen to have a bottle of orange blossom water just purchased and ready to go:)
Tea and shortbread cookies … so civilized! Would love to have some right now, with a good book in front of a good fire.
Where do you get rose (blossom) water? Those cookies looks delicious!
I found it at Dean and Deluca while I was visiting NYC. I bet you can find it online. Try Amazon.
Lebanese, grocery stores usually stock. Basically any middle eastern store
I’ve heard that you can make your own rose water. I wonder if that would work… .
I’ll be trying these!!
How lovely. I love floral inspired foods. Middle Eastern markets carry both rose water and orange blossom water if you happen to be lucky enough to have such a market in your city.
I quite like the idea of adding rose and orange to the mixture! Shortbread is always such a nice treat for with a cup of tea. Yours are so pretty.
:-) Mandy
We make something a little similar every year. Great recipe!
These sound delicious and we have both rose and orange flower water in the cupboard
High tea is such fun it’s lovely to dress up and eat beautiful food in lovely surrounds
Dear Savory Simple,
I have rose and orange blossom water (burning a hole in my refrigerator, in your words :) and I am so glad to find “one” “eggless” recipe that can use both!
Rose water is one of my favorite flavors…I look forward to trying these
I don’t often eat cookies but if I just had to have one, I’d want one of these.
I love both those Middle Eastern flavours so much I would have to make a batch of each too! Afternoon tea is so lovely, the best ones I’ve had were in Dubai believe it or not, the mini pastries were exquisite and light (so you could eat them all!!!). The latest thing is serving tea cocktails in place of tea: earl grey, gin & lermon is The Royale apparently, created for the Royal Wedding this year. A fab idea don’t you think?
One of my students told me that her family runs a little cafe and that they have HIGH TEA there every day. Now I think I should make these cookies, put them in a little box, deliver them to that family, and get invited to HIGH TEA EVERY DAY.
these sound so lovely. i’ve only been to one “tea” (hosted by an English friend of mine) and i fell in love with dainty cookies like these. oh and clotted cream too. :)
Ooh, I love orange blossom and rose water — and, whatdyaknow — I love shortbread, too!
I just keep staring at that photo… that teacup looks so lovely and delicate, the cookies look so perfect! :)
I’m not a big cookie fan, but shortbread is another story. I knew as soon as I saw the title of this post I’d have to download and make these! Thanks so much!
These look so pretty!
This Rose and Orange Blossom Shortbread Cookie recipe looks amazing. You have definitely outdone yourself.. Great post
MMMMMMM,…Your original cookies look so pretty & lovely!
Perfect for Christmas! :)
YUMM! These look delish!
Oh man, I wish you had posted this recipe about a month ago when I was hosting a tea party at my house for my mom’s birthday. These would have been perfect. Not that I’m totally bummed, though. I can make them today and instead of having to share them with a bunch of old broads, I can eat them all myself :)
Thanks for the great recipe! I just hope I can get my paws on some rose or orange blosson water. Surely they must sell it somewhere around here, right?
I’m sure! Read through the comments. People posted all kinds of great suggestions about where to find them.
My daughter loves shortbread cookies. I am definitely going to make this one!
Gorgeous fragrant beauties. I love high tea as well. I think it is the mini food that i love!
Not only do these sound delicious, but your photograph is the perfect compliment to this recipe.
Rose and orange…oh, I love that combination! These cookies sound fantastic. Beautiful photo as well. :) x
Nice variation of a shortbread recipe! I definitely would try this one since I’ve learned how to make shortbread by following Delia Smith’s recipe as I wrote it here:
http://godslover.wordpress.com/2011/10/06/my-shortbread-by-delias-recipe/
Thanks for sharing it. :)
Ooh I can almost smell these !
Mmm, these sound so delicious, and fragrant! I bet your kitchen smelled amazing while making them. Gorgeous pics too :)
So beautiful and so sophisticated! -kate
These look divine, beautiful photography :)
I have Orange Blossom Water that I bought on a whim but never knew how to put to use. This sounds so good!
Thank you for visiting and commenting on my blog!
These cookies sound so sweet and delicate. They should add them to the high tea menu at the Peninsula Hotel in Hong Kong. I am a new follower and I love your blog. If you have a chance feel free to stop by mine at http://bamskitchen.com/ Take care
These cookies look fantastic! I have never been able to achieve the perfect round shorbread, I will try your method.
what beautiful photographs! im gonna try this with rose water :)
That sounds like a wonderful combination of flavours. Thanks for sharing – I can’t wait to try them!
I have both rosewater and orange blossom water sitting in my cupboard, but I am going to try to convert this recipe to gluten-free, so my husband can enjoy them! Thanks for the inspiration!
Love the idea of these flavour combinations. Also the composition of your photo’s – I am struggling with that!
Keep practicing! I think your photos are beautiful.