There’s been a lot of baking going on in 2020 with everyone home and spending more time in the kitchen (plus looking for ways to keep the kiddos occupied!). If baking banana bread has lost its appeel, or if you’re just looking for something new to bake this holiday season, we’ve got five recipes for you to try out -- and they all incorporate tea as an ingredient. That’s right, we’re baking with tea, folks! So break out the tins and bust out your apron, it’s time to get busy in the kitchen with tea! Share your delectable creations on social using #BakingWithHarney. 

Chai Spiced Sugar Cookies

First up, a sugar cookie that will give Santa a pleasant surprise. We think it will be chai on his list of faves. Print the recipe card here. 

Cookie Ingredients

• ½ C unsalted butter, softened
• ¾ C granulated sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 ½ C all-purpose flour
• 1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp cream of tartar
• ½ tsp baking soda
• ¼ tsp salt
• ⅛ tsp black pepper (optional based on preference)
• 2 tsp loose  Chai tea

Icing Ingredients

• 1 C powdered sugar
• ¼ tsp pure vanilla bean extract
• 1 tbsp milk

Directions

1. Cream together the butter and sugar using a stand mixer with a paddle attachment (or a hand mixer on a low-speed setting). Add egg and vanilla and mix until thoroughly combined.
2. In a separate bowl, whisk together all remaining dry cookie ingredients. Add this mixture slowly to the ingredients from Step 1, continuing to mix on low speed until thoroughly combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula as you go if necessary.
3. Once mixed, wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill for 2 hours. (You can chill for up to 48 hours if necessary.)
4. Preheat oven to 350° F. Use a cookie scoop or a spoon to scoop out balls that are approximately 2 tbsp. Roll the balls gently into a rounded shape and place on a baking sheet lined with either parchment paper or a silpat mat. Be sure you place the cookies far enough apart to allow for spreading.
5. Bake for 8-10 minutes. Take the cookies out when they are still fairly soft, with light golden edges. They’ll deflate a bit after you take them out of the oven. Let them cool on the baking sheets for a few minutes and then move to a wire rack.
6. Mix all icing ingredients together, adding the milk a bit at a time to get your desired consistency.
7. Dip a spoon into the icing mix and drizzle the icing over your cookies. If you like, you can sprinkle the icing with a little extra cinnamon, or sugar crystals for decoration.

Holiday Tea Bundt Cake

Next up, our Holiday Tea goes big and goes for a home run as the featured spice in this delicious bundt cake. Our mouths are watering already. Print the recipe card here. 

Cake Ingredients

• 2 ½ C all-purpose flour
• 2 sachets  Holiday Tea
• 1 can sweetened condensed milk
• 2 sticks (1 C) unsalted butter
• 1 C buttermilk
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp salt
• Water as required

Icing Ingredients

• 1 C powdered sugar
• 2-3 tbsp milk
• 2 tsp vanilla extract

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350° F and line a tube pan or bundt pan with butter and dust with dry flour.
2. Boil water in the kettle. Pour a cup of hot water in a bowl or jar and add the Holiday Tea sachets. Steep the tea and remove the bags.
3. In a mixing bowl, sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Whisk until combined.
4. In a microwave-safe bowl, melt butter for 30 seconds or until it starts melting.
5. In another mixing bowl, add condensed milk. Pour warm butter over it and whisk to combine. Finally, add one cup of fresh-brewed Holiday Tea and buttermilk and whisk again.
6. Gradually add the flour into the wet ingredients, folding the ingredients gently.
7. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Tap it on the counter to remove any air bubbles.
8. Bake in the preheated oven for about 30 to 40 minutes or until a toothpick or skewer inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.
9. Remove the cake from the oven. Invert onto a wire rack, cool completely before icing.
10. Slice and serve with a cup of tea!

Ginger Spice Tea Infused Marshmallows

Ever made your own marshmallows? We hadn’t, either, but it sounded like fun… and making ginger-spiced tea marshmallows? Heck, yeah. What do you do with them? How about using them on a steaming mug of hot chocolate, or in s’mores? Heck, yeah again. Print the recipe card here. 

Ingredients

• 1 C cold water, divided
• Two ¼-oz. packages unflavored gelatin
• 2 C sugar
• ⅔ C dark corn syrup
• 2  Gingerbread Festival sachets
• ¼ tsp salt
• 2 tsp pure vanilla extract

Directions

1. Spray an 8x8-inch baking pan with cooking spray and dust with powdered sugar. Set aside.
2. Pour ½ cup cold water into the bowl of a kitchen stand mixer. Pour two gelatin packs on top, let sit for 10 minutes.
3. In a saucepan, bring sugar, dark corn syrup, salt and the remaining cold water to a boil over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Add two Gingerbread Festival sachets and allow to steep in the bubbling mixture. Using a candy thermometer, bring mixture up to 240° F.
4. Once the sugar reaches the desired temperature, remove the sachets with tongs, place the whisk attachment on the mixer and turn it on low while carefully and slowly pouring hot sugar mixture. Once the hot sugar mixture is added, gradually increase the speed to high for about 8 minutes until mixture is thick and fluffy. Be patient, it takes time!
5. Using a spatula, scrape marshmallow mixture into your 8x8 pan and allow it to sit at room temp for at least 4 hours. Once set, flip marshmallow brick upside down onto a cutting board sprinkled with powdered sugar and cut into desired shapes/sizes.

Makes 25-30 marshmallows

Gingerbread Festival Muffins

Since the Gingerbread Festival tea is already out, let’s make something else with it. This is gingerbread’s time of year to shine, and it definitely has more than just cookie potential. Muffin and ginger fans, rejoice. This is for you. Print the recipe card here. 

Muffin Ingredients

• 2 C all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ¼ tsp salt
• ⅔ C packed light brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• ¼ C molasses
• ⅓ C pure maple syrup
• ⅔ C  Gingerbread Festival tea, brewed

Crumb Topping Ingredients

• ¼ C all-purpose flour
• ½ C oats
• ¼ C light brown sugar
• ½ tsp cinnamon
• Pinch of salt
• 3 tbsp unsalted butter, softened

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350° F. Line 12 muffin cups with paper liners.
2. Put ⅔ cup water in a mug. Microwave on high for 1 ½ minutes. Add two Gingerbread Festival sachets and set aside.
3. Whisk dry ingredients in a large bowl.
4. In another bowl, whisk egg, vanilla, molasses, syrup and brewed tea.
5. Stir dry ingredients into wet ingredients just until combined. Do not overmix.
6. Pour batter into muffin cups until ¾ full.
7. In a small bowl, mix all the crumb topping ingredients. Use a pastry blender or your fingers to mix. It should resemble a coarse crumb. Sprinkle generously on top of muffins.
8. Bake for 17-19 minutes or until tops are fully set. Do not overbake. You can also check with a toothpick.
9. Enjoy!

Paris Tea Infused Shortbread Cookies

Our final recipe incorporates the comforting flavors of vanilla and caramel, with a hint of bergamot, all found in our Paris tea. We paired Paris up with the buttery goodness of shortbread for this wonderful treat. You’re welcome. Print the recipe card here. 

Ingredients

• 1 C unsalted butter
• ¾ C powdered sugar
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1  Paris sachet
• 2 C all-purpose flour
• 1 C cornstarch

Directions

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter and powdered sugar with a paddle attachment on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add the salt, vanilla extract and the loose tea from the Paris sachet (discard the bag). Mix on low speed until incorporated.
2. Add the flour and cornstarch, one cup at a time, and mix on low speed until the dough just comes together. Turn the dough out onto a work surface and gently knead a few times, then roll out into a log about 1 ½ inches in diameter. Wrap the roll in parchment or wax paper and refrigerate for at least one hour or overnight. Dough can be frozen at this point and stored for a later date.
3. Preheat the oven to 350° F. Remove the parchment paper from the dough, slice into ⅛ - ¼ inch rounds and place on a baking sheet about ½ inches apart. Bake for 15-18 minutes or until golden around the edges. Allow to cool completely on the baking sheet before transferring to a serving platter or storage container. Cookies will keep covered at room temperature for 1 week.