Buttermilk Tea Cookies

For some reason, I had a carton of buttermilk at home and I was craving something sweet (but ofcourse!). I have seen quite a few cake recipes that use buttermilk but I was not in the mood for cake. I wanted something more bite sized, like cookies (yes, my cravings can be quite particular! :-) ).

So, I googled for a recipe and came across this super simple one to make buttermilk cookies. They came out crisp on the outside and nice and soft on the inside; sort of like a sweet biscuit. Well, actually since biscuits are made with buttermilk, not very surprising is it?! Anyway, these cookies are not flaky like a scone but more dense and chewy in the centre.

And, they make the perfect accompaniment for milk tea; they taste great dipped in tea, just the way I like them!! :) Also, they have have a reasonably long shelf life when stored in an air tight container.

Now, I made these plain but you can also make them extra pretty by topping them with a bit of lemon or vanilla glaze.


Buttermilk Tea Cookies

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp grated lemon zest
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
2/3 cup well-shaken buttermilk

Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in the middle. Whisk together the dry ingredients and the zest. Beat butter and sugar together in a large bowl until pale and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition, then stir in vanilla. Mix in flour mixture and buttermilk alternately in batches at low speed, beginning and ending with flour mixture, until smooth.

Drop level tablespoons of dough about 1 1/2 inches apart onto a greased baking sheet. Bake until cookies are puffed and edges are golden about 12 to 15 minutes. Cool cookies on sheet for a minute and then transfer to a rack.

If you want to add the glaze, whisk together a cup and a half of confectioner's sugar, a tsp of vanilla extract or lemon juice (depending on what glaze you want) and 3 tablespoons of buttermilk. Brush on top of cookies and let cool. Glaze will harden.