As the weather starts to drop, it’s not surprising to feel a tickle at the back of the throat or a bit of congestion. One of my favorite remedies for a sore throat has become the Hot Toddy. The hot water, whiskey, lemon, and honey combination is just perfectly soothing. I always like to take the drink one step further by using tea instead of just hot water and adding a dash of cinnamon.
Let’s be honest though–Hot Toddies aren’t just for when you’re sick. They hit the spot any time. Especially so once fall hits and the days turn overcast, the rain starts to fall, and the wind blows through the branches so that it almost sounds like whispers are slipping through your windows in the middle of the night.
A Hot Toddy is the type of drink I would put up there with coffee, apple cider, or hot chocolate. It’s soothing to the soul. Have a bad day? Hot Toddy. Want to read a book? Drink a Hot Toddy while you read. Just want to sit down and catch up on some TV shows after your shower? Make a Hot Toddy. It’s relaxing and probably one of the simplest ways you can take care of yourself.
The idea of turning a Hot Toddy into a cookie seemed like a no-brainer to me, and these Hot Toddy Shortbread Cookies carry the flavors subtly, which makes them somewhat light. It’s incredibly easy to eat three of these before you can even count how many you’ve grabbed!
The Hot Toddy shortbread itself has tea leaves mixed right into it along with lemon zest, cinnamon, and a bit of whiskey. The cookies are then dipped into a glaze made with strong-brewed chamomile tea (see my favorite tea–highly recommended for these cookies as the flavor profile is perfect and adds those extra notes of honey and vanilla!–in the recipe below), honey, and (if desired) a little bit of whiskey. Then they’re topped with a whiskey soaked sugar which adds an extra bit texture to these shortbread that you didn’t know they needed!
These Hot Toddy Shortbread Cookies are one of those prime examples of why I prefer shortbread to regular drop cookies–they’re not over-the-top, yet they linger with you in the best way.
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shortbread cookies
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- 300 grams butter room temperature (2 sticks + 5 Tbsp)
- 150 grams granulated sugar (2/3 cup)
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 6 sachets chamomile tea (my favorite is Celestial Seasonings' Honey Vanilla Chamomile)
- 450 grams flour (2 2/3 cup)
- 1 lemon zest only
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 Tbsp whiskey or bourbon
- 1-3 Tbsp chamomile tea brewed strong
- 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar sifted
- 1-2 Tbsp honey warmed/runny
- 1 Tbsp whiskey or bourbon (optional)*
Ingredients
Hot Toddy Shortbread
Tea and Honey Glaze
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- In the bowl of a stand mixer, or with an electric mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy (about 3-5 minutes). Add in the vanilla extract and mix until combined.
- Open your six sachets of tea, pouring the contents into a food processor. Grind until you have fine pieces of tea leaves.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the ground tea leaves, flour, lemon zest, and cinnamon. Add these dry ingredients to the butter and sugar mixture a little at a time, mixing until the dough is in a stage of large clumps.
- Add 1 Tbsp of whiskey or bourbon and mix until the dough comes together.
- Split the dough in half and flatten into discs. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 300°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Remove the dough from the fridge and, using either a dusting of flour on the countertop or two pieces of parchment paper, roll it out until it's about 1/3-1/2 cm thick. Using a cookie cutter or a knife, cut the dough into your preferred shapes and line the cookies on the prepared baking sheets. Dock with a fork and bake 25-28 minutes until the edges begin to turn golden brown. Remove from the oven and allow to cool on a wire rack.
- Place two teabags into a mug and boil 1/4 cup of water. Pour the boiling water into the mug and allow to steep for about 5 minutes. Remove the teabags from the water--make sure to squeeze the bags to get as much flavor as you can. Sift your powdered sugar into a medium bowl and whisk together with 1-3 Tbsp of tea and 1-2 Tbsp of runny honey.** Dip 1/2 of your Hot Toddy shortbread into this glaze and allow.
- Place the sugar and whiskey (or bourbon) into a small, lidded tupperware. Shake until combined. The sugar may be a bit wet, but it will dry over time.
- Before the glaze has set, sprinkle the whiskey sugar over the glazed half of the shortbread cookies. Allow to dry on a wire rack.
*If you want a bit of whiskey or bourbon flavor in the glaze, swap in 1 Tbsp of whiskey or bourbon for 1 Tbsp of tea.
**In a glass or a mug, microwave the honey for about 8-10 seconds on high heat.
Use coarse sugar such as raw sugar for the topping on these--granulated sugar clumps together much more and no one want to take a bite into that!