Warm Up Your Afternoon with Biscuits and Tea

Nothing is more classic than a sweet and crumbly biscuit and a steaming cup of your favorite tea. Warm up this afternoon with a relaxing tea break befitting a Dickens tale and let these two cookies steal the show.

Oatmeal Cookies
Basic yet classy, these traditional oatmeal raisin cookies are the perfect complement to a steaming up of Earl Grey.

Prep: 20 minutes
Bake: 8-10 minutes

Makes 48 cookies

½ cup plus 6 tablespoons (1¾ sticks) butter, softened
¾ cup firmly packed brown sugar
½ cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1½ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon salt (optional)
3 cups oats (quick or old fashioned, uncooked)
1 cup raisins

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. Using an electric mixer in a large bowl, cream together butter and sugars on medium speed. Add eggs and vanilla; beat well.
3. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt; mix well.
4. Add dry ingredients to the butter mixture and stir. Add oats and raisins; mix well.
5. Drop dough by rounded tablespoonful onto 2 ungreased cookie sheets. Bake 8-10 minutes or until light golden brown.
6. Cool cookies 1 minute on cookie sheets, then remove to a wire rack. Cool completely and store covered tightly.

Jelly Thumbprint Cookies
Sweet and buttery cookies with dollop of red raspberry preserves make cheery companions to white or herbal teas.

Prep: 15 minutes
Bake: 12-15 minutes

Makes 36 cookies

1 cup butter (2 sticks), softened
½ cup granulated sugar
½ cup packed brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2½ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
¼ cup raspberry preserves
⅓ cup confectioners’ sugar, to serve (optional)

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease 2 baking sheets; set aside.
2. In a mixing bowl, cream together the butter and white and brown sugars. Beat in the egg and vanilla.
3. In a separate bowl, mix together the flour and baking powder.
4. Stir the flour mixture into the butter mixture and mix well.
5. Form dough into 1-inch balls and place on the prepared baking sheets. Using your thumb, make an indentation in each cookie and fill with raspberry preserves. Bake for 12-15 minutes. Let cool completely and sprinkle with confectioners’ sugar to serve, if desired.

Tip: For a fancier look, place the dough in a cookie press and bake up some cute or classic shapes. Just make sure to add the traditional thumbprint indent and the raspberry preserves before baking.