Smells of Yesterday
Tea Time
Written by MaryEvelyn
When I was little I loved the smells my mother would have coming from the kitchen.
The whole house would always have an aroma that would either make me hungry or one that would make me want to inhale at close range.
My mother loved teas...I say teas rather than just one tea because when I became old enough to have a taste of what she was drinking, I realized the teas would often be different. She explained to me how many of the teas that she drinks made her feel better whether it be an upset stomach or anxiety. She spoke of how my grandfather drank teas for many medicinal purposes and how a specific tea aroma he felt was calming.
Mom also loves chinaware, she has many different sets, but one set was her favorite when I was little. I knew this because when she would sit down to have a cup of tea she would always have the same cup and saucer and would tell me, “these are very special to me and one day you will have them.” In the meantime, I had my own little tea set and although the cups didn’t hold a lot of tea, the smell was wonderful.
I couldn’t wait to get old enough to sip tea with my mother out of her very dainty dishes. I could imagine sitting all grown up across from mom at the table enjoying tea in a way that she appeared to enjoy it.
Mom would often bake a shortbread to eat as she sipped the tea. The smell of the shortbread was as wonderful as the taste.
As I got older my mother and I have often had tea together, it was a tradition that lasted for many many years.
The flavor of our teas would continued to change as our days changed. Mom never stopped loving her tea time and said that it was because there is a tea for her every mood and for every day.
I was recently remembering when I last had tea with mom, we had orange spice. She said, “you know, this is just a really good tasting tea, and the supposed benefits are just an added bonus.”
Today, I love making tea with all of the different aromas and embracing all of the benefits that I believe tea offers. I look forward to the day that my daughters and I can sit across from each other at the table, lightly touching on the events happening in our lives, but mostly enjoying the taste and smell of our shared tea and shortbread.
Today I made shortbread in memory of days gone by.
Classic Shortbread Recipe
Yield 8 wedges
Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 teaspoon course salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup confectioners sugar
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 300 degrees with rack in upper third. Sift flour and salt into bowl, set aside. Put butter into the bowl of an electric mixer. Mix on medium-high speed until fluffy 3-5 minutes, scraping down sides of bowl. Gradually add sugar, beat until pale and fluffy about 2 minutes.
Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture all at once, mix until just combined.
Butter a 10 inch round springform or cake pan. Using plastic wrap press dough evenly into pan. With plastic on dough refrigerate 20 minutes.
Cut dough into 8 wedges with a paring knife. Using a wooden skewer prick all over at 1/4 inch intervals.
Bake until golden brown and firm in center about 1 hour. Transfer pan to wire rack. Recut shortbread into wedges, let cool completely in pan.
Notes
For shortbread to bake evenly and not puff up in spots…
Turn the dough out into the pan, cover with plastic wrap (so not to stick to your hands)press into an even thickness. Refrigerate.
Use a paring knife to cut the dough into wedges. Use a wooden skewer ( not a fork) to prick the entire surface of the dough into a pattern.
I served this up with a scoop of French vanilla ice cream just as it was melting a bit. It was yummy. Enjoy!