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brown butter cookies with earl grey and lavender cream cheese frosting
The Cookie Gallery

The Foggy Brown Butter Earl Grey Cookies with Lavender Cream Cheese Frosting

These Brown Butter Earl Grey Cookies are soft, buttery, and infused with finely ground tea for genuine bergamot flavor. Rolled in lavender sugar and topped with dreamy lavender cream cheese frosting, they are elegant, floral, and absolutely unforgettable.
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes
Cooling Time 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 12 minutes
Servings: 24 cookies
Calories: 235
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the Earl Grey Cookies:
  • 3 tbsp 12g Earl Grey tea leaves (from about 6-8 tea bags)
  • 2 ¾ cups 344g all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
  • ½ tsp baking powder
  • ½ tsp baking soda
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 1 cup 200g granulated white sugar
  • 1 cup 227g unsalted butter (browned then cooled)
  • 1 egg at room temperature
  • 2 tsp vanilla bean paste
For the Lavender Sugar & Cream Cheese Frosting:
  • ½ cup 100g granulated white sugar
  • ½ tbsp culinary lavender
  • 4 oz 113g cream cheese, softened
  • ¼ cup 56g unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 cup 130g powdered sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla bean paste
  • Purple food coloring optional

Equipment

  • 1 Light-colored saucepan for browning butter
  • 1 Spice grinder or small food processor (for grinding tea)
  • 1 Hand mixer or stand mixer with paddle attachment
  • 1 Large and medium mixing bowls
  • 1 Whisk
  • 1 Rubber Spatula
  • 1 Cookie scoop or tablespoon
  • 1 Small bowl (for lavender sugar)
  • 1 Baking sheets
  • 1 Parchment paper
  • 1 Wire Cooling Rack
  • 1 Offset spatula or piping bag (for frosting)

Method
 

  1. Grind the tea: Pulse Earl Grey leaves in a spice grinder until finely ground. Do not over grind into dust.
  2. Brown the butter: In a light colored saucepan over medium heat, melt 1 cup butter, swirling occasionally. Cook until amber, brown specks form, and it smells nutty. Immediately remove from heat and pour into a large bowl. Cool for 10-15 minutes.
  3. Combine dry ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and ground Earl Grey tea.
  4. Cream butter and sugar: To the cooled brown butter, add 1 cup granulated sugar. Beat on medium speed for 3-4 minutes until light and fluffy.
  5. Add egg and vanilla: Add room temperature egg and vanilla bean paste. Beat until fully incorporated and smooth.
  6. Integrate dry ingredients: With mixer on low, gradually add flour mixture. Mix just until combined. Do not overmix.
  7. Make lavender sugar: In a small bowl, combine ½ cup granulated sugar with ½ tablespoon culinary lavender. Stir to combine.
  8. Shape and coat cookies: Scoop tablespoon-sized dough balls. Roll each in lavender sugar to coat. Place on parchment-lined baking sheets, 2 inches apart.
  9. Bake: Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Bake for 10-12 minutes until edges are set and just beginning to golden. Cool completely on baking sheet before frosting.
  10. Make frosting: In a medium bowl, beat softened cream cheese and butter until smooth. Gradually add powdered sugar, beating until incorporated. Add vanilla bean paste and optional purple food coloring. Beat until fluffy.
  11. Frost cookies: Once cookies are completely cool, spread or pipe frosting onto each cookie. Let set slightly before serving.

Notes

  1. Use Culinary Lavender Only: Regular or craft lavender is not food safe and will taste like soap. Purchase culinary lavender from the baking aisle or specialty food stores.
  2. Grind Tea Evenly: Grinding the Earl Grey ensures the bergamot flavor is distributed throughout every bite. Skip this step, and you will get random bursts of intense tea flavor.
  3. Cool Cookies Completely: Cream cheese frosting will melt on warm cookies. Wait until cookies are completely, absolutely cool before frosting.
  4. Room Temperature Ingredients: For the smoothest frosting, ensure your cream cheese and butter are fully softened to room temperature. Cold ingredients create lumpy frosting.
  5. Vanilla Bean Paste Substitute: If you do not have vanilla bean paste, substitute with an equal amount of pure vanilla extract. The flavor will be similar, just without the vanilla specks.
  6. Purple Food Coloring: The lavender sugar already adds visual interest, so food coloring is optional. If you use it, start with one tiny drop and mix, a little goes a long way!
  7. Storage: Store frosted cookies in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Let sit at room temperature for 10-15 minutes before serving.