We’ll see if tea and buns can make the world a better place.
-from The Wind in the Willows
Tea.
After breakfast, lunch and dinner.
After shopping and doctor’s appointments. Before bed.
The kettle on – it sometimes seemed – if anyone walked within 20 feet of the front door. In a family with Irish roots (like mine), there was always tea.
Even now, when my mother or sisters visit, I will drink tea (even though I long ago defected to the coffee camp).
There is something so much more social about it. The ritual of warming pots and steeping just so – an eye on each other’s cups to top up as needed.
Tea, I think, is overwhelmed by chocolate and caramel. It goes well with things more subtle, like these Coconut Orange Tea Crisps. They have a light orange taste highlighted with a very slight touch of nutmeg that goes well with a cuppa. And, best of all, the dough is kept in the freezer to be sliced and baked as needed. Perfect for when someone drops by unexpectedly.
- 1 cup butter softened
- 1 cup white sugar
- 1 egg
- 1/4 cup orange juice
- 2 tablespoons grated orange rind
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1-1/2 cups shredded coconut
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
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Cream butter and add sugar until mixture is light and fluffy.
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Beat in egg.
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Add orange juice and rind and mix thoroughly.
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In separate bowl, stir together remaining ingredients and add to butter mixture.
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Mix until a smooth dough forms.
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Divide dough in three pieces. Roll each into a log about 1-1/2 inches in diameter.
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Wrap each log in parchment or wax paper, and keep in fridge or freezer until ready to bake.
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To bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
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Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
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Unwrap dough and with a sharp knife cut into 1/8" slices.
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Bake for 7-10 minutes until lightly browned. (Cookies will not spread much, so can be put fairly close together on the sheet.)
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Let cool completely and serve
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Return any unused dough to the freezer.
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