Earl Grey Cookies

2 cups flour
2 tablespoons Earl Grey tea leaves (= the contents of about six tea bags)
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup confectioner's sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, room temperature

In food processor pulse together the flour, tea, and salt until the tea is spotted throughout. Add sugar, vanilla, and butter. Pulse together until a dough is formed. Roll into a log about 2.5 inches in diameter. Wrap log in plastic wrap like a sausage and tightly twist the ends. Refrigerate for 30 min.

Preheat oven to 375F.

Slice log into 1/3 inch discs. Place on parchment lined baking sheets and bake until the edges are just brown (about 12 minutes). Let cool.

Olive Oil Cake with Quince Jam

Ben was kind enough to share his cake recipe (to which he added homemade quince jam before baking):

Ingredients:

5 eggs, separated

1/3 c. olive oil

1 1/2 c. sugar

1/2 tsp salt

2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp vanilla, lemon, or orange extract (or scrape a vanilla bean)

zest and juice of one orange

zest and juice of one lemon

2 c. flour

1 tsp baking powder

procedure:

preheat oven to 325; oil and dust with flour a 10" cake pan.

beat egg whites until stiff; set aside

beat sugar and oil until blended (you won't be able to cream them together as with butter). beat in egg yolks, then salt, cinnamon, extract, and citrus peels & juices, until smooth. add flour and baking powder in batches and mix until combined. fold in egg whites. pour into pan and bake for 45-60 minutes until firm, golden, and pulling away from sides.

Cool for 10-15 minutes