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Lemon & Cardamom Holiday Tea Biscuits

Posted by Lindsay Kluge on Monday, December 12, 2016

Over the past 2 months, every single weekend my husband and I have been building a fence. Since late October, we’ve been outside in our stark, garden-less backyard tearing up what was just recently a lovely gathering spot, and making mounds of muddy, half frozen dirt piles and littering the yard with wood pieces and saw dust. Being outside, all day, for the past 2 months has really brought to my awareness the coming winter, and every weekend was a little colder and a little colder and a little more uncomfortable. We made provisions, of course. In his wood shop, he has a fire heater that I huddle beside when my hands and feet just can’t take the chill, and last weekend we started a roaring fire in the fire pit, put on some Christmas tunes and really made it homey and festive while we put in the FINAL screws and nails to our DIY fence project. We really love working on projects together, and as time consuming and challenging as they may be – I honestly know Greg loves the process of having a woodworking project, figuring out the intricacies of it all and bringing it to life. He’s an incredibly talented woodworker, and if he had more time to devote to it (i.e not working 60 hour weeks…) I bet this is where his dormant profession would flourish. Greg revealed to me recently that a client of his told him, just before our wedding, “…Never let your wife know what you’re capable of…then she’ll expect you to do things all the time!”. Seriously – worst advice I’ve ever heard. I’m in awe of all of the things Greg can do. Impressed doesn’t even begin to describe it. Woodworking. Cooking (omg can that man can cook). Gardening. Sewing. Beer brewing. Tree swing rigging. He can fix anything. Ugh. This is a biscuit post. I should get on with it. 

 

Today, the first day we can rest after our massive project is complete, is a gray, wet, cold and downright gloomy December day. Hence, it’s my favorite kind of day for tea and biscuits, curling up on the couch with our pup under our big “teddy bear blanket” and doing not a thing but share massages and foot rubs and gorge on Frasier. Tea sipping on cold days is just what we need to warm up and rejuvenate from 2 days of frigid chill in our bones, and tea biscuits are the perfect compliment to a warming, grounding cup of tea. Whether it’s just us on the couch, dropping little biscuit crumbs for the pup to clean up, or to serve at a holiday party or tea date – these biscuits are such a treat and so easy to prepare. They’re not sweet like cookies, but flaky and almost cake like with subtle herby spices and lemon to go with almost any tea flavor. If you prefer a more sweet biscuit, use regular granulated sugar in place of the coconut palm sugar, and top with candied pecans in place of raw pecans. 
Play with toppings of your choice. I used raw pecans and coconut flakes, but walnuts, almonds, cashews, chia or hemp seeds or even cinnamon sugar would be delicious! Thrive Market is an excellent, low cost place to source organic ingredients for this recipe!
Served here with my Sweet Roots Tea, a tasty warming chai blend for cold winter days. 

Lemon & Cardamom Holiday Tea Biscuits

  • 1.5 cups spelt flour
  • 1.5 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp celtic sea salt
  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) organic butter at room temp
  • 1/2 cup coconut palm sugar
  • 1 egg
  • Juice of 1 lemon
  • 1/2 tsp cardamom powder
  • pecans, turbinado sugar and coconut flakes to top
Makes 10-12 biscuits

In a small bowl, mix the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside. In a large bowl, mix the butter and coconut palm sugar together with a hand mixer. Add in the egg, then the lemon juice, then the cardamom powder and mix well. Slowly blend in the flour mixture with a spoon and mix well (it should be a very thick mixture) Remove from the bowl and wrap the dough in saran wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes to chill. 

Preheat oven to 350F.

Remove the dough from the fridge and dust a clean surface with spelt flour. Roll out the dough into about 1/4inch thickness and press out discs using a cookie cutter (or wine glass rim). Place on parchment on a baking pan and top with pecans, coconut flakes and turbinado sugar (optional). Bake for 12 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool on a cooling rack for 10 minutes. I prefer to refrigerate these biscuits, as the chill gives them a crisper flavor and texture. Serve with a piping hot teapot of your favorite tea.