Honey Rooibos Tea Cookies

My order from Adagio came in and it may well be my last order from that company because they’ve jacked up their international shipping prices to ridiculous levels. I am glad I finally got to try the fabled tea cookies though; I couldn’t resist buying a bag of each kind so I’ll be reviewing them all here.

The honey rooibos cookies have a fragrant vanilla smell that makes my mouth water. Their taste reminds me a lot of the British shortbred cookies my grandmother used to serve with tea, with the added flavours of richly sweet honey and a hint of of citrus. The flavours of the rooibos don’t make themselves known too much, which is fine by me, as anyone who knows me knows I’m not a big fan of red rooibos. But the little bits of rooibos leaves that were baked into cookies were a bit annoying as they kept getting caught in my teeth.

Ok, I admit these terrify me because I HATE red rooibos. It tastes like licorice to me. But I just had to try these cookies, because… well… their tea cookies and any food w/ tea in it is amazing. And yes, I’m having these for breakfast.

HOLY CRAP! I love when I’m wrong in situations like this! These are so yummy. The lemon and orange hit me right away, then a smooth sweetness from the vanilla and honey combo. And there’s no tea grit and no licorice flavor. The cookie itself is also more moist than the chai ones. I had this w/ a cup of their blackberry black (that doesn’t taste like blackberry) and the two went very well. I could easily shovel in the whole bag. These may be the best cookies not containing chocolate I’ve had. Although they would be better dipped in chocolate… maybe a chocolate made w/ Tipu’s instant chai?

Got these in the box from my SweeTEA, the lovely Meghann. (Thanks!) I was a bit concerned that I would not like them due to my love-hate relationship with rooibos, but I can never turn down a cookie. (Just ask my coworkers.) These were surprisingly delicious! I plan on ordering more, and am excited to try the other varieties.

These are buttery with the rooibos tea flavor there – obviously – but instead of me running away in horror from the wood/sawdust taste, I LIKE it! It’s spicy and woodsy, which makes no real sense, I know, but combined with the sugar and buttery tastes, this rounds out to be a darn good cookie!

Adagio says you get about 15 per bag but I think I got at least 20-25. I have been spacing out my enjoyment; tried these with my usual Chai Blend from Teavana and the experience was absolutely decadent!

I’ve been sitting here, craving cookies to the point that I’m getting ready to bake, when I remembered that Meghann (thanks luv!!)) had sent me these. Cookie score!! Not exactly what I’m craving (chocolate white chocolate chip), but not having to bake = win!

These are very nice. The texture of the cookie is like a love child between a sugar cookie and a Girl Scouts’ shortbread cookie, and the cookie “base” has a similar taste. I can definitely taste the honey (especially in the aftertaste), and there are citrus notes as well. Rooibos is also present, and my biggest complaint is that I’m getting bits of the rooibos stuck on my tongue. And they’re kinda stabby bits.

I am inspired to hunt up a sugar cookie recipe and see what goodness I can create with my tea stash.

Edit: okay, lowering rating. Not because of taste, but because of those stabby rooibos pieces. I’ve had 2 1/2 cookies and they’re all over my mouth. Ever had something on your tongue that you just couldn’t get off? Yup, that’s the feeling. Taste score: 80+. Stabby rooibos bits score: 15-.

I’m sipping Golden curls and having 2 tea cookies. What I like about these cookies the most is that they are small, for me it’s just the right amount. These are classic, old school cookies with butter and other good stuff in them.