January is National Tea Month. If you appreciate the flavors in a good cup of tea, there are ways you can get the best possible out of your leaves—be they loose or in tea bags.

Brewing the perfect cup of tea is all about finding the sweet spot between time and temperature, says Arthur Gautier of Nio Teas.

“Each type of tea needs to be brewed using its own distinct method to bring out its best flavors,” he says.

To help you understand how to brew each tea just right and make your tea time perfect, Arthur has provided the correct brewing temperature and steeping time for each type of tea from the tea plant, Camellia sinensis.

Depending on the processing of the leaf, this plant produces black, green, oolong, white, and yellow teas. But it does not produce herbal tea*.

> Check out all the tea holidays: There are more than 20!
 
 
FIRST QUALITY, THEN BREWING

To get a great output you need a great input: quality tea. And then, there’s brewing.

Arthur Gautier of Nio Teas commented, “Tea doesn’t just taste great; it can have amazing health benefits when brewed right. Each type brings something unique to the table.

“Take black tea, for instance—it’s rich in antioxidants that support heart health, and its natural high caffeine gives you a nice, steady lift without the jitters you might get from coffee.

“Green tea is also famous for its antioxidant punch, especially EGCG, which has been linked to everything from boosting metabolism to promoting healthy skin.

“Then there’s white tea—it’s super gentle, but don’t let that fool you. It’s loaded with polyphenols, which can help protect your cells from damage.”

Here are his expert tips on how to brew tea in each of these categories.
 
 
BLACK TEA: BOLD & CLASSIC

Black tea is the most oxidized of all the teas, which gives it its distinctive dark color and strong flavor. The oxidation process deepens the tea’s color and enhances its bold, brisk taste.

Originating in China, black tea cultivation has since spread to regions like India, Sri Lanka, and Kenya, with each country offering its own unique varieties—for example, Assam and Darjeeling from India, and Ceylon from Sri Lanka.

Like all agricultural products, the flavor and other qualities of a tea are a result of its terroir†. Depending on where it’s grown, black tea can range in taste from malty and earthy to fruity and floral.

It also has the highest amount of caffeine among the traditional teas, making it a popular choice for mornings.
 
How To Brew The Perfect Black Tea

 
 
GREEN TEA: FRESH & GRASSY

Green tea is beloved for its fresh, clean flavors, which come from minimal oxidation. The leaves are typically steamed or pan-fired right after harvest to stop the oxidation process, preserving the vibrant green color and delicate taste.

The flavor can range from sweet and floral to slightly grassy or even nutty, with Chinese and Japanese varieties each offering distinct profiles. Dragonwell, Genmaicha, and Sencha are some popular green tea types, with Matcha uniquely produced as a powdered version of the whole leaf.
 
How To Brew The Perfect Green Tea

 
 
WHITE TEA: DELICATE & FLORAL

White tea is the least processed of all teas. It is made from the youngest tea leaves and buds that are only dried without rolling or oxidation—no heat. This minimal processing results in a light, delicate, and naturally sweet tea, often with a floral or honey-like aroma.

Originating from China, particularly the Fujian province, white tea is known for its subtlety and elegance. Silver Needle and White Peony are popular varieties, with flavors varying from fresh and crisp to slightly fruity or woody.

White tea also contains the least amount of caffeine, making it perfect for drinking all day.
 
How To Brew The Perfect White Tea

 
 
OOLONG TEA: A BALANCE OF LIGHT & DARK

Oolong tea is a semi-oxidized tea, falling somewhere between green and black tea in terms of how it’s processed. Its oxidation level can vary widely, leading to an very wide range of flavors from light and floral to dark and roasted.

Traditionally grown in China and Taiwan, oolong teas are meticulously crafted through a process that includes withering, shaking, and partial oxidation, followed by rolling and drying. This creates complex flavor profiles that can include floral, fruity, or nutty notes.

Oolong is a bit of a multi-tasker, helping with digestion, weight management, and stress relief. It’s often described as the most “complex” tea. Popular varieties include Tieguanyin (Iron Goddess of Mercy) and Da Hong Pao (Big Red Robe).
 
How To Brew The Perfect White Tea

 
 
YELLOW TEA: A BALANCE OF LIGHT & DARK

Yellow tea is a rare and highly prized tea, produced mainly in China. It’s similar to green tea in that it undergoes minimal oxidation, but what sets it apart is the slow “yellowing” process.

After the leaves are lightly fired, they are wrapped and allowed to oxidize slightly, which mellows out the grassy notes found in green tea and adds a smooth, sweet flavor.

“Yellow tea is incredibly smooth, with fruity or floral undertones that are subtle and refined,” says Arthur. “Because of its rarity and the labor-intensive process needed to make it, yellow tea is often considered a special treat for tea aficionados”—more expensive than green tea.
 
How To Brew The Perfect Yellow Tea

 
 
ABOUT NIO TEAS

Nio Teas is a premium brand specializing in high-quality Japanese green teas, including matcha, sencha, and gyokuro. They source directly from organic tea farms in Japan, ensuring pesticide-free products.

Nio Teas prides itself on cultivating strong relationships with farmers and hand-selecting teas for their unique flavor profiles. Their offerings include ceremonial matcha, loose-leaf teas, and curated tea samplers. Nio Teas also emphasizes sustainability and the health benefits of Japanese green tea, providing educational resources for tea enthusiasts worldwide.

[1] Whether you’re brewing from a tea bag or loose leaves, use the appropriate water temperature and steeping time (photo © Mark Wendell Tea | Facebook).

[2] Darjeeling is a black tea from India that ranges in color from light gold to a darker bronze. The color of all tea depends on the flush, or harvest, of the tea leaves (photo © Newby Tea).

[3] Steeping loose green tea (photo © Steven Smith Teamaker).

[4] As with all types of tea, the color, intensity, and flavors vary based on terroir† (photo © Japanese Tea Online).

[5] White tea can have barely any color, or it can be a pale green that can overlap in hue with the palest green teas (photo © Elena Kloppenburg | Unsplash).

[6] You can also brew tea in a French Press (photo © Charlotte May | Pexels).

[7] Kenyan black teas often brew to a bright reddish-orange color. Ceylon black teas (from Sri Lanka) can also have a distinctive copper-orange hue (photo © Tea Forte).

[8] Pu-erh, a fermented black tea that originated in the Yunnan province of China, has the darkest liquor (i.e., the brewed liquid) of any tea. It is not a black tea, but is in its own category (photos #8 and #9 © Artful Tea).

[9] The Fujian and Guangdong provinces of China are known for their oolong teas. The tea was originally developed in the Wu Yi Mountains during the Qing Dynasty (1644 to 1912). Oolong is also a local specialty in Taiwan, with famous varieties such as Baozhong and Dong Ding.

[10] Pouring Huo Shan Huang Ya, a rare yellow tea (photo © In Pursuit Of Tea).

*Herbal teas are not considered “real” tea because they’re not made from Camellia sinensis. Instead, they are made from various botanicals: barks, flowers, herbs, leaves, fruits, roots, or spices. They can be infused fresh or dried.

These brewed herbal beverages are properly called infusions or tisanes. Tisane originally referred to a medicinal drink or infusion made with barley. The word comes from Middle English via Anglo-French, from Latin ptisana, from Greek ptisanē. It literally means crushed barley, from the verb ptissein, to crush. Isn’t etymology interesting?

All herbal teas are caffeine-free and have been used in homeopathic medicine for millennia. Each has a specific benefit. Perhaps the best-known in this capacity is the bark of the willow tree. It’s been used for more than 4,000 years to relieve pain and reduce fever‡. Both the bark and the leaves have anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving properties.

Other herbal tea benefits: Examples include chamomile tea for stress and sleep, ginger tea for indigestion and morning sickness, peppermint tea for headaches and motion sickness.

†Terroir, pronounced tur-WAH, is a French agricultural term referring to the unique set of environmental factors in a specific habitat that affect a crop’s qualities. It includes climate, elevation, proximity to a body of water, slant of the land, soil type and amount of sun. These environmental characteristics give a fruit, vegetable, cheese, olive oil, tea, coffee, etc., its unique character.

‡In 1826, Italian researchers extracted salicin, a natural compound found in willow and poplar bark and leaves—from willow bark. In 1898, a chemist for the German pharmaceutical company Bayer, synthesized acetylsalicylic acid, or aspirin, from salicin. Aspirin was an improvement over salicin because it was easier on the stomach and didn’t taste as bad.
 
 

[1] In this photo (recipe below) the snowman is wearing raspberry earmuffs. They’re connected with a piece of red apple (photo © Taste Of Home).

[2] For this recipe, make sure the bananas are ripe enough to easily mash (photo © Jonathan Cooper | Unsplash).

[3] You can make a bacon scarf and cut a top hat from a banana or apple slice and coat it with cocoa mix. Do it on another plate, then transfer it to the snowman. Here’s the recipe (photo by Maya Vismyei © Today’s Parent).

[4] You can use whipped cream for buttons and mini chocolate chips fore the face. Here’s the recipe (photo © Eating On A Dime) .

[5] For the holiday season, make Santa’s hat from a strawberry. Here’s the recipe (photo © Food Network).

If you’re in a neck of the woods that’s brrr-cold, here’s a cheerful breakfast that will ease the pain of leaving the house.

It’s such fun food that it just might be in demand for lunch and dinner, too.

And with fruit purée instead of maple syrup, it works for dessert.

The recipe below is for banana pancakes (mashed bananas in the batter). But if you’d prefer a plain pancake, check out these snowman pancakes.

> More pancake recipes.

> The history of pancakes.

> The history of bananas.

> The history of snowmen is below.

> Our favorite artisan pancake mix brands.
 
 
RECIPE: BANANA SNOWMEN PANCAKES

Thanks to Phyllis Schmalz of Kansas City, Kansas, and Taste Of Home for bringing us this recipe.

Total time to prepare and cook is 20 minutes.
 
Ingredients For 4 Snowmen

 
Preparation
 
1. STIR the pancake mix, water and banana in a small bowl until just moistened.

2. POUR a scant 1/2 cup batter onto a greased hot griddle, making 3 circles to form a snowman. Turn when bubbles form on top and cook until the second side is golden brown.

3. TRANSFER to a serving plate. Repeat with the remaining batter.

4. SPRINKLE the plates with confectioners’ sugar (snow). It’s easy to do by shaking it in a sieve. Add the snowmen and decorate with pretzels arms chocolate chips, cranberries.

Use a bit of orange segment for the nose. Use pretzel sticks for the arms. Cut a slice of apple or banana for hats. On a separate plate, dust the hats with cocoa powder and then carefully transfer to the heads of the snowmen.

5. SERVE with extra banana slices to increase the fruit intake. And while the confectioners’ sugar “snow” provides sweetness, you can serve maple syrup if desired.
 
 
THE HISTORY OF SNOWMEN

According to our colleague Claude.ai, the history of building snowmen is centuries old.

The Middle Ages: The earliest documented snowman was found in an illuminated manuscript Book of Hours, from from 1380.

This confirms that the practice was already well-established at the tail end of medieval Europe (also known as the Middle Ages, ca. 5th century to the late 15th century).

During this period, snowmen were often seen as public art forms, with entire cities participating in creating elaborate snow sculptures during particularly harsh winters.

 
The Renaissance (ca. the 14th century to the 17th century*) brought more sophisticated snow sculpture techniques, with artists like Michelangelo reportedly commissioned to create snow sculptures. The practice spread through European courts as a wintertime entertainment, and wealthy patrons would host snow sculpture competitions.

By the Victorian era (1837-1901), building snowmen had become associated with childhood recreation and family activities.

While medieval snowmen were often decorated with twigs and leaves, the iconic design we know today—three stacked snowballs with coal eyes and a carrot nose—became standard during this period.

________________
 
*The Renaissance significantly overlapped with the end of the Middle Ages, with the Renaissance generally considered to have begun in the 14th century, while the Middle Ages are typically dated to end around the 15th century. Essentially, the Renaissance emerged from the later stages of the Middle Ages. There is no clear dividing line where one era definitively ended and the other began.

The late Middle Ages saw a gradual shift towards the intellectual and artistic ideas that would later define the Renaissance. The early stages of the Renaissance, often called the Proto-Renaissance, are considered to have occurred during the late Middle Ages, particularly in Italy. Historians concur that the Renaissance ended in the early 17th century.

The Age of Enlightenment emerged from the intellectual and scientific advancements sparked during the Renaissance period. It was characterized by a strong emphasis on reason, logic, and scientific inquiry, with philosophers like Locke, Montesquieu, and Voltaire contributing significantly to its ideas.

Romanticism emerged in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, characterized by a focus on emotion and imagination: an interest in nature, the supernatural, personal experiences, and artistic freedom. Many historians view the turbulent events of the French Revolution as a turning point marking the end of the Enlightenment and the rise of Romanticism, which gradually gave way to…

Realism, which emphasized depicting the world as it actually is, with a focus on everyday life and social issues.
 
 

Hot toddies are warm alcoholic drinks, meant to take the chill off (especially welcome since when they were invented, there was only a fireplace to heat the room).

National Hot Toddy Day is January 11th. National Hot Buttered Rum Day is January 17th. National Mulled Wine Day is March 3rd. That’s a trio of hot cocktails for cold winter days. National Hot Mulled Cider Day is September 30th, making good use of all of that freshly-pressed apple cider.

Beyond toddies, we’ve got 10 other hot cocktails below, but first we present a new recipe: a mezcal hot toddy from one of our favorite distillers, Mezcal Unión.

You can make a hot toddy with any spirit. Scotch and other whiskeys were traditional in Europe. When the trade with the Caribbean brought rum to the Colonies, a rum toddy, a.k.a. hot buttered rum, became a variation.

But Colonials had not yet discovered tequila and mezcal, not to mention saké. Over time, these spirits made their way into hot toddies.

> Mezcal Unión review.

> Mezcal history.

> Hot toddy history.

> Check out more hot toddy recipes below, along with recipes for 10 non-toddy warm alcoholic drinks.

> Hot toddy relatives (glögg, mulled wine and cider, etc.).

> The difference between mezcal and tequila.
 
 
OAXACAN HOT TODDY WITH MEZCAL

Note that this recipe makes a cocktail-size drink, four ounces or so. If you want a cup or a mug, increase the ingredients accordingly.

You may wish to make the cocktail size first, then adjust the ingredients to your personal preferences.

Some readers may not be familiar with herbal liqueurs, so we’ve added a section about them below.
 
Ingredients Per Drink

 
> There’s more about herbal liqueur below, along with food pairings.
 
Preparation

1. MIX the ingredients together and pour into a rocks glass.

2. GARNISH with a slice of lemon.
 
 
10 MORE HOT COCKTAILS

Beyond the many recipes for hot toddy, hot buttered rum, and mulled wine and cider, consider:

 
 
MORE HOT TODDY RECIPES

Food 101: “Toddy” refers to a drink made with hot water, sugar, and alcohol. A “hot toddy” specifically refers to a toddy that’s served hot or warm. A toddy is made with hot water because the temperature is needed to dissolve the sugar. But the drink can be served at room temperature, or even with ice.

On to the recipes:

 
 
WHAT ARE HERBAL LIQUEURS?

Herbal liqueur is a category of distillate‡ where a base spirit is flavored by adding spices, roots, herbs, fruits, or other botanicals. The sub-categories are:

 
If you need to buy a bottle, you can also use it in cooking: to make sauces or glazes for meat and poultry, or to flavor or spike desserts like tiramisù or dense cakes (bundts or loaf cakes like pound cake and carrot cake, e.g.).

And of course, there are many cocktail recipes, and easy variations of the wine spritz.

Party time: If you want to get to know herbal liqueurs, why not have a potluck, with everyone bringing a brand from a different category? Food pairings follow.

 
 
PAIRING LIQUEUR WITH FOOD

See additional pairings in the footnote†† below.

Savory Apéritif Liqueurs: Pairings

 
Sweet Liqueurs: Pairings With Dessert

 
Pairings Examples

 
 
THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN LIQUOR & LIQUEUR

Liquor and liqueur are distinct categories of alcoholic beverages.
 
Liquor (Also Called Spirits)

 
Liqueur

[1] Oaxacan hot toddy, made with mezcal instead of more traditional spirits (photos #1 and #4 © Mezcal Unión).

[2] Use the best apple juice or cider you can find. In addition to Red Jacket, we like Knudsen’s (photo © Red Jacket Orchards).

[3] It’s no surprise that Herradura, one of the finest tequila distillers, turns some of that agave into a great agave syrup (photo © Tenley Market Liquor).

[4] Mezcal Unión Uno is an unaged mezcal, but the brand also has expressions that are aged in oak for 8 to 14 years.

[6] The ideal herbal liqueur is Green Chartreuse, a complex blend of 130 herbs and plants that complement mezcal’s smoky, earthy profile. See more about Green Chartreuse in the footnote* below (photo © Sip Liquor).

[6] A rum toddy. Add a pat of butter to make hot buttered rum (photo © Mount Gay Rum).

[7] A gin toddy (photo © Janis Kaugurs | Pexels).

[8] A tequila hot toddy made with blanco (unaged) tequila (photos #8 and #9 © Peligroso Tequila).

[9] A tequila hot toddy made with reposado (aged) tequila..

[10] An apple-ginger toddy (photo © Castello USA).

Green Chartreuse is produced by just one maker, the Carthusian monks at the distillery in their head monastery (Grande Chartreuse) in located in a remote mountain valley in France. The recipe is known only to two monks at any given time.

You can find two versions: Standard Green Chartreuse (55% A.B.V.) and V.E.P. Green Chartreuse (54% A.B.V.) aged in oak casks, often for 8-10 years. A third variety, no longer made, is the rare Tarragona Chartreuse, produced in Spain between 1903-1989 when the monks were expelled from France. These bottles are highly sought after by collectors.

Some other good herbal liqueur options to pair with mezcal include Ancho Reyes Verde (a spicy herbal liqueur made from green chiles), Génépy (Alpine herbal liqueur similar to Chartreuse but lighter), and Strega (Italian herbal liqueur with saffron notes) [source: Claude.ai 2025-01-09].

Substitutes for herbal liqueur include honey mixed with herbal tea (like chamomile, mint, or a blend); herbal bitters; or spiced simple syrup (infused with cinnamon, cloves, and star anise, e.g.). Or, you can borrow some herbal liqueur from a friend or neighbor

†Cider vs. apple juice, the difference: Fresh apple cider is raw apple juice that has not undergone a filtration process. Apple juice has been filtered to remove solids and pasteurized so that it will stay fresh longer. Hard cider has been fermented into an alcoholic beverage.

††Snacks with herbal liqueurs: In general, avoid overly spicy or heavily seasoned snacks.
> Intense herbal liqueurs like Bäska Snaps, Fernet-Branca, Green Chartreuse, Jägermeister Manifest, Zwack Unicum: candied ginger, dark chocolate (70% cacao or higher), Marcona almonds.
> Other bitter herbal liqueurs like Amaro, Campari, Cynara: candied orange peel or orange segments, salted dark chocolate, toasted nuts with rosemary.
>Milder herbal liqueurs like Anisette, Bénédictine, Drambuie, Galliano L’Autentico, Strega, Yellow Chartreuse: aged hard cheeses like aged Gouda or Gruyère, fresh apple or pear slices, honey-drizzled figs.

‡A distillate is a liquid product condensed from vapor during distillation. All spirits and liqueurs are considered to be distillates.
 
 

[1] The three expressions of Elvis Presley spirits (all photos © Grain & Barrel).

[2] Midnight Snack whiskey with a pint of Tipsy Scoop ice cream. Both have Elvis’ favorite flavor combo: peanut butter, banana, and bacon.

[3] All shook up: Turn the boozy ice cream into boozy shake (see the recipe below.

[4] A shot at midnight.

[5] Straight whiskey, straight rye.

Today marks what would be Elvis Presley’s 90th birthday. So how about something commemorative: Elvis spirits, including one expression* inspired by The King’s favorite sandwich, peanut butter, banana and bacon (photos #1, #2, #4).

The Elvis Whiskey collection debuted in 2021 with three expressions:

 
The label of each expression features an iconic photo of Elvis, his signature, and the letters “TCB” printed on the neck of the bottle—the latter referring to “Taking Care of Business,” a phrase which was the mantra for Elvis and his Memphis Mafia.
 
 
GET YOUR ELVIS MIDNIGHT SNACK WHISKEY

> Head to ElvisWhiskey.com for the spirits.
 
 
GET YOUR MIDNIGHT SNACK ICE CREAM

> Get the ice cream (photo #2) at GoldBelly.
 
 
PLUS “MIDNIGHT SNACK” ICE CREAM

We love Tipsy Scoop ice cream, an artisan ice cream brand that incorporates popular spirits into super-premium ice cream. It’s the best boozy ice cream we can name.

Founder Melissa Tavss blends cocktails, stouts, and wines into her handmade ice cream. Her creations are inspired by classic and contemporary cocktails, are made with local and seasonal ingredients, and contain up to 5% alcohol by volume.

> Check out this season’s flavors.

Tipsy Scoop partnered with Elvis Whiskey to create the ultimate Elvis dessert: Elvis Whiskey Midnight Snack ice cream.

Elvis Whiskey Midnight Snack ice cream has the same flavors as the whiskey: peanut butter, banana and bacon.

 
 
RECIPE: ELVIS MILKSHAKE

Made with Elvis Whiskey Midnight Snack and Tipsy Scoop’s Midnight Snack Ice Cream, this milkshake is fit for The King and all you courtiers (photo #3).

If you can’t get hold of Tipsy Scoop Midnight Snack Ice Cream, substitute scoops of peanut butter and banana flavors. As for the bacon flavor, serve a couple of strips of this caramelized bacon recipe on the side.

Ingredients

 
Preparation

1. BLEND the ice cream, milk, whiskey, and peanut butter until smooth. Pour into a tall glass.

2. TOP with whipped cream and a cherry.
 
 
MORE ELVIS RECIPES

 
Plus:

 
 
ABOUT THE PRODUCER

Grain & Barrel Spirits, a Charleston, South Carolina-based spirits company, has a license from Elvis Presley Enterprises to produce an Elvis Presley-branded whiskey line. Our brands include iconic Chicken Cock Whiskey, Dixie Vodka & Canned Cocktails, High Goal Gin, Tequila Eterno Verano, See the Elephant Amaro, and Virgil Kaine Whiskey.

You can also buy canned or frozen cherries and soak them in the whiskey. In season, a fresh cherry with its stem is lovely.
 
 

Shortbread is Scotland’s great contribution to cookiedom*. The classic Scottish cookie (or biscuit, the term used for cookies in the U.K.) recipe is traditionally one part white sugar, two parts butter, three to four parts plain wheat flour, and a bit of salt—but no leavening†.

Over the centuries, the buttery delighted has also been:

 
January 6th is National Shortbread Day. See all of the cookie holidays below.
The lime shortbread recipe below, but first:
 
 
KNOW YOUR COOKIES

> The history of shortbread.

> The history of cookies.

> The 11 categories of cookies.

> The differences between butter cookies, shortbread, and sugar cookies.

> The different types of cookies: a photo glossary.

> More delicious shortbread cookie recipes are below.
 
 
RECIPE: CHERRY-LIME SHORTBREAD WITH DRIED CHERRIES

These delightful shortbread cookies (photo #1) are not too sweet and and have a sweet/tart bite from the dried cherries. For a sweeter cookie you can substitute mini chocolate chips.

Note that the best, freshest butter will give you the very best cookies. Do not substitute any other fat.

Prep time is 25 minutes and bake time is 10 minutes.

Ingredients For About 4-1/2 Dozen Cookies

 
Variations

 
Preparation

1. CREAM the butter and confectioners’ sugar in a large bowl until blended. Beat in the lime zest and extracts. In another bowl…

2. MIX the flour, baking powder, and salt. Gradually beat the dry mixture into the creamed mixture. Stir in the cherries.

3. DIVIDE the dough in half; shape each half into a 7-inch-long roll. Wrap each roll in plastic and refrigerate overnight. Note that many recipes will say to refrigerate the dough for 3-4 hours or until firm. We have found a longer time yields easier slicing; or you can as easily freeze the dough for 1-2 hours until it is firm enough to slice.

4. PREHEAT the oven to 350°F. Unwrap and cut dough crosswise into 1/4-inch slices with a very sharp, thin knife (there should be 28 quarter-inch slices per 7-inch log.

5. PLACE the slices 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake 9-11 minutes or until the edges are golden brown. Remove from the sheets to wire racks to cool.
 
 
MORE SHORTBREAD COOKIE RECIPES

 
Plus:

 
> Skip to all the cookie holidays below.

________________

*Other Scottish cookies we love: Abernathy biscuits (with caraway seeds), oat cakes, oat and walnut biscuits.

†Leavening: Most cookies are made with leavening agents, such as baking soda or baking powder. Leavening agents cause the dough to expand and rise while baking, which affects the cookie’s texture and structure.

The two most common leaveners are baking soda and baking powder. Baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) reacts with acidic ingredients (e.g. buttermilk, lemon juice, molasses, vinegar) to release carbon dioxide, which creates air bubbles and a denser cookie with craggy tops. Baking powder causes cookies to rise higher and have a cakier texture.

††Treacle and golden syrup, the difference: Ingredients in British baking, golden syrup is the lightest and mildest form of treacle. It has a more caramelized, buttery flavor and a golden color. “Treacle” is most often used to refer to a darker, richer, and slightly bitter syrup.

While there is regular treacle, “black treacle” is the darkest variety of treacle, essentially considered the British equivalent of blackstrap molasses. It’s the most concentrated, intensely flavored type of treacle.

Molasses is often compared to treacle. Both are by-products of sugar refining. There’s a slight difference based on processing: Treacle is sweeter, thinner, and slightly less bitter than molasses.

Typically, molasses boils for much longer, resulting in a darker, thicker liquid with less sugar. “Black treacle” is most similar to molasses, but can still have slightly different flavor profile depending on the manufacturer and region.

‡Parlies, short for Parliament cakes, are a type of dark-hued shortbread biscuits that look like they might be flavored with cocoa, but intead they get their color from black treacle or molasses (photo #8). They’re seasoned with ground ginger and optional candied ginger, making them warm and spicy with an added hit of mild toffee flavor from the treacle.

The history of Parlies: The flavored shortbread, sometimes spelled Parleys, was originally served with Scotch whisky. Today they’re most often served with tea. [Editor’s note: Here’s a recipe. Why not serve them with hot toddies or hot butted rum] [source].

The story goes that in the 18th century, a Mrs. Flockhart, proprietor of a bakeshop located near the Scottish Parliament buildings in Potterow, Edinburgh, created the biscuits and supplied them to the politicians and staff working there.

While her first name is lost to history, she is referred to as Luckie Flockhart, Luckie being a Scots term for a respected older woman, particularly one who ran a business. This suggests she was a well-regarded figure in her local community [source: Claude.ai, 2025-01-07).
 
________________
 
 
ALL THE COOKIE HOLIDAYS

Note that brownies are cookies—bar cookies—and not cake.

[1] Lime and cherry shortbread cookies. The recipe is below, as are flavor variations (photo © Taste Of Home).

[2] When we bake recipes where the butter flavor is paramount, we use 83% butter, also called Euro style. It has a butterfat content of 83%, which is higher than regular butter—80% in the U.S. Check out the different types of butter (photo © Kerrygold USA).

[3] Need tips on how to zest a lime (or any citrus)? Head here (photo © Eating On A Dime).

[4] If you’d prefer flavor accents other than lime and cherry, check out some options.

[5] The original shortbread was cooked in a skillet over the fire and sliced into triangles. The shape is called “petticoat tails.” This espresso chocolate chunk shortbread is baked in a tart pan: Here’s the recipe (photo © The Beach House Kitchen).

[6] Elegantly embossed (photos #5 and #6 © Walker’s Shortbread).

[7] Walker’s also honors Scotland’s iconic Scottie with these cookies.

[8] Parlies (Parliament shortbread) are flavored with ginger and black treacle. Here’s the recipe (photo © London Eats | WordPress).