Tea Blog

When thinking about enjoying the perfect cup of tea and traditional tea-time treats, many delicious accompaniments come to mind. Cakes and cookies are always welcome additions, but today the spotlight belongs to warm buttermilk biscuits served with artisan honey spreads and tea accompaniments.

There is something wonderfully comforting about a freshly baked biscuit—golden on the outside, tender on the inside, and topped with sweet, fragrant honey. Paired with a cup of tea, it creates the kind of simple pleasure that makes tea time truly special.

Preparing the Tea-Infused Buttermilk

Ingredients

• 1¼ cups cold buttermilk
• 1 tablespoon Golden Needle black tea
• Substitution: Pu-erh tea or another strong black tea
• 1 tablespoon boiling water

In a small cup, combine the boiling water and tea leaves. Allow the tea to steep for approximately 30 seconds to 1 minute, or until most of the liquid has been absorbed by the leaves.

Add the hydrated tea leaves to the cold buttermilk and refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to 8 hours. Once the infusion is complete, strain out and discard the tea leaves.

Tea Buttermilk Biscuit Recipe

Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C).

Ingredients

• 2½ cups all-purpose flour
• ⅛ cup sugar
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• ¼ cup cold butter
• ¼ cup shortening
• 2 tablespoons melted butter
• Prepared tea-infused buttermilk

Instructions

Combine the flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder in a food processor or mixing bowl.

Cut the cold butter and shortening into small pieces and add them to the flour mixture.

If using a food processor, pulse until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. If working by hand, use a pastry cutter or fork to cut the fats into the flour until a mealy texture forms.

Gradually add the tea-infused buttermilk, mixing only until the dough comes together. The dough should be slightly wet and form a cohesive mass.

Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface. Flour a rolling pin and roll the dough to approximately ½ inch thick.

Using a biscuit cutter, cut out the biscuits and place them on a baking sheet.

Brush the tops with the melted butter and bake in the preheated oven for 12–15 minutes, or until lightly golden.

Yield

The number of biscuits will vary depending on the size of the cutter used.

Using a 3½-inch biscuit cutter, this recipe yields approximately 8 biscuits.

Serving Suggestions

Serve the biscuits warm with:

• Honey
• Clotted cream
• Fruit preserves
• Orange marmalade
• Whipped butter

These tea-infused biscuits pair particularly well with:

• English Breakfast tea
• Assam tea
• Golden Needle black tea
• Darjeeling tea
• Afternoon tea blends

The subtle honey-like notes of Golden Needle black tea complement the richness of the biscuits while enhancing the sweetness of the honey, creating a memorable afternoon tea experience.

See more /author/steapandbakery”>tea recipes, tea-party foods, and baking articles by Janet Sanchez.

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