Snow Day Tea by the Winter Nesting Tree + Snowflakes Shortbread

Snow days call for tea, twinkle lights, and a little baking therapy ❄️☕ Join me for our February Tea on Tuesdays as we sip Brown Sugar Chai beside the Winter Nesting Tree and bake buttery Snowflake Shortbread made in the food processor. Cozy winter tea table inspiration + easy recipe included!

Happy Tuesday!

Welcome to the February edition of Tea on Tuesdays,

a celebration of all things tea on the third Tuesday of the month.  

Pam and I are excited to welcome back a special guest,

Sarah, from Hyacinths for the Soul.

We’re glad you’re here, pour yourself a cuppa and join us!

You can find Pam and Sarah’s invitation to tea at the bottom of this post.

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 This month’s inspiration arrived early in the form of a wintry blast that kept me housebound for four days with nine inches of snow.

When the world outside turns quiet and white, there’s only one thing to do. . . brew a cozy cup of tea, turn on the twinkle lights, and bake something buttery! This winter tea was enjoyed beside our Winter Nesting Tree, with Snowflakes Shortbread fresh from the oven and a warm mug of chai in hand.

A Cozy Tea Beside the Winter Nesting Tree

Our table is tucked beside my favorite way to extend the twinkle season beyond Christmas — our Winter Nesting Tree. It stays up through January and February, bringing soft light and a little sparkle to the darker winter months.

Decorated with bird ornaments, glittery nests, pinecones, snowflakes, icy branches, and snowy white ribbon, it creates the perfect backdrop for a cozy winter tea.

To echo the winter nesting theme, the table layers soft texture and snowy whites.

A white faux fur throw doubles as a table covering

Bird dishes landed on snowflake-embossed dinner plates. . . 

White chargers and velvet ruffled placemats add some soft dimension, while snowflake napkin rings bring shimmer and sparkle.

Mercury glass votives add some additional winter sparkle, along with silver snowflake ornaments. . .

Twig flatware adds a woodland touch. . .

And a glittering bird nest with bird adds a nod to cozy nesting.

Our tea is served from a favorite bird-lidded teapot and matching white mugs with bird lids — perfect for keeping tea warm while we linger and sip.

What We’re Sipping: Brown Sugar Chai

This month we’re enjoying Brown Sugar Chai from Plum Deluxe, part of their winter collection available January through April.

It’s a black tea base blended with cardamom, ginger, clove, cinnamon bark and brown sugar essence.

When I first brewed it, I expected it to taste very sweet, but the fragrance is sweeter than the flavor. It’s beautifully balanced and wonderfully warming. If you enjoy milk in your tea or have a frother, it would make a dreamy winter chai latte.

And it pairs perfectly with buttery shortbread. ☕

Snowflakes Shortbread Made in the Food Processor

Snow days call for simple baking, and this recipe couldn’t be easier.

I’m a fan of food processor recipes and adapted the recipe from Nordic Ware, using the food processor, which makes quick work of mixing and cutting in the butter.

Nordic Ware Sweet Snowflakes Shortbread Pan  

I also:

❄️ Used salted butter to balance the sweetness

❄️ Added almond extract for a hint of bakery-style flavor

(Not an almond fan? Simply double the vanilla!)

This shortbread bakes up tender and buttery — the perfect companion to tea.

Snowflakes Shortbread Recipe Ingredients

❄️ 3/4 cup salted butter, cold and cubed

❄️ 1/2 cup powdered sugar

❄️ 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

❄️ 1/2 teaspoon pure almond extract

❄️ 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

Instructions

❄️ Preheat oven to 325°F.

❄️  Grease the shortbread pan lightly with baking spray and brush into the details.
I used Cake Release (aka Cake Goop) — it works like a charm for detailed pans.

❄️ Add flour and powdered sugar to the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade; pulse to combine.

❄️ Add cold cubed butter, vanilla, and almond extract.

❄️ Pulse (or use dough setting) until dough forms and pulls away from the sides, about 1 minute.

❄️ Firmly press dough evenly into prepared pan, stopping at the rope detail.

❄️ Poke the surface all over with a fork.

❄️ Bake 30–35 minutes or until lightly golden.

❄️ Cool in pan for 10 minutes. Loosen edges and invert onto cutting board.

❄️ Cut into wedges while warm and dust with powdered sugar.

Homemade Cake Release (Cake Goop)

This is my secret weapon for detailed baking pans!

1/2 cup shortening

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup flour

Mix shortening with oil; add flour, until you have a smooth paste.

Brush a thin layer into pan details before adding batter and baking.

Store in an airtight container up to 3 months at room temperature or 6 months refrigerated.

Winter Tea Is a Mood

Snow days help slow us down and enjoy some quiet moments. With the world quiet outside and the house glowing inside, tea feels less like a drink and more like a ritual.

A warm mug, buttery shortbread, and twinkle lights beside the Winter Nesting Tree — winter doesn’t feel quite so bleak.

We’re on a warming trend this week, but if you still have winter weather in your forecast, I highly recommend a warm mug of tea and some snowflakes shortbread!

Print Recipe

Snowflakes Shortbread

Buttery, tender shortbread baked in a Nordic Ware snowflake pan and dusted with powdered sugar. This easy food-processor method makes quick work of cutting in cold butter for perfectly crisp, melt-in-your-mouth shortbread with a hint of almond and vanilla. Perfect for winter baking and tea time.

Prep Time5 minutes mins

Cook Time35 minutes mins

Course: Dessert, Teatime Treat

Cuisine: American

Keyword: almond extract, food processor recipe, Nordic Ware, salted butter, shortbread

Servings: 8

Equipment

• Nordic Ware Sweet Snowflakes Shortbread Pan  
• food processor

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup salted butter cold and cubed
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar plus more for dusting
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Grease pan lightly with baking spray and coat the details of the pan with a pastry brush. Alternatively, use Cake Release, aka, Cake Goop, see notes below.
• Add flour and sugar to bowl of food processor fitted with a metal blade; pulse to combine. Add cold cubed butter, vanilla and almond extract and pulse or use dough button on food processor to incorporate and dough forms, pulling away from sides of bowl, about 1 minute.
• Firmly press dough into prepared pan evenly, so that it comes up below the rope detail on pan. Poke the surface all over with a fork, and bake for 30-35 minutes or until lightly browned. Let cool in pan for about 10 minutes. Loosen the edges, and invert onto a cutting board. Cut into serving pieces while warm. Dust with powdered sugar to serve.

Notes

• If you don't have a food processor, you can make using your mixer:
  Cream softened butter with a mixer until it’s light in color. Beat in the powdered sugar, then the vanilla and almond extract. Finally, work in the flour. Knead dough on an un-floured board until smooth. Proceed with recipe as above.
• If you’re not a fan of almond extract, omit and use 1 teaspoon vanilla extract instead.
• To make Cake Release:
  Whisk together 1/2 cup shortening and 1/2 cup vegetable oil in medium bowl until smooth, 2 to 3 minutes. Whisk in 1/2 cup all-purpose flour (or gluten free flour) until it becomes a smooth paste (use a mixer if needed). When ready to use, spread a thin layer using a pastry brush on the inside of a cake pan (and in nooks and crannies of detailed pans) before adding the batter and baking. Store cake release in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 months or 6 months in the refrigerator.

Table Details:

Snowflake Plates L2R5 by La Rochelle

Gracie Bone China White Tea Cup Bird with Lid / Coastline Imports

Bird Teapot and Bird Dishes / Victorian Bird, Gracie China Coastline Imports

Twig Flatware / Pier1

Snowflake Napkin Rings / Target

Placemats / Crown Linen Designs

Faux Fur Throw / HomeGoods

White Chargers / Deartis, HomeGoods, many years ago

Join Us for Tea on Tuesdays ☕

If you’re new here, you’re warmly invited to join me and Pam for our monthly Tea on Tuesdays series, where we celebrate tea, cozy tables, and simple gatherings all year long.

Pour yourself a cup and stay awhile. 💛

 Join Pam and Sarah for tea:

Pam at Everyday Living

Sarah at Hyacinths for the Soul

Thank you for your visit, sharing with:

 Between Naps on the Porch