Gingerbread tea and pie crust cookies

Ah, again, the tastiness that is Pie Crust Cookies! Today's pairing with Gingerbread tea (a seasonal tea from Adagio - big surprise, eh?) is MOST excellent. In spite of my laissez-faire approach to tea brewing, the gingerbread tea tastes like...well, like gingerbread. It makes me wish I had some gingerbread right now. In fact, that might be a tasty thing to bake up later this week....

But back to the topic at hand - the tea is a typical flavored black tea, providing a good balance between the bite of tea and the gingerbread mellowness. Not one of my favorites, but a nice tea anyway. Definitely would not want anything more substantial than the pie crust cookies with this one - it could get overpowered easily.

First Review: Koa Kona Estate Coffee and Pie Crust Cookies

Ok, so I got to thinking about this tea review thing and thought - why just do tea? So, I am adding coffee and cookies (or biscuits when it is tea) to the reviews. Because afternoon tea doesn't have to be tea - it's more about a short break with a light snack, a moment to reflect on the day and gather your resources for the next few hours so you can finish on a high note.

SO, with that in mind, today's "tea" is Koa Kona Estate Coffee (with heavy cream, no sugar) and Pie Crust Cookies.

The coffee has the characteristics I have come to appreciate in Kona coffees - smooth, full bodied, and very satisfying. This is a coffee drinker's coffee - no pretense of being anything but the classic idea of what coffee is. You know how when you smell coffee brewing it always has a certain smell, no matter what the variety of coffee is? Well, this is that coffee smell, in a cup. Perfect as an afternoon treat, a breakfast pick me up, or a counterpoint to a sweet dessert. Speaking of desserts, the pie crust cookies I chose for my accompaniment today do NOT do the coffee justice. They're good - plain, tasty, just a hint of salt - and would do well with a lighter, sweeter coffee or with some tea. But for this coffee they are just too blase. Something sweet - perhaps a truffle or a thin slice of Italian cream cake - would match much better with this coffee. I'll remember that next time I have some :)

For those interested in the "how to" on pie crust cookies: Make a pie crust using your favorite recipe (I like Crisco's basic recipe). Roll it out and cut shapes out of it like you would sugar cookies (I am fond of the old fashioned tin bridge cookie cutters), slap them on a cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes (depending on how thick/thin you rolled 'em). I like mine THICK. My toddler loves these things and they are stupid simple to make. If you like yours sweet, sprinkle sugar on top before you bake them.