Two Oolong Oea Snack Recipes

Recipe 1: Oolong Tea Shortbread Cookies (Sweet)

These shortbread cookies have ground oolong tea kneaded right into the dough. The tea aroma becomes more pronounced after baking, resulting in a crumbly, buttery texture that pairs beautifully with a cup of clear tea.

Ingredients (makes about 15)

Dough: 100g cake flour, 100g almond flour, 130g unsalted butter (softened at room temperature), 2 egg yolks, 14g icing sugar, 5g salt

Tea component: 5g oolong tea leaves, 300ml boiling water (only 60ml of brewed tea and 1 tablespoon of chopped tea leaves are actually used)

Instructions:

Brew the tea & prep: Brew the oolong tea with boiling water. Remove and drain the tea leaves. Finely chop 1 tablespoon of the drained leaves. Set aside 15 whole, nice-looking leaves for decoration. Let 60ml of the brewed tea cool completely.

Mix the dough: Sift together the cake flour and almond flour. Add the softened butter and beat lightly until creamy, then mix in the egg yolks. Finally, add the icing sugar and salt, and mix until well combined.

Infuse with tea flavour: Pour the cooled 60ml of tea and the chopped tea leaves into the dough. Mix until a uniform dough forms.

Shape & bake: Divide the dough into 15 portions. Roll each into a ball, place on a baking sheet, and gently flatten. Press one whole tea leaf onto the top of each cookie for decoration. Preheat oven to 170°C and bake for 15–20 minutes, until the edges are lightly golden.

Recipe 2: Savoury Oolong Tea Pastry (Salty)

This savoury pastry follows the classic principle of pairing oolong tea with salty snacks. Ground oolong tea leaves are mixed into the meat filling, while the pastry dough is made with brewed tea juice. The result is beautifully layered pastry with a savoury, tea-infused flavour that's satisfying and moreish.

Ingredients (makes about 20)

• Water dough: 220g all-purpose flour, 22g icing sugar, 2g salt, 88g lard, 90g brewed oolong tea
• Oil dough: 200g cake flour, 100g lard

Filling: 300g ground pork, 15g brewed oolong tea leaves (drained and finely chopped), 5 dried shiitake mushrooms (soaked and minced), 1/4 onion (minced), 1 tablespoon carrot (minced)

Instructions:

Prepare the filling: Drain the brewed oolong tea leaves and chop them finely. Mix with ground pork, minced mushrooms, minced onion, and minced carrot until well combined. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Make the doughs: Combine the water dough ingredients and knead into a smooth dough. Combine the oil dough ingredients and mix into a uniform dough. Cover both with plastic wrap and let rest briefly.

Laminate the pastry: Divide both the water dough and oil dough into 20 equal portions each. Wrap each portion of oil dough with a portion of water dough, seal side up, roll out into an oval, and roll up into a cylinder. Cover and rest for 15 minutes. Then turn the cylinder vertically, roll out again, roll up, and rest for another 10 minutes.

Fill & bake: Take each rested dough roll, press the two ends toward the centre, flatten into a round wrapper, and fill with a portion of the meat filling. Pinch the edges to seal. You can shape them simply like dumplings, or crimp the edges into a decorative pleated pattern starting from the right side. Brush the tops with egg wash and poke a few small holes with a toothpick to prevent puffing. Bake in a preheated oven at 200°C for about 25 minutes.

Pairing Tips

There's a handy Chinese saying: "Sweet with green tea, sour with black tea, and nuts with oolong." Oolong tea naturally pairs well with savoury, salty snacks – think peanuts, sunflower seeds, dried tofu, and similar nibbles. These won't overpower the tea's aroma and instead create a harmonious tasting experience.