They perfectly match my passion for tea and innovative gluten-free products. I love the fact that you get two in a neat package so that they don’t go stale after opening, unlike a whole bag of cookies. This is a fine example of a quality gluten-free gourmet baked good that doesn’t taste inferior to its gluten equivalent in any way. What I want to know is why they aren’t in every tea shop in the country- and why they haven’t been picked up by retailers like Starbucks or Peet’s coffee. The flavor of the shortbread is wonderful, and buttery without being cloying, unlike Pamela’s gluten-free shortbread cookies (yuck).

The Nibble picked them as a top pick, saying:
“We have eaten many gluten-free cookies, feeling sorry for those with gluten allergies. They will be very happy to discover that Biscottea’s gluten-free cookies are almost as tasty as the regular wheat flour. They are a bit less sweet (we wish the sweetness were on par with the regular cookies), but the excellent tea flavors are virtually identical. Made with gluten-free all purpose flour and sorghum flour, they are a real find for anyone in need of a gluten-free treat. The gluten-free flavors include Blueberry, Chai, and Earl Grey.”

For the record- I hate the Nibble’s review. The whole pitying thing- totally unnecessary. There might be some crummy prepared GF cookies out there, but there are also some delicious ones produced by Whole Foods Gf bakehouse and GF bakeries and the ones I make at home are awesome, so I don’t need anyone mourning MY loss, thank you very much. ;) That aside- I don’t know how sweet the gluten version is, but personally I prefer a cookie that isn’t super-sweet, and saying that they are ALMOST as tasty as gluten-free? Let’s not even go there, people. Nevertheless, I guess any publicity is good publicity, and I’m for anything that increases the gluten-free yummy options in my life!

That aside, whenever a company tries to produce gluten-free products alongside a gluten-line, I get a little worried. The allergen line on the cookie says “Made with Gluten-Free Ingredients: Produced on Shared Equipment, In a Facility using Nuts and Tree Nut Products.” I wondered what that meant- and what the equipment was shared WITH, since they didn’t say.

I emailed the company, and this is what they had to say:
All of the ingredients purchased to produce the shortbread are gluten-free and stored separately from products containing gluten. All equipment used in the baking process is thoroughly washed down and cleaned at the end of the work week. All gluten-free products are produced first at the beginning of the work week before the equipment has been exposed to any products containing gluten. Finished gluten-free product is fully packaged, specially marked, and stored separately before production of any products containing gluten can begin.To ensure the safety of our consumers who purchase BISCOTTEA gluten-free shortbread cookies, we send random samples from every batch. Test results are linked to the batch by lot number and batch code. Our products are released for sale with results of less than 5 parts per million. ” – correspondence from Derek Still of Biscottea.

Of course I prefer a dedicated facility, but if you’re going to have a shared facility, their precautions sounded good enough for me- at least until proved otherwise. So, I got up my courage and bit into my first gluten-free Biscottea…

Biscottea Earl Grey Tea Shortbread: I started with their intriguing Earl Grey Tea Shortbread cookie. This delightful shortbread cookie has great texture and crunch, with a mild buttery flavor that is beautifully complimented with the Earl Grey flavoring. You must like Earl Grey (and its bermagot flavoring) to enjoy this cookie, as it is thoroughly infused. I would almost call the flavoring “soapy” but again, it is the bermagot and not any fault of the product. I had one in the interest of taste-testing… and then I gobbled up the second one because I just couldn’t resist it. It is rare that I find a gluten-free packaged cookie that tempts me, or one that I feel that I would actually buy on my own, but these shortbread cookies are wonderful, and yes, I would actually buy them myself. In fact, I really want to know where I can buy more…
Texture: 9/10
Flavor: 9/10 (providing you like bermagot)
Overall Impression: 9/10 I will go out of my way to acquire more.

Purchase Gluten-Free Earl Grey Tea Shortbread Cookies with ShopOrganic
Amazon’s Page for Biscottea Gluten-Free Earl Grey Tea-Infused Shortbread Cookies

Biscottea Gluten-Free Chai Shortbread:
The very next morning after I had the first Earl Grey GF shortbread, I opened a package of their Chai flavor. I had heard on Twitter that the chai tasted a bit like bean flour, so I was a little nervous. But, when I actually tasted it, I thought the shortbread was quite lovely and did indeed taste like Chai. I noticed that the chai spices did not include tea itself, so I was a little disappointed by that as I felt the black tea might have added an additional punch of flavor. However, I couldn’t personally detect bean flour- just cardamon. I gave the DH a bite and he said very happily that it was like eating Chai and didn’t taste gluten-free at all. This Chai shortbread was a real winner and thoroughly enjoyable, although it didn’t have the strong tea-infused flavor I fell in love with in the Earl Grey Shortbread. I loved that it didn’t overdo the cinnamon like some lower quality Chai blends. I could really taste the ginger and cardamon.It would be perfect for any lover of chai tea- and I found it an extremely pleasant snacking cookie that I might buy again- especially if I could get it in an assorted pack of gluten-free shortbreads. (Hint, hint…)
Texture: 9/10, everything a shortbread cookie should be
Flavor: 7/10- lovely but would be even lovelier with black tea as an ingredient!
Overall Impression: 8/10 Good and enjoyed by the non GF DH- I would possibly buy this again. If there was more of a tea flavor likelihood would go up even more..

Biscottea Gluten-free Chai Shortbread Cookies at Shop Organic
Biscottea Gluten-Free Chai Tea-Infused Shortbread Cookies on Amazon

Biscottea Gluten-Free Blueberry Tea Shortbread Cookie: This blueberry tea cookie was out of stock everywhere I checked, so it may be a popular variety. I never tend to drink fruity caffeinated teas (although I love Celestial Seasoning fruity herbal tea). I was intrigued by the fact that it was made with white tea, and greatly looking forward to trying this cookie, although sad that it would be my last sample of Biscottea. *sniff* When I bit into the shortbread, I could definitely taste the authentic blueberry flavoring. I’m very leery of artificial flavors and this cookie had a real, natural, concentrated blueberry flavor that I enjoyed. The cookie did somehow seem a little more dry than the other flavors, and try as I might I couldn’t detect any trace of the white tea used in the cookie. I ate the first one and enjoyed it, but the nicest part was when I bit into the second cookie and got a burst of blueberry essence. I could see enjoying this shortbread with white tea or some other nice tea, but I don’t know that I would buy it again just because to me it didn’t reach the same special gourmet flavor level that the other gluten-free, tea infused cookies achieved. But, maybe this is just the snob in me that doesn’t care for fruity caffeinated beverages… This shortbread may be perfect for those who love fruit flavors and aren’t looking for a strong tea flavor in the cookie.
Texture: 7/10, this pack may have been less fresh as the cookie was a bit dry.
Flavor: 6/10, good for those that enjoy fruit flavors in their cookies or tea, less interesting if you want a strong tea flavor.
Overall Impression: 6/10 A fine cookie, but I wouldn’t personally buy it again unless it was in a multi-flavor package…

Biscottea Gluten-free Blueberry Tea Shortbread Cookies at Shop Organic
(currently out of stock)
Biscottea Gluten-Free Blueberry Tea-Infused Shortbread Cookies on Amazon

If you haven’t had a gluten-free Biscottea with your tea yet- it’s high time to try it! Now, if you will excuse me, I’m going to go pine over my tea cabinet and try to wish myself another gluten-free Earl Grey shortbread cookie. *sigh*

Another Review of Biscottea at Gluten-free is Life

Here’s a recipe for a vegetarian banana pudding (with eggs and milk)
a vegan southern-style banana pudding- just substitute gluten-free cookies or leave them out!
a raw-foods, gluten-free recipe for banana-choco banana pudding

More interested in raw foods dessert recipes?
Here’s the Recipe for Date Nut Torte that I enjoyed at the tea
OR, if you’re in the mood for chocolate,
try this chocolate dried fruit raw fudge recipe

And you thought tea and sandwiches were off the menu! No way. I am also happy to report that I didn’t feel so much as a twinge from the food- so they must have really taken the CC issue seriously. They did a great job of keeping me, and the other gluten-free girl (a third grader!) safe. So, who knows. The next time you come across a gluten-full event like this- try talking to the manager or owner and see if special arrangements can be made. Believe me, sometimes a little effort results in a lot of fun (and some great food!)

After I came home I was eager to recreate the yummy sandwiches in my own home, so I put together the below recipes for tea sandwiches. They aren’t QUITE as good as the ones at the tea shop, but they were pretty yummy all the same.Next time you feel like tea, scones, or tea sandwiches, why not make them at home- any lunch can be special, with a little extra preparation and a teapot full of imported tea brewing.

*Oh, and because we were visiting my friend over Easter weekend, we also dyed some eggs together- the natural way with vegetables and colorful spices. The eggs turned out great and it was lots of fun, so I included the recipe below in case you want to try it. Who needs artificial colors and cardboard boxes with bunnies on them? Not me, now that I know how to make my own super-food-safe coloring liquid. Enjoy and a Very Happy, if Belated, Easter.

Read about gladtobeglutenfree’s experience with a gluten-free tea service
Or, make your own tea treats from Milk for the Morning Cake’s roundup of gluten-free teatime recipes.

Gluten-Free Vegetarian Tea Sandwich Recipe Main Course  Alternative Grains  European

Ingredients 1/2 loaf of your favorite gluten-free bread, sliced, with crusts removed if desired. Sauce 1: GF Mayonnaise (Spectrum Vegan or other) smidgen of GF Mustard Fresh Herbs, minced (thyme, marjoram, basil, whatever you like) Fresh Chives, minced dollop of yogurt (soy, goat, or cow yogurt works!) Filling 1: 1 Eggplant (asian is desirable, but anything is ok), thinly sliced to make strips 1-2 zucchini, thinly sliced to make strips 1 yellow squash, thinly sliced to make strips Olive oil chopped fresh herbs (thyme, marjoram, etc.) salt pepper Fresh basil leaves 1 organic tomato, sliced Sauce 2: Cream Cheese (Tofutti better than cream cheese or dairy) Fresh dill, minced Fresh chives, minced Filling 2: Thinly sliced cucumbers Sauce 3: Your Favorite Hummus kalamata olives, pitted, and sliced or chopped Filling 3: Fresh Avocado slices Thinly Sliced tomatoes fresh sprouts Directions Combine ingredients for all sauces in separate little rice bowls and reserve. Take your sliced vegetables for filling one, baste lightly in olive oil and chopped fresh herbs or your favorite blend, and grill them nicely until they look done. Season with salt and pepper. Prepare your bread and spread sauce 1 on two pieces of bread. Next, layer filling 1 on the bread and cut it into a cute triangle. Make your second sandwich with sauce and filling 2, and your third sandwich with sauce and filing 3. Enjoy with hot, delicious black tea and a light salad if desired.

Rating:  7 Original Source:  Inspired by Tea Party menu, but original. Please do not replicate anywhere without my permission. Recipe ID:  1217 Added:  April 2, 2008 Last Modified:  April 2, 2008

Naturally Dyed Easter Egg Main Course  Dairy

Ingredients Base: 1 quart water +2 tbsp white vinegar Color Elements: Blue: Red Cabbage, 4 cups Yellow: 3 tbsp turmeric You Can also try the following color elements: 4 cups onion skins (12 onions) 4 cups chopped Beets 1 quart strong coffee, no water Directions To make each dye, bring water, vinegar, and color element to a boil, lower the heat, simmer 30 min and strain dye. You can boil eggs with dye or cold dip, for 5 seconds up to overnight, and dry on wire wrap. For Turmeric, you can just add the powder to hot water without boiling it. Deep yellow- soak eggs in turmeric for a long time Teal- Soak eggs in turmeric solution for 30 minutes and then cabbage soak for 5 seconds. Bright Blue- Soak eggs in cabbage solution overnight (or just for a long time)

Rating:  8 Original Source:  Martha Stewart Recipe ID:  1214 Added:  March 25, 2008 Last Modified:  April 2, 2008

No mini muffin tin? Gasp! Get one here

Looking for more gluten-free mini-muffin recipes? Try these:
my Valentine’s Day Agave-sweetened Chocolate mini-muffin Brownie recipe
Wheat-free, gluten-free Blueberry mini muffin recipe
Healthy Prickly Pear Mesquite Mini Muffin recipe
Gluten-free chocolate almond mini muffin recipe
Gluten Free Mini Vanilla-filled cupcake recipe
Banana Chocolate Chip muffin recipe

Wheat-free, Gluten-free Chai honey mini muffins Bread  Alternative Grains  American

Ingredients 1/2 cup lowfat milk 3 tea bags of chai tea 1 cup gluten-free flour mix (I used Bette Hagman gourmet blend) 1/2 cup brown rice flour, preferably finely-ground (Authentic Foods) 1/2 cup sugar 2 tsp baking powder pinch baking soda 1 tsp salt 6 1/2 tbsp. butter or canola margarine, melted 2 egg whites and 1 egg yolk 1/4 cup honey splash vanilla pinch of nutmeg pinch of pumpkin pie or apple pie seasoning mix Directions Prepare one mini muffin tin by spraying with GF nonstick cooking spray. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Heat the milk and steep your bags of chai tea while you prepare the other ingredients. Mix the dry ingredients- flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. In a medium bowl, whisk the wet ingredients, including your chai infused milk. Strain all the milk out of the chai tea bags and then dispose of the tea bags. Slowly add the wet ingredients to dry and gently combine, folding. When batter is combined, pour into each mini muffin tin so that it reaches the top. Bake for 15 minutes in 325 degree oven or until brown and firm to touch. Notes best the first day they are made. top with frosting to make baby cupcakes!

Rating:  8 Original Source:  inspired by online recipe based on Cupcake Galore, but this version is entirely my own. Do not replicate anywhere without my permission. Recipe ID:  1172 Added:  January 8, 2008 Last Modified:  January 9, 2008

If you’re interested in Green Tea, you can check out Wikipedia’s extensive entry. For now, here’s a list of Japanese varieties of green tea:

*if you have Japanese characters installed in your browser, there will be characters to the left of the romanji (English letters spelling out a Japanese name).
“玉露 Gyokuro (Jade Dew)
Selected from a grade of green tea known as Ten-cha (碾茶), Gyokuro’s name refers to the pale green color of the infusion. The leaves are grown in the shade before harvest, which alters their flavor.
抹茶 Matcha (rubbed tea)
A high-quality powdered green tea used primarily in the tea ceremony. Matcha is also a popular flavor of ice cream and other sweets in Japan.
煎茶 Sencha (broiled tea)
A common green tea in Japan made from leaves that are exposed directly to sunlight.
玄米茶 Genmaicha (Brown-Rice tea)
maicha and roasted genmai (brown rice) blend.
冠茶 Kabusecha (covered tea)
kabusecha is sencha tea, the leaves of which have grown in the shade prior to harvest, although not for as long as Gyokuro. It has a more delicate flavor than Sencha.
番茶 Bancha (common tea)
Sencha harvested as a second-flush tea between summer and autumn. The leaves are larger than Sencha and the flavor is less full.
焙じ茶 Hōjicha (pan fried tea)
A roasted green tea.” (source: Wikipedia)

Note: I have never been sure if genmai cha or Hojicha are gluten-free or not. Because it is possible that barley malt COULD be added (although it may not be) I try to avoid these teas. Be very careful to avoid MUGI-cha, which is a popular chilled summer tea made from BARLEY. (mugi=barley) It does not contain tea leaves, caffeine, or calories. But of course, it does contain GLUTEN. This drink may be served in Japanese restaurants, especially in the summer, so be careful if you are on a gluten-free diet.

But you may wonder what inspired this sudden post on tea. Some time ago VegJ of Vegetable Japan and I decided to do a little international exchange and send each other care packages. I sent her the widest assortment of brown rice, gluten-free pasta that I could find here in California, and she sent me traditional Japanese products likedried shitake mushrooms and nori strips for making onigiri. It was all lovely, but one of my favorite things that she sent was a package of high quality tea locally produced in Kagawa, Japan. Her package arrived in the nick of time to rescue me from a rather ugly four -shots-of-espresso-a-day habit that I’d fallen into due to the aforementioned graduate student deadlines. Best of all, when I poured that first cup of green tea from those tender green strips of tea, of course using one of my favorite Japanese teapots, I felt just a little bit like I was back in my old apartment in Chiba City, Japan. I sat on the balcony, sipping my green tea slowly, looking out at the trees and birds, and felt relaxed for the first time in quite a while. As a religious studies graduate student, I don’t use sect denominations to describe my mood- but it was… if not a “Zen” moment, a very tranquil and peaceful moment.

So why not see if you can steal a little peace of Japanese tranquility in a perfectly brewed cup of green tea? VegJ has a very nice post on tea that you should check out, but let me leave you with these two rules. 1) Water quality is VERY Important. If you don’t use bottled water, at least use filtered water to create your tea. Any flavor in your water will mar the taste of the tea. 2) No sugar in your green tea! Please! You can put as much sugar, milk/honey/stevia etc. in your black tea, but give green tea a chance to seduce you on its own merits. If you put sugar in your green tea in front of teashop owners in Japan there will be tears shed and possibly bloodshed as well, so keep this in mind. On the other hand, if you do get a chance, try a green tea latte. It’s cheating, but it’s lovely. Ok. Lecture over. That being said, however you enjoy your tea… ENJOY SOME TEA! And, if caffeine doesn’t work for you, try decaffeinated tea OR some nice herbal tea. It’s not quite the same, but it might even be better for you.

Here’s some fun videos to help you enjoy your tea:
Try these instructions on how to prepare a proper cup of green tea. (Japanese, but easy to understand through observation):

This explanation of the Japanese tradition of tea is all wrong. (Japanese) That’s what makes it so funny:

Now, relax with a cute CM (commercial) for packaged tea. Japanese, with English subtitles. This commercial is actually for a Thai brand of tea, but it’s in Japanese. Weird, huh?

On the road?
One of my favorite tea shops is the Tao of Tea in Portland, Oregon. They opened their doors in my third year of college at Reed and I spent many a happy hour there trying their high quality teas in traditional teapots and serving dishes. I even belonged to their tea of the month club for a while!

A second favorite tea shop is the Dushanbe Tea House in Boulder, Colorado. The teahouse was a gift from Dushanbe, one of Boulder’s sister cities, and was constructed in Dushanbe and shipped over to Boulder to be reassembled. The building itself is gorgeous, and the tea is lovely. You can also enjoy a (pricey) light meal.

Would you believe I don’t have a favorite teahouse in Mountain View? Me either! I’m open to suggestions. In fact, won’t you tell me all about your favorite tea shop in the comments? I’d love to hear about other great tea shops across the US or Overseas