i'm lost in translation

Showered with grumpiness

So my friend's shower was this past weekend. I made the favors - they were 3 inch brown kraft boxes with either an orange or sage green ribbon with a Burgundy sticker of a bride and groom that said "Love is Brewing". In the boxes were a selection of teas (6 bags) and 4 Green Tea cookies. I spent the entire weekend making the damn things. In case you are interested in the recipe. They are really just shortbread cookies with green tea leaves in them.

Green Tea Cookies:
Makes about 8 dozen
You can grind the tea leaves in a small food processor or with a mortar and pestle.

2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
2 tablespoons finely ground Green Tea tea leaves (from about 8 bags)
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 sticks (8 ounces) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup confectioners sugar
1 tablespoon finely grated lime zest
1 tablespoon ginger powder
1/4 tsp. nutmeg

1. Whisk together flour, tea, ginger, nutmeg and salt in a small bowl; set aside.

2. Put butter, sugar, and zest in the bowl of an electric mixer. Mix on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Reduce speed to low; slowly mix in flour mixture until just combined.

3. Divide dough in half. Transfer each half to a piece of parchment paper; shape into logs. Roll in parchment to 1 1/4 inches in diameter, pressing a ruler along edge of parchment at each turn to narrow log and force out air. Transfer in parchment to paper-towel tubes; freeze 1 hour.

4. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut logs into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Space 1 inch apart on parchment-lined baking sheets.

5. Bake until edges turn golden, 13 to 15 minutes. Let cool on sheets on wire racks.

While my testers at school loved the cookies - the shower attendees didn't seem thrilled at all.

I'm not sure if the bride enjoyed her shower - she just got in a fight with her fiance in the car so she was all ready cranky. I showed up 15 minutes late because I got lost in New Jersey - because I always get lost in Jersey. So I didn't get to set up everything I had planned on and I was on the verge of tears when I arrived because I am totally PMS'ing and I firmly believed I had ruined her shower. I didn't get to talk to the bride at all and spent the majority of the luncheon talking to the groom's grandmother who once lived on the same block I had growing up in my hometown. The bride did get quite the load o'gifts - including a all of glassware she registered for (pilsners, red wine, white wine and everyday), luggage, 3 sets of sheets, a china set and a 50" Plasma screen TV. She has enough spa visits to last her a while and enough cookware for the Food Network.

posted by Jin @ 2:17 PM