Lemon Basil Butter Cookies - Fruit & Mint Ice Tea

If you want to have friends over in the afternoon for tea and cookies this is a wonderful combo or a nice lite dessert for a summer evening.

Cookies
1 cup fresh basil or lemon-basil leaves
1 3/4 cup sugar, divided
1 pound butter, softened
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 large egg
6 cups flour
Process basil and 1/4 cup sugar in a food processor until blended. Beat butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy; gradually add remaining 1 1/2 cups of sugar, beating well. Add lemon juice and egg, beating until well blended. Gradually add flour and basil mixture, beating until blended. Shape dough into 1-inch balls and place on a greased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for about 12 minutes or until edges start to get golden.


Ice Tea
1 quart of boiling water
8 regular size tea bags
1/2 cup fresh mint leaves
1 1/2 cup sugar
1 - (6 oz) frozen lemonade concentrate, undiluted
1 - (6 0z) frozen limeade concentrate, undiluted
3/4 cup orange juice
3 quarts of water
Pour 1 quart of boiling water over tea bags and mint; cover and steep 30 minutes. Remove and discard tea bags. Stir in sugar and next 4 ingredients. Pour tea through a wire-mesh strainer into a large pitcher, discarding mint. Chill and serve over ice.