Recipe: Matcha Shortbread Cookies
Level up a simple cookie by adding matcha to it! These would be so perfect with a cup of tea.
Ingredients
2 cup AP flour
1/2 cup sugar
2 sticks unsalted butter
2 tbsp matcha
1 tsp vanilla extract
Method
Mix softened butter with sugar and vanilla extract
Sift in flour and matcha. Mix well.
Freeze for 15 minutes if your dough is sticky
Preheat oven to 350F
Split dough into 16 equal pieces
Roll each piece into a ball and use your palm to push it flat on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet.
Bake for 10-14 minutes until slightly golden.
Notes:
The simplest way to shape the cookies is rolling each piece into a ball and smushing it with the palm of your hand. You could also roll out the dough and use cookie cutters. I used a mooncake press coated in flour to shape mine.
If you want a defined shape (for example, when using a cookie cutter or cookie press), I recommend freezing the cookies once more before baking. I didn’t do this so there was slight spreading in my cookies while baking. This is because the butter in the dough was melting the structure apart even before I put the cookies in the oven (it was hot the day I baked). Freezing the dough solidifies the butter- by the time the butter is trying to melt in the oven, the cookie is already baked into a solid shape.
Every brand of matcha tastes different. I used the culinary grade matcha from a brand called Zulay Kitchen. The color is warmer and more yellow toned. Also the flavor is fairly bitter so the cookies came out that way. Keep in mind that your matcha will affect the taste! Here is what I know based off of experience: If you want a grassier flavor then the green color will likely be dark and vibrant. Sweet, mild matcha tends to be bright and vibrant. A bitter matcha is duller in color.