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Matcha Green Tea Cookies

Recently I’ve been on a crunchy cookie craze (ccc). I want to eat them all the time! Normally I can easily get my fix from the Chinese grocery store. However, with stay at home orders in place, it seemed unwise to venture out JUST for cookies.

Fortunately, I have a number of good icebox cookie recipes that can calm this cookie craze. On my icebox cookie list, Matcha cookies are definitely on the top and I’ve made this cookie over and over again.

What is Matcha?

Matcha (抹茶)is a type of green tea, but it differs from regular green tea in the way it’s grown and processed. Matcha is grown in the shade for three to four weeks prior to harvesting, which allows for more production of thealine and caffeine1. During processing, the stems and veins of the leaves are removed and then ground into a fine powder. The powder is suspended in liquid for drinking. Milk/cream and sugar can also be added to make matcha lattes.

You can purchase matcha powder from your local Chinese/Japanese grocery store as well as Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods, and other large grocery chains. In general you don’t need the highest quality matcha powder for baking purposes. However, your matcha powder should be a vibrant green color and not a dull green shade. Vibrant green matcha adds both a beautiful green color as well as the unique earthy and mildly bitter taste.

I like Matcha Love’s Culinary Grade Matcha powder that you can purchase on Amazon. Costco also has reasonably priced matcha powder that is good for baking. Once opened, store the matcha powder in the freezer to slow the process of oxidation, which causes the dull green color.

Crispy Matcha Green Tea Cookies

For this recipe, I experimented with a few types of fat and found that buttery spread yields the crispiest cookies. Unfortunately, buttery spread is a lot softer than butter. Thus, it was difficult to slice the cookies while retaining it’s shape.

I tried refrigerating the dough overnight, but that didn’t make a difference. I tried sticking the dough in the freezer to firm up, but the improvement was minimal. Finally, I tried a combination of butter + buttery spread, and the results were fabulous. The dough retained it’s shape during slicing, and the cookies came out ultra crispy.

This is my personal favorite combination. However, I will admit that using just butter is easier since butter sticks have the “Tbs” increments already premarked. Also, who doesn’t love the buttery fragrance? Buttery spread, on the other hand, requires you to weigh or measure it in a measuring spoon. For ease, butter is the winner. Nevertheless, I’ve included the butter+buttery spread measurement just in case you are curious!

What type of Butter to use?

Because this is buttery cookie, I recommend using high quality (aka expensive) butter. My favorite is the Plugra European Butter that you can find at grocery stores. Plugra boasts an extra 2% butterfat compared to regular table butter. In my humble opinion, Plugra just has that extra “buttery fragrance” that regular table butter cannot compare.

For buttery spread, I like Smart Balance Buttery Spread. Again, I feel that it delivers more of the “buttery taste” compared to other butter alternatives.

If you are a Matcha desserts fanatic (like me), you will not be disappointed by this recipe. Please give this recipe a try and let me know in the comments below what you think!

INSTRUCTIONS:

Beat butter and sugar together on medium speed with paddle attachment until light and fluffy (mixture will appear pale yellow). Add egg and mix on low and stop once egg is incorporated.

Add dry ingredients together in separate mixing bowl and whisk until combined. Then add dry ingredient to wet ingredients in increments* and gently mix until everything comes together. Finally, add white chocolate chips and mix on low for a few rotations until incorporated.

*Turn mixer on low, add 1/3 of dry ingredients and mix for 5-7 rotations then stop. Add another 1/3 of dry ingredients, mix on low for 5-7 rotations then stop. Use spatula to scoop side of bowl and mix for 3-5 rotations. Add final 1/3 of dry ingredients and repeat this process. Don’t worry if there is still some visible dry ingredient as you will incorporate white chocolate in next step.

Place dough mixture on cling wrap and roughly shape into a ball.
Roll dough back and forth between your hands until a log forms. Start shaping log into a rectangle by patting and smoothing with your hands.

Wrap rectangular dough in cling wrap and allow dough to firm up in the fridge for 30 minutes – 1 hour. I generally like to make the dough the night before and then bake the next day. The bottom log is sesame icebox cookies.

Remove dough from fridge and cling wrap. Slice dough into 1/4” thickness and place on baking pan 1/2” apart from each other. Cookies will expand once baked.

Bake at 335F for 12-15 minutes. I would recommend baking for 7 minutes first, then flip tray and bake for another 5-7minutes, checking on the cookies the last 2-3 minutes to make sure they don’t over brown. The exact baking time depends on your oven* but always better to check earlier.

Cookies can be stored in airtight container for 5 days at room temperature or kept in freezer for 2 months. See recipe notes for freezing cookie dough.

*I have a toaster oven so my cookies tend to bake faster because they are much closer to the heating coils.

For ultra crispy cookies: After initial baking, lower oven temperature to 250F and bake for another 15 minutes. This step is vital for crispy cookies as I live in a humid location (Houston). However, depending on the climate of where you live, this may not be necessary.

Matcha Green Tea Cookies

Crispy and buttery matcha cookies with crunchy white chocolate chips. Perfect as an afternoon snack or for gifting matcha lovers in your life.
Prep Time20 minutes
Refrigeration Time1 hour
Total Time2 hours
Course: Dessert, Snack
Cuisine: Japanese

Ingredients

  • 200 g AP Flour 1 and 2/3 Cup
  • 40 g Almond Flour 1/3 Cup
  • 15 g Matcha Powder
  • 170 g Unsalted Butter (3/4 Cup) can also substitute 1/2C Butter (113g) + 1/4C Buttery Spread (44g)
  • 130 g sugar (about 1 C)
  • 2 large egg yolks
  • 50 g White Chocolate Chip I use Ghiradhelli brand

Instructions

Dough

  • Beat butter and sugar together on medium speed with paddle attachment until light and fluffy (mixture will appear pale yellow).
  • Add egg and mix on low and stop once egg is incorporated.
  • Mix dry ingredients together in separate mixing bowl and whisk until combined.
  • Turn mixer on low, add 1/3 of dry ingredients into wet ingredients and mix for 5-7 rotations then stop.
  • Add another 1/3 of dry ingredients, mix on low for 5-7 rotations then stop. Use spatula to scoop side of bowl and mix for 3-5 rotations.
  • Add final 1/3 of dry ingredients and repeat this process. Don’t worry if there is still some visible dry ingredient as you will incorporate white chocolate in next step.
  • Add white chocolate chips and mix on low for a few rotations until incorporated.
  • Place dough mixture on cling wrap and roughly shape into a ball.
  • Roll dough back and forth between your hands until a log forms. Start shaping log into a rectangle by patting and smoothing with your hands.
  • Wrap rectangular dough in cling wrap and allow dough to firm up in the fridge for 30 minutes – 1 hour*.

Baking Cookies

  • Preheat oven to 335F. Take dough out from fridge and remove cling wrap. Slice dough into 1/4” thickness and place on baking pan 1/2” apart from each other. Cookies will expand once baked.
  • Bake at 335F for 12-15 minutes, rotating the tray half way through**.
  • For ultra crispy cookies: After initial baking, lower oven temperature to 250F and bake for another 15 minutes. This step is vital for crispy cookies as I live in a humid location (Houston). However, depending on the climate of where you live, this may not be necessary.
  • Allow cookies to cool on baking pan.
  • Cookies will keep in airtight container for up to 5 days. If not planning to consume right away, freeze baked cookies in freezer bag for up to 2 months.

Notes

*I generally make the dough the night before, chill overnight and then bake the next day.
**I recommend baking for 7 minutes first, then flip tray and bake for another 5-7 minutes, checking on the cookies the last 2-3 minutes to make sure they don’t over brown. The exact baking time depends on your oven.
Freezing Dough: You can freeze unbaked cookie dough in the freezer for up to two months. Keep the cling wrap over the rectangular logs and store in a freezer bag. Allow dough to defrost for about 10 minutes before slicing.
Recipe adapted from JustOneCookbook

Footnotes:
1 Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matcha

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