DIY Matcha Shortbread Cookies

Matcha shortbread cookies make an excellent gift for friends and family

My all-time favorite secret sauce (or rather powder) for my baking is matcha. Despite not being the most enthusiastic baker, I certainly love occasionally treating myself, my friends, and my family with some homemade matcha snacks. As of late, my favorite matcha treat is the matcha shortbread cookie. Pair the soft, crumbly texture of shortbread with the slightly bitter but sophisticated addition of the matcha and you get a concoction that is a definite crowd-pleaser. When I first stumbled upon bulk matcha powder in the grocery store, I immediately snatched it up to create matcha-based drinks such as lattes and smoothies but I was surprised to find the use of matcha in many dessert items as well. For the adventurous matcha can even be added to yogurt parfaits, ice creams and even popcorn!

Ensure at least 1 inch of space between cookies to allow for expansion during baking

If you’ve never tasted matcha before, it is a green tea leaf powder that has a bright green color. It is slightly different from green tea in that it is harvested differently and ground in a uniform way. Trust me, if you were to ground up loose leaf green tea yourself, it would not taste the same! There are various classes of matcha including culinary grade and ceremonial grade. Ceremonial grade matcha typically is reserved for special occasions such as tea ceremonies and is pricey for the average consumer. However, culinary grade matcha is perfect for home baking, cooking and beverages.

The one I am using is the Japanese organic matcha powder from Costco. However, matcha powder is typically available in most grocery store’s baking aisles.

I used the round cookie cutters for my matcha shortbread cookies however, fun shapes can be great for celebrating different occasions

Ingredients:

2 cups flour (all-purpose or bleached)
1 tablespoon of matcha green tea powder
¾ cup unsalted or salted butter
1 cup powdered sugar
2 egg yolks

This recipe makes about 24 cookies

Xu3: I used the round cookie cutters for my matcha shortbread cookies however, fun shapes can be great for celebrating different occasions

Directions:

Add 240 grams or 2 cups of flour and 1 tablespoon of matcha green tea powder in a large mixing bowl
Using a hand-held mixer or stand mixer, mix the butter and slowly add contents of the mixing bowl into the mixer
Mix all ingredients until uniformly combined, then remove dough from mixer
Cut the dough into halves and let sit in a bowl to chill for 2 hours in the refrigerator
Shape cookies using cookie cutters and distribute them uniformly on a baking sheet
Cookies should have at least an inch of space between one another
Preheat oven to 350 Farenheight
Set cooking timer for 15 minutes and place baking sheet into the oven
After 15 minutes, remove cookies from the oven and let sit for 15 minutes to cool.
Serve

To store the cookies, place cookies in an airtight container at room temperature. Cookies can be stored this way for 5 days.