Matcha Shortbread Cookies with White Chocolate & Vanilla Glaze

Matcha shortbread cookies sitting on granite counter with spoon of matcha powder and white chocolate chips

Matcha is an alluring powdered green tea with deep historical roots in Japanese tea ceremonies. Like all true teas, matcha is produced from the tender young leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant. The way in which the leaves are grown and processed is what sets matcha apart from other green teas. All matcha is shade-grown, hand-harvested, and quickly steamed. After steaming, the stems and veins are removed from each leaf, and the leaves are then left to dry flat before being stone-ground into a fine powder. Whether whisked hot in the traditional preparation, or combined with milk and honey poured over ice, matcha offers a truly remarkable flavor experience!

I’ll never forget my first sip of organic matcha. Its grassy sweetness and soft melon nose enchanted me. It was gently stimulating and helped refresh my focus for the day. That first sip was bliss, as has been every cup and latte that has followed. Since that day, I've experimented with the powder as an ingredient in smoothies, granolas, ice cream, and many other sweet treats. But these vanilla glazed shortbread cookies are my favorite. They’ve the perfect balance of sweet and savory, and the vanilla glaze adds a wonderful richness without being heavy. 

Hand with knife slicing roll of matcha shortbread cookies before baking

Matcha Shortbread Cookie Recipe

Makes about three dozen cookies.

Ingredients

Directions

  1. Sift the flour, salt, and matcha powder into a small bowl.
  2. In another bowl, cream together the softened butter, powdered sugar, and almond extract.
  3. Mix in dry ingredients.
  4. Divide dough in half and shape into a log.
  5. Wrap dough.
  6. Chill dough for at least a half-hour in the refrigerator. The dough should be firm.
  7. Preheat oven to 325 °F.
  8. Lightly flour your work surface, the top of the dough, and a knife.
  9. Cut log into 1/4-inch slices.
  10. Place on baking sheets lined with silicone baking mats or parchment paper. Leave 1/4-inch between slices.
  11. Bake cookies for 15 minutes or until lightly golden at the edges.
  12. While cookies are baking, make the glaze.
  13. Split a vanilla bean in half, scrape out seed pulp, and set pulp aside. Discard or save outer pod for a different use.
  14. Slowly heat chopped white chocolate in a double boiler, stirring until melted.
  15. Stir in reserved vanilla bean seed pulp.
  16. Slowly add heavy cream, one tablespoon at a time, stirring until smooth.
  17. Gradually cool glaze, stirring every few minutes until firm enough to spread without glaze running.
  18. When cookies are done, remove from oven and place on a cooling rack. Allow cookies to cool completely before glazing.
  19. Glaze cookies with a butter knife.
  20. Allow glaze to set before serving or storing. If you’re in a rush, place the glazed cookies in a freezer for five minutes.

Hand with butter knife spreading vanilla bean glaze on shortbread matcha cookies

Pro Tip: Add the outer pod of the vanilla bean to a bottle of homemade vanilla extract to strengthen the vanilla flavor.

 

Looking For More Matcha-Flavored Goodness?

Try Our Green Tea Ice Cream Recipe!

 

You may also be interested in: 

 

Matcha Shortbread Cookies with Vanilla Bean Glaze from Mountain Rose Herbs


Topics: Culinary, Recipes

Kiley

Written by Kiley on May 24, 2018

Kiley Gwynn, certified BJCP beer judge and Brand Director at Ninkasi Brewing Company, enjoys a wide variety of hobbies—but her deepest passion is homebrewing. She loves spreading the joy of homebrewing and over the last decade has become deeply involved in the Oregon homebrewing community. Kiley is an award-winning homebrewer who holds a seat on the executive committee of Cascade Brewers Society and is a member of American Homebrewers Association Diversity Subcommittee. She loves brewing herbally inspired beers at educational events like Learn to Homebrew Day. When she’s not working as a blog contributor at Mountain Rose Herbs or in her homebrewery, you’ll likely find her under a pile of yarn with a crochet project, in the kitchen working on her latest small batch canning adventure or chasing her rescued red heeler down the beach.


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Matcha Shortbread Cookies with White Chocolate & Vanilla Glaze

Matcha shortbread cookies sitting on granite counter with spoon of matcha powder and white chocolate chips

Matcha is an alluring powdered green tea with deep historical roots in Japanese tea ceremonies. Like all true teas, matcha is produced from the tender young leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant. The way in which the leaves are grown and processed is what sets matcha apart from other green teas. All matcha is shade-grown, hand-harvested, and quickly steamed. After steaming, the stems and veins are removed from each leaf, and the leaves are then left to dry flat before being stone-ground into a fine powder. Whether whisked hot in the traditional preparation, or combined with milk and honey poured over ice, matcha offers a truly remarkable flavor experience!

I’ll never forget my first sip of organic matcha. Its grassy sweetness and soft melon nose enchanted me. It was gently stimulating and helped refresh my focus for the day. That first sip was bliss, as has been every cup and latte that has followed. Since that day, I've experimented with the powder as an ingredient in smoothies, granolas, ice cream, and many other sweet treats. But these vanilla glazed shortbread cookies are my favorite. They’ve the perfect balance of sweet and savory, and the vanilla glaze adds a wonderful richness without being heavy. 

Hand with knife slicing roll of matcha shortbread cookies before baking

Matcha Shortbread Cookie Recipe

Makes about three dozen cookies.

Ingredients

Directions

  1. Sift the flour, salt, and matcha powder into a small bowl.
  2. In another bowl, cream together the softened butter, powdered sugar, and almond extract.
  3. Mix in dry ingredients.
  4. Divide dough in half and shape into a log.
  5. Wrap dough.
  6. Chill dough for at least a half-hour in the refrigerator. The dough should be firm.
  7. Preheat oven to 325 °F.
  8. Lightly flour your work surface, the top of the dough, and a knife.
  9. Cut log into 1/4-inch slices.
  10. Place on baking sheets lined with silicone baking mats or parchment paper. Leave 1/4-inch between slices.
  11. Bake cookies for 15 minutes or until lightly golden at the edges.
  12. While cookies are baking, make the glaze.
  13. Split a vanilla bean in half, scrape out seed pulp, and set pulp aside. Discard or save outer pod for a different use.
  14. Slowly heat chopped white chocolate in a double boiler, stirring until melted.
  15. Stir in reserved vanilla bean seed pulp.
  16. Slowly add heavy cream, one tablespoon at a time, stirring until smooth.
  17. Gradually cool glaze, stirring every few minutes until firm enough to spread without glaze running.
  18. When cookies are done, remove from oven and place on a cooling rack. Allow cookies to cool completely before glazing.
  19. Glaze cookies with a butter knife.
  20. Allow glaze to set before serving or storing. If you’re in a rush, place the glazed cookies in a freezer for five minutes.

Hand with butter knife spreading vanilla bean glaze on shortbread matcha cookies

Pro Tip: Add the outer pod of the vanilla bean to a bottle of homemade vanilla extract to strengthen the vanilla flavor.

 

Looking For More Matcha-Flavored Goodness?

Try Our Green Tea Ice Cream Recipe!

 

You may also be interested in: 

 

Matcha Shortbread Cookies with Vanilla Bean Glaze from Mountain Rose Herbs


Topics: Culinary, Recipes

Kiley

Written by Kiley on May 24, 2018

Kiley Gwynn, certified BJCP beer judge and Brand Director at Ninkasi Brewing Company, enjoys a wide variety of hobbies—but her deepest passion is homebrewing. She loves spreading the joy of homebrewing and over the last decade has become deeply involved in the Oregon homebrewing community. Kiley is an award-winning homebrewer who holds a seat on the executive committee of Cascade Brewers Society and is a member of American Homebrewers Association Diversity Subcommittee. She loves brewing herbally inspired beers at educational events like Learn to Homebrew Day. When she’s not working as a blog contributor at Mountain Rose Herbs or in her homebrewery, you’ll likely find her under a pile of yarn with a crochet project, in the kitchen working on her latest small batch canning adventure or chasing her rescued red heeler down the beach.