There once was a tin of cookies,
Its top was all in blue.
I found them so addictive,
That I ate them through.
So I made my own rendition,
Which are easier to make.
They veer slightly from tradition,
But now they’re here for you to bake…
Green Tea-Black Sesame Shortbread Recipe
Matcha is a high-end green tea powder that has a distinctly sweet and earthy flavor. It can be pricey but I found an affordable one that I use for baking at my local Whole Foods. I combined the earthy, sweet flavors of Matcha with roasty, nutty sesame seeds in shortbread as a baking whim, but it’s quickly become a standard in my recipe collection.
Makes 30 pieces
Ingredients
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup Matcha (green tea powder)
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 sticks (8 ounces) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
Sanding or granulated sugar, for garnish
Black sesame seeds, for garnish (optional)
Instructions
Coat a 13-by-9-inch baking dish with butter and line the pan with 2 pieces of parchment paper that overhang each side of the pan by 1 inch. Combine flour, tea powder, powdered sugar, and salt in a large bowl and whisk until evenly combined. Drizzle vanilla and scatter butter pieces over flour mixture, and, using a pastry cutter, two knives, or your fingers, blend until dough just begins to come together.
Crumble dough into prepared baking dish and, using the base of a measuring cup or a glass dipped in flour, evenly press into the pan. Place dough in freezer while oven heats up.
Heat oven to 350°F and arrange a rack in the middle. Remove shortbread from freezer, sprinkle a few pinches of granulated sugar and sesame seeds (if using) on top of them, using the tip of sharp knife, gently score (do not cut all the way through) into serving portions (score into squares, rectangles, diamonds, or what have you).
Bake until shortbread is fully set and just starting to brown on the edges, about 45 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool. Once cool, remove from baking dish and cut along score marks into cookies. (Can be made up to 7 days ahead and stored in an airtight container.)
