Have we reached peak matcha point yet?
I hope not, because this ancient powdered green tea offers a taste of history, culture, healthfulness, and grassy deliciousness along with its distinctive, vibrant color.
Did you know matcha actually originated in China in the 7th century? A Zen Buddhist monk apparently brought the tea back from his studies in China to Japan, where it was initially prepared by whisking to a froth in hot water in a reverential ceremony.
Nowadays, of course, it can be found in most anything and everything.
I love it in desserts, such as these fragrant “Slice-and-Bake Matcha Cookies.”
This recipe is from “Love Japan” (Ten Speed Press, 2023). The cookbook was written by Sawako Okochi and Aaron Israel, the married couple who are owners of the singular Shalom Japan, a Brooklyn restaurant that melds their respective Japanese and Jewish heritages. It was co-written with New York Times Style writer Gabriella Gershenson.
One of the beauties of slice-and-bake cookies is that you can stash some of the dough in the freezer for later, which means fresh-baked cookies are just a blink away.
As Okochi and Israel note in the recipe: matcha does not last forever; it does have a shelf life. So, once you open a canister, don’t let it languish on a shelf or in the fridge for months on end. It will start to oxidize, lose its bright color and turn more bitter. It will still be safe to use — unless mold has developed. But for optimum taste and aroma, store it in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 2 months.
This particular dough is a mix of butter, vanilla, all-purpose flour, baking soda, salt, light brown and granulated sugars, baking soda, and of course, high-quality matcha powder. There’s also a touch of honey in it.
The dough is very soft and sticky. So much so that it takes some effort to form it into four logs. I ended up dividing the dough into four, putting each portion on a length of plastic wrap, then using a spatula and butter knife to help nudge each one into a cylindrical shape. Then, I enfolded each into the plastic wrap to form a tight roll that went into the refrigerator.
Once firm, use a knife to cut slices. Place on a cookie sheet, then gently press down on each slice to form a disk before baking.
The cookies emerge looking fairly unassuming, much like moss-green puddles. But take a bite, and you’ll immediately think of a matcha latte with honey and vanilla stirred into it. There’s the unmistakable taste of the slightly savory, earthy, and sweet green tea with its astringency cut dramatically by the flowery notes of the honey. In fact, a friend’s husband, who is not normally a matcha fan, ended up devouring these cookies.
The cookies bake up crisp on the very edges and a little chewy within. If you store them in a covered container, the next day they will soften considerably, losing that crisp circumference. Prefer the more textural contrast? If you’ve held back a log or two of frozen dough in the freezer, then a fresh cookie is just a slice and a bake away.
Slice-and-Bake Matcha Cookies
(Makes about 40 cookies)
170 grams (12 tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temperature
100 grams (1/2 cup) packed light brown sugar
100 grams (1/2 cup) granulated sugar
80 grams (1/4 cup) honey
1 large egg, at room temperature
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
335 grams (2 1/4 cups) all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
15 grams (1 tablespoon) high-quality matcha powder
In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk, beat the butter on medium-high speed until creamy, 2 to 3 minutes. Turn the mixer off, add the brown sugar and granulated sugar, then increase the speed to medium-high and whisk until thoroughly combined and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, then add the honey, egg, and vanilla. Whisk on medium-high until the ingredients are fully incorporated. Remove the mixing bowl from the machine.
Sift the flour, baking soda, salt, and matcha powder over a large bowl or a large piece of parchment paper. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients all at once, then fold them in using a large spatula, until the flour is just blended. Do not overmix.
Prepare four pieces of plastic wrap, each measuring 12-by-12 inches. Divide the dough into 4 equal portions and place one in the center of each square of plastic wrap. Shape the dough into a rough log about 8 inches long. You may need to use a spatula and butter knife to help nudge the dough into shape. Fold the plastic over the log the long way, then shape into a uniform cylinder, gently smoothing and rolling until the log is about 10 inches long and a uniform width. Twist the ends of the plastic tightly. This should compress the log back to about 8 inches. Repeat with the remaining 3 portions of dough. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours until completely chilled, or freeze in a resealable freezer bag for up to 3 months, and place in the refrigerator 1 hour before baking.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Remove a log from the refrigerator. Slice into 10 equal pieces, roughly 1/2 to 3/4-inch thick. Place on the baking sheet about 2 inches apart, then press down on each cookie using the palm of your hand, shaping it into a 2-inch disk. The cookies should have at least 1 inch separating them. If you are baking more than one log, repeat this step as needed.
Bake until the cookies are puffy but not browned, 5 to 6 minutes. (If you are baking two sheets at a time, switch their positions and rotate halfway through.) Let cook on the baking sheet to set, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack and cool completely. The cookies should be soft and slightly chewy. They will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for a week.
Adapted from “Love Japan” by Sawako Okochi and Aaron Israel
Another Delicious Recipe from “Love Japan” to Enjoy: BTS