Matcha Tea Cookies

At the heart of the Japanese tea service is the notion of mindfulness - “one time, one meeting.” These unique cookies can make any occasion special, and are full of antioxidant-rich matcha, the stone ground green tea powder used in the tea service. Adapted from a recipe in the February issue of Food & Wine Magazine, you could say these delicious cookies are like having your cake and drinking it, too!

Ingredients:

2 cups gluten-free flour, preferably Cup4Cup
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom

3/4 cup cane sugar
2/3 cup grapeseed oil
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
2 large eggs, room temperature
2 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon matcha tea powder

1/4 cup confectioner's sugar

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

1. In a medium bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, salt and cardamom with a whisk.

2. In another bowl, mix the sugar, oil, and extracts with a whisk. Add the eggs (one at a time) and whisk vigorously to fluff up the volume.

3. In a small bowl, add 2 tablespoons of matcha tea to 2 tablespoons of water. Mix together to form a loose paste. Stir gently into the wet ingredients.

4. Fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until just mixed through.

5. Place parchment paper on bottom of two baking sheets. With an ice cream scoop, form about 2 tablespoons of cookie dough into 1” diameter cookies. Place 2 inches apart on the sheet. Dip your hands in a small bowl of water if dough becomes too sticky.

6. Put baking sheets in fridge for at least 20 minutes to firm up cookies.

7. Bake until the cookies have a slightly-browned bottom. Check at 10 minutes; could take several minutes more (one of my sheets was done at 12 minutes; the other at 15). Insert a toothpick to make sure baked through. Cool on baking sheet for 10 minutes, then finish cooling individual cookies on a rack.

8. Mix the confectioner’s sugar and teaspoon of matcha in a small bowl. Sprinkle over the cookies with a sieve. Serve.

Makes about 2 dozen cookies.

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