Why matcha in cookies?
Matcha is a type of green tea that has gained a lot of popularity throughout the years, and you can find matcha everywhere on Instagram and the Internet. It’s made from crushed green tea leaves to make a vibrant green tea powder. These days you can find matcha-flavored anything like lattes, mochi, ice cream, and cookies. If you ask me, I love a good chewy cookie that isn’t too sweet, and I think this cookie is a great example.
Ingredients in matcha cookies
Many of the ingredients in these matcha cookies are similar to sugar cookies but with a bit more complexity due to the browned butter. I used unsalted browned butter, bread flour, all-purpose flour, culinary-grade matcha powder, baking powder, kosher salt, light brown sugar, white cane sugar, egg, and vanilla extract. For our add-ins, I chose sweet white chocolate chips to balance out the slightly bitter flavor of the matcha and roasted black sesame to enhance the natural nuttiness of the tea. I also tried using multiple types of white chocolate chips and found that Ghiradelli white chocolate chips melted the best.
Tips for making matcha cookies
Here are some of my tried and true methods to get extra chewy matcha cookies:
Use the right type of ingredients to change the texture. Certain ingredients create a chewier texture, like melted (brown) butter, a mixture of bread and all-purpose flour, and brown sugar. If you prefer a softer and airier texture, use softened butter, only use all-purpose flour, and a higher percentage of white cane sugar to brown sugar. Use a combination of bread flour and all-purpose flour. Mixing two types of flour creates the perfect chewy consistency without making it overly crispy or too airy. Sift all the dry ingredients (except kosher salt). Sifting removes any lumps and helps incorporate the matcha into the flour and other dry ingredients. When I didn’t sift, I ended up with unmixed matcha clumps in the cookie dough. Don’t overmix the wet ingredients. We do not, I repeat, we do NOT want light and airy cookies for this recipe so you don’t need to cream the sugars and butter together. In fact, I try to mix the wet ingredients minimally to prevent overmixing and adding air into the batter. Chill the cookie dough before baking. Chilling dough allows the flavors to marinate more, preventing the cookies from spreading too much or creating crispy cookies. Don’t overbake. Matcha turns brown if baked too high or too long, so I keep it at 10 minutes max in an oven at 350 °F. We’ll take out the cookies when the centers are high and still a little wet. Let it cool and rest. Allowing the cookies to rest and cool helps improve their chewy texture. They finish off baking from the residual heat. Letting it rest for 15 minutes on a cooling rack will give you chewy cookies. If you move them too soon, they’ll break apart and be too soft.
Is matcha good for baking?
Culinary matcha is made for baking because it is often bolder in flavor than other varieties, like ceremonial matcha. Make sure to use culinary matcha from a reputable brand; otherwise, you may end up with less potent matcha that doesn’t taste very good after baking.
What kind of matcha powder is used in baking?
I used culinary-grade matcha meant for baking and cooking for this recipe because it has a bolder (and sometimes bitter) flavor. Culinary grade (sometimes called “cooking” or “grade A” matcha) is lower in quality than ceremonial matcha, which has a more nuanced and lighter flavor. Ceremonial matcha is traditionally used in ceremonies but is also widely used today by matcha lovers who prefer to drink matcha on its own, as opposed to using it in baked goods or lattes. Culinary matcha is also much more inexpensive than ceremonial matcha. From my experience, culinary matcha also comes in larger bags, so you have more product to use for an affordable price.
Why do my matcha cookies turn brown?
Baking for too long will cause the green color of your matcha cookies to turn brown and change color. We’ll bake these cookies for only 10 minutes, even if they seem a bit wet in the middle, because they eventually settle and become chewy after cooling.
What pairs well with matcha?
Matcha pairs well with so many sweet and savory flavors, and it’s so fun to mix and match ingredients, especially for these cookies. Some flavors and ingredients you may want to add in are shredded coconut, black sesame paste, white miso, macadamia nuts, and strawberries.
