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This recipe features two crisp, buttery, melt in your mouth matcha cookies sandwiching a rich and velvety whipped white chocolate ganache! Made using matcha.com's tenchi ceremonial organic matcha powder, not only does it create a gorgeous green color, it also adds a beautiful earthy flavor.
For other new and exciting ways to use matcha powder, be sure to follow matcha.com on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube!
What's better than a melt-in-your-mouth matcha cookie? TWO melt-in-your-mouth matcha cookies sandwiched with a white chocolate ganache filling!
If you know me, you'll know I love a good cup of coffee, but I'm more of a tea gal at heart. I drink matcha almost daily - not only for its delicious earthy flavor, but also because of the long list of health benefits (more on them below)!
If you're new to the matcha world, or just looking to learn more about it, let's start by going over some matcha basics!
What is matcha and how is it made?
The simplest explanation is that matcha is essentially finely processed green tea leaves. But there is so much more that goes into the growing, harvesting, and preparation of this bright and flavorful powder! Every step that goes into harvesting the best matcha powder focuses on ensuring the flavor, freshness, and bright green color are preserved as much as possible.
Matcha is harvested under a covered, shaded area with very little sunlight - which yields tea leaves that pack stronger color and flavor. Once the tea leaves are ready, they're picked and processed right away to preserve maximum freshness and vibrancy of color.
When it comes to taste, matcha's grassy and umami flavor is what distinguishes it from other types of tea.
What I personally love about matcha is its versatility! You can use it to make anything from a simple matcha latte to a complex baked treat, and everything in between. No matter how busy life gets, it's one of the easiest ways to incorporate a little something healthy into your daily routine!
Matcha sandwich cookies ingredients:
• flour
• cornstarch: helps give the cookies a sandy, crisp, and melt-in-your-mouth texture!
• matcha powder
• salt
• butter: for the cookies and for the ganache. White chocolate is much softer than other types of chocolate, and can be a bit more tricky to work with. Adding butter to the ganache in this recipe helps stabilize and firm up the white chocolate, making it a million times easier to work with
• sugar
• egg yolks
• vanilla extract
• white chocolate: the best chocolate for ganache is anything labeled "Baker's" or "couverture" chocolate. These are usually sold in bars, but can sometimes come in morsels or chips. Regular chocolate chips (like the kind you put in cookies) don't melt as smoothly and can often cause the ganache to clump and seize up. Baker's / couverture chocolate will give you the smoothest and best tasting ganache!
• heavy whipping cream
How to choose matcha:
The highest quality, most authentic, and all around tastiest matcha is grown and harvested in Japan - where it has been a staple for CENTURIES. Although traditionally used during Japanese tea ceremonies, matcha has been quickly growing in popularity throughout North America and the rest of the world!
Because it's the star of this recipe, it's ESPECIALLY important to get the best quality matcha you can get your hands on!
Matcha.com's high quality, organic tea ticks ALL the boxes for amazing matcha. Not only is their tea grown in matcha's birthplace (the gorgeous hillsides of Uji), but every purchase you make on matcha.com goes towards protecting the less than 60 authentic matcha tea farms that are still operating today.
The amount of attention and care that matcha.com puts into each tin truly shows, and translates into the BEST matcha experience I've ever had.
Because matcha.com offers such a wide array of grades, kinds, and prices, their matcha can easily fit into a wide range of budgets and lifestyles. Whether you're looking for matcha to drink or to bake with, find the right fit for you!
Use the code EATSDB to get 20% off your first purchase on matcha.com!
How to make matcha sandwich cookies:
Prep ganache:
1. Chop chocolate.
2. Heat cream.
3. Pour warm cream over chocolate. Let sit for 5 minutes to soften the chocolate, then go in and whisk until smooth.
4. Whisk in melted butter. The ganache will have a yellowish hue to it at this point, but that yellow will fade after you whip the ganache.
5. Chill. Cover the ganache with plastic wrap touching the surface of the mixture, and pop into your fridge for at least 4 hours to stabilize the ganache.
Make the matcha cookies:
1. Combine dry ingredients and sift in matcha powder. You don't need to sift all of the ingredients, but it's best to sift the matcha to work out any potential clumps and evenly distribute the powder. Whisk together the dry ingredients to combine, and set aside.
2. Cream together butter and sugar. It doesn't have to be fluffy. Just until you no longer see any dry sugar.
3. Whisk egg yolks and vanilla into the butter mixture.
4. Add dry ingredients to butter mix. Fold together until you get a soft and somewhat sticky dough. The beautiful earthy green color from the matcha should also be evenly distributed.
5. Wrap dough and chill until firm.
6. Roll out dough and cut out cookies. Arrange cut cookies onto a parchment lined baking sheet, and gather up excess dough to re-roll and cut until it's all used up.
7. Freeze cookies for 10 minutes. This is to help them hold their shape, although the cornstarch keeps these cookies from spreading out significantly.
8. Bake. The cookies are ready once the tops have puffed slightly and become matte.
9. Cool cookies. Leave the cookies on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack and set aside to cool completely.
Filling & assembly:
1. Whip cooled ganache until stiff peaks form. Transfer to a piping bag fitted with your choice of tip.
2. Pipe ganache onto the bottoms of half the matcha cookies.
3. Sandwich! Top each frosted cookie with another plain cookie.
Enjoy!
Matcha tea benefits:
Green tea has long been famous for its health benefits, and matcha packs an extra health boost. Because matcha is a finely ground powder, you'll end up consuming the entire leaf (as opposed to green tea bags that are steeped and then discarded - which causes nutrients to be left behind).
Matcha has been proven to help increase immunity, focus, and energy, reduce stress, and aid in calmness and relaxation, among other benefits. Many more potential benefits are also currently being studied and looked into, so this list will most likely continue to grow!
I love starting my mornings off with an iced matcha latte for a MUCH NEEDED energy boost to work through the day!
Tips for working with matcha:
Baking with matcha is nothing to fear, but there are certain best practices to keep in mind so you get the best flavor, texture, and color out of your tea!
• how much matcha you use can make a difference: there is such thing as too much of a good thing when working with matcha. Too much, and the matcha's natural bitter flavor will become overpowering. Too little, and you won't get much flavor and color! These cookies use 2 tablespoons of matcha, enough to color and flavor but not overpowering in the slightest
• sift before using: all matcha should be sifted before preparing, especially if you plan on drinking it. It does have a habit of forming small clumps together, so a simple run through a tea sifter (also known as a "furui") helps create a smooth and velvety texture
• watch the heat: if your matcha tastes bitter, the biggest culprit is usually overheating. For this recipe, it's important to avoid over baking your cookies. If you're drinking matcha, avoid using extremely hot water
Check out these other recipes!
• Easy Thumbprint Cookies
• Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
• Raspberry Chocolate Cake
• Chocolate Pound Cake with Chocolate Icing
Matcha Sandwich Cookies Recipe
Ingredients
For the white chocolate ganache filling:
- 8 ounces (225g) Baker's or couverture white chocolate * see notes
- ⅔ cup (160mL) heavy whipping cream
- ¼ cup (½ stick / 60g) unsalted butter, melted
For the matcha cookies:
- 2 & ¼ cups (270g) all-purpose flour, spoon and leveled
- ⅓ cup (40g) cornstarch
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons (12g) matcha powder
- 1 cup (2 sticks / 225g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- ¾ cup (95g) powdered sugar
- 2 large egg yolks, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (optional)
Instructions
- Prep the white chocolate ganache: Finely chop the white chocolate into small chunks, and place in a heat safe bowl. Set aside.
- Pour heavy cream into a medium saucepot, and place onto a stove burner set to medium heat. Warm cream until it starts steaming and bubbles just start to form around the edges. Do not boil!
- Pour the hot cream over the chopped chocolate, and use a spoon to press the chocolate down so it's mostly covered with the cream. Set aside to sit for 5 minutes to allow the chocolate to soften, then whisk the mixture together until the chocolate is melted and smooth. The mixture will have a yellowish tint at this point, but that will fade after you whip the ganache. **(see notes for dealing with un-melted chocolate)
- Add the melted butter to the chocolate and cream mixture, and whisk until well combined. Cover with plastic wrap pressed against the surface of the ganache, and chill in the fridge for at least 4 hours before whipping.
- Make the matcha sandwich cookies: In a medium bowl, combine flour, cornstarch, and salt. Sift your matcha powder into the flour mix, and whisk together until combined. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine butter and sugar. Using a whisk or an electric mixer fitted with the beater attachment, cream together until the sugar is dissolved into the butter. Add the egg yolks and vanilla, and whisk until combined.
- Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture. Mix together until you have a soft and slightly sticky cookie dough. Turn the dough onto a large piece of plastic wrap, and form into a rough disk shape. Wrap tightly and chill in the fridge for at least 1 hour before rolling, or until firmed up.
- Preheat your oven to 350°F. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper, and set aside.
- Unwrap your chilled dough, and turn onto a floured work surface. Knead the matcha dough a few times with your hands to soften it enough to roll. Roll out the dough until it's about ¼ inch thick. Using a lightly floured 2 inch round cookie cutter, cut out cookie shapes.
- Transfer cut cookies onto your parchment lined baking sheets, leaving a bit of space between each one. These cookies don't spread out, but they do need room for air to circulate and crisp them up! Gather any scraps of dough and continue rolling and cutting until all the dough is used up. If it becomes too soft to work with, wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill until firm enough to roll.
- Pop the baking sheets into your freezer for 10 minutes to firm up the cookies (to help them keep their shape). Bake the cookies in the center of your preheated 350°F oven for 10 to 12 minutes, or until puffed and matte on the surface.
- Cool the cookies for about 5 minutes on the baking sheet, then transfer to a wire rack. Set aside to cool completely to room temperature before filling.
- Fill & assemble: Transfer the cooled chocolate ganache to a large bowl. Using an electric mixer fitted with the whip attachment, beat the ganache on high speed until it reaches stiff peaks.
- Transfer the whipped ganache into a large piping bag fitted with your choice of large tip (I used a star tip). Pipe a swirl onto the bottom of a matcha cookie, then sandwich another cookie on top. Repeat with the remaining cookies until they're all filled.
Notes
Enjoy!
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