Classic Matcha Green Tea Shortbread Cookies Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Why are my shortbread cookies tough? ›

It's important to avoid over-mixing shortbread dough, which will develop gluten and make the finished product tough, not tender. To make sure that the flour mixes completely with little effort, sift the flour first to get out all of the lumps.

Cornstarch provides the shortbread with structure, but its biggest job is keeping the cookies extra soft, tender, and light. I love adding a small amount to chocolate chip cookies too. Optional Coarse Sugar Topping: For an optional sparkly crunch on your shortbread wedges, add a sprinkle of coarse sugar before baking.

One serving (3.5 oz / 100g) of this matcha cookies recipe has 426 calories, 19.9g total fat (12.1g saturated fat), 82mg cholesterol, 150mg sodium, 131mg potassium, 57.5g total carbohydrates (1g dietary fiber, 28.1g sugars), and 5.3g protein.

The most common mistakes when making shortbread are over-working the dough, and incorporating too much flour. The less you work the dough, the more crumbly and melt-in-your-mouth your shortbread cookies will be.

Traditional Scottish shortbread is a simple recipe made with sugar, butter, flour, and salt. Other shortbread styles will include leavening agents like baking powder and baking soda, which makes them crisp instead of crumbly like traditional Scottish shortbread.

Too much butter — which binds everything together — and you end up with a cookie spread entirely too thin. The proteins in the butter combined with the sugar kick start the Maillard reaction, so an overabundance can also make the cookie too brown.

Why do you put shortbread cut-out cookies in the fridge before baking? This is to resolidify the butter. The butter is at room temperature when making the dough resulting in a soft dough. If baked straight away, the butter would melt away immediately when hitting the hot oven and the shortbread would spread.

Matcha is rich in caffeine and amino acids. Like green tea, matcha is high in antioxidants, including catechins, which may help prevent cell damage and lower your risk of certain diseases. Some studies also suggest that the catechins and caffeine found in matcha may have a mild benefit in weight loss and management.

Matcha does not like heat. Prolonged baking time will cause Matcha turns brown. Do control the oven temperature, setting temperature too high will cause matcha turn brown too. Enzymatic browning that was occurring during the matcha's exposure to heat during baking.

Why is everyone obsessed with matcha? ›

Research has also shown that matcha can help boost brain function, specifically in terms of enhancing memory and improving attention and reaction time. Unlike the caffeine in coffee, matcha consumption does not involve the crash in energy levels that typically occur after drinking coffee.

While you can drink matcha daily, it is high in caffeine and may contain traces of pesticides and other chemicals. The beneficial compounds it contains, such as catechins, may be harmful in high quantities. It's best to consume matcha in moderation, for instance, 1–2 cups of tea per day or up to 2 teaspoons of matcha.

The health benefits of matcha tea

According to Komar, studies have found that matcha: Is high in cancer-fighting antioxidants, particularly the catechin epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) Contains fiber, which promotes healthy digestion. Contains vitamin C, chromium, magnesium, selenium and zinc.

There should be no sugar in pure organic matcha tea powder, added or otherwise. It is a zero-sugar product. Per serving of 1g per cup there are 0.39g of carbs per cup. Its super low.

Check doneness by looking for an even, light brown colour across the top of the biscuits, with slight darkening at the edges. Begin checking at the tail end of the cooking time. Undercooked shortbread will be doughy and chewy. Slightly overcooked and it will become chalky, brittle and hard.

Microwaving them. If you cover your cookies with a wet paper towel and nuke them for a few seconds, they should soften up enough to eat.

Shortbread should always have a tender, melting texture, but be slightly crisp when you bite into it. It should not generally be damp or wet underneath. A classic shortbread recipe will also only have flour, butter and sugar as the ingredients (in a 3:2:1 ratio) and not egg, which could lead to excess moisture.

Adding too little butter can cause the cookies to be tough and crumbly. You should use unsalted butter to control the salt content, but if you only have salted on hand, reduce the amount of added salt accordingly. Sugar sweetens the cookies and makes them an enticing golden brown.