I still haven’t found a homemade green food coloring with a strong green color that does not have a distinct flavor. In the meantime, these Matcha Shortbread make an excellent base for green witch Halloween cookies. The buttery shortbread is filled with green tea flavor and pairs wonderfully with the chocolate ganache topping. Chad enjoyed them on their own, without the topping (surprise, surprise).
My mom was in town visiting when I made the cookies and she volunteered to help decorate. I cut the shortbread with a witch cookie cutter. We outlined the hats, drew faces, and added hair. If you don’t have time to decorate, just drizzle the ganache over the chilled cookies.
To help the cookies retain their shape, make sure the dough is well chilled. Refrigerate it after rolling and cutting.
Without the topping, the cookies will last up to about 3 weeks in an airtight container.
I have been able to find matcha at the local Asian food markets. It is also available on Amazon: DoMatcha DoMatcha Organic 2nd Harvest Matcha, 2.82-Ounce
Ingredients
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
2 cups all purpose flour
2 tablespoons matcha (green tea) powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup semi sweet or dark chocolate chips
In a large bowl, beat butter until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Pour in the sugar and beat for another 2-3 minutes.
In a medium bowl, combine flour, matcha, and salt. Mix into the butter and sugar.
On a large baking sheet lined with parchment, roll the dough 1/4 inch thick, cover, and refrigerate until firm, at least 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and line 2 baking sheets with parchment.
Cut the dough into shapes with cookie cutter (witch for Halloween) and use a spatula to transfer to prepared baking sheet. Chill while cutting remaining pieces of dough.
Bake in preheated oven until set and barely golden on bottom, 9-12 minutes. Let sit on pan for 5 minutes before removing to wire rack.
For the ganache topping, Pour cream into small saucepan over medium heat. Right before coming to a boil, remove from heat and add chocolate pieces. Mix until smooth. Place in a small bowl, cover, and refrigerate until firm and pipe-able.
Drizzle ganache or draw desired outlines on completely cooled cookies.
Adapted from Teenie Cakes
https://tarasmulticulturaltable.com/matcha-shortbread-with-chocolate-ganache/
[…] Tartlets with Chocolate Almond Crust. We decorated the tops with extra chocolate ganache from the Matcha Shortbread Cookies. I have never tried a cheesecake with a chocolate almond crust and loved the flavor. No water bath […]