A recipe for Matcha Shortbread with Chocolate Ganache! These light and buttery matcha cookies are filled with a rich chocolate ganache for quite the indulgent treat.
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This cookie recipe is such a fun shortbread variation! The matcha-based shortbread have a light green color from the green tea and are formed into sandwiches with a decadent chocolate ganache filling.
The shortbread cookie base comes together with simply softened butter, powdered sugar, flour, matcha, and salt. It is rolled into a thin sheet about 1/4 inch (6 millimeters) thick, then refrigerated until chilled before cutting into rounds and baking until just set.
Once the cookies have cooled completely to room temperature, they are filled with an easy chocolate ganache before serving.
A Few Tips
The shortbread-based dough can be delicate and difficult to handle. If it starts to fall apart and stick too much, refrigerate for a few minutes. If it is too firm to roll and handle without cracking, allow to rest at room temperature for a few minutes before trying again. Add just enough flour to prevent sticking.
Cut the cookies with desired cookie cutter. I used a 2 1/2 inch (6.3 centimeter) fluted round cutter, then a Nordic Ware Cookie Stamp to create the flower shape on top. Flour the cookie stamp to keep the cookie from sticking.
Refrigerate the baking sheet with the cut/stamped cookies 30 minutes to an hour before baking to help keep their shape and prevent spreading.
If you serve these Matcha Shortbread Cookies without the chocolate ganache, you may want to drop the salt to 1/4 teaspoon. I personally find the 1/2 teaspoon the perfect contrast for the sweetness of the chocolate.
I made the chocolate ganache with semi-sweet chocolate, but you can also use dark chocolate.
Allow the matcha shortbread to cool completely to room temperature before piping the ganache and forming into sandwiches.
The cookies should be the same size since they are cut with a cookie cutter, but some may stretch a little during the transfer to the baking sheet or spread during baking.
When forming the cookies into sandwiches, try to pair the cookies with the most similar shape for a more uniform result.
Be very gentle with pressing the cookies together with the ganache. They have a crumbly texture and will break with too much pressure.
Notable Ingredients
Matcha is a powder created by grinding whole green tea leaves. There are various grades. The higher quality grades are made from the fine, new leaves from the very top of the Camellia sinensis tea plant. The lower culinary grades are fine for cooking and baking.
Be careful when storing matcha. It can become stale and brownish when exposed to oxygen. I have been able to find matcha at the local markets with Japanese ingredients and more recently in the tea section of larger supermarkets. It is also available on Amazon: Maeda-En Culinary Matcha.
Looking for more recipes with matcha?
Try my:
This recipe was originally posted in October 2013 and updated in September 2022.
Matcha Shortbread with Chocolate Ganache Recipe
Adapted from Teenie Cakes
Matcha Shortbread with Chocolate Ganache
Ingredients
- 1 cup (227 grams) unsalted butter softened at room temperature
- 2/3 cup (80 grams) powdered sugar
- 2 cups (250 grams) all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons (10 grams) matcha green tea powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Chocolate Ganache:
- 1/2 cup (120 milliliters) heavy cream
- 6 ounces (170 grams) semi sweet or dark chocolate chips
Instructions
To make the Matcha Shortbread:
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or a large bowl, beat together the butter and powdered sugar until light and fluffy.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, matcha, and salt.
- Add the flour mixture to the fluffy butter and beat just until combined and smooth.
- On a parchment-lined and lightly floured baking sheet, pat the dough into a disc, then roll into a sheet about 1/4 inch (6 millimeters) thick, adding just enough flour to prevent sticking. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 350˚F (180˚C). Line two baking sheets with parchment or lightly grease.
- Cut the refrigerated dough into individual cookies using a round cutter or other desired shape.
- Carefully transfer the cut cookies to the prepared baking sheet and repeat with remaining dough.
- If desired stamp the top of the cookies with a floured cookie stamp to create a design and refrigerate the baking sheets for 30 minutes.
- Bake the chilled cookies in the preheated oven until set and barely golden on bottom, 9-12 minutes.
- Allow the cookies to rest on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to wire rack to cool to room temperature.
To make the Chocolate Ganache:
- Pour the cream into a small saucepan and place over medium heat.
- Place the chocolate chips in a medium bowl and set aside.
- Once the cream is steaming, but not yet at a boil, remove from heat and pour over the chocolate in the bowl.
- Allow to rest for 30 seconds, then whisk together until completely melted and smooth.
- Cover the bowl and refrigerate, whisking occasionally, until firm enough to pipe.
- Transfer the ganache into a bag fitted with a number 8-10 tip or a plastic bag with a small corner snipped off.
To assemble:
- Pair together the cooled matcha shortbread cookies that are similar in shape.
- Pipe the chilled chocolate ganache onto half of the bottom side of the cookies. Top, bottom side towards filling, with remaining cookies.
- Very gently press until the ganache filling reaches the edges. Repeat with remaining pairs.
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