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).
Disclosure: This post contains Amazon affiliate links. If you purchase something through the link, I may receive a small commission at no extra charge to you.
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.
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 bush. Use the premium grades for drinking, while the lower culinary grades are fine for 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 Asian food markets and more recently in the tea section of larger supermarkets. It is also available on Amazon: Matcha Konomi and less expensive: Jade Leaf Matcha Green Tea Powder.
Matcha Shortbread with Chocolate Ganache
Adapted from Teenie Cakes
Matcha Shortbread with Chocolate Ganache
Ingredients
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter softened
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons matcha (green tea) powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Chocolate Ganache:
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup semi sweet or dark chocolate chips
Instructions
- 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.
[…] 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 […]