Matcha Cookies with White Chocolate
Matcha and white chocolate are made in heaven! Soft and slightly chewy matcha white chocolate biscuits with a crunchy exterior. If you are a matcha lover, these biscuits are perfect for you. Even if you are on the healthy track, sometimes you want to unabashedly indulge in some comfort food. Whenever we make these Matcha biscuits, we spontaneously start salivating. And then we know what time it is: time for a cheat moment! But with the super-healthy Matcha tea.
FIRST OF ALL, WHAT IS MATCHA?
Matcha is ground dried green tea leaves, so basically green tea powder. This special tea originated in Japan and is used in traditional tea ceremonies. The tea is delicate and smooth, bitter and packed with amazing antioxidants. It has so many great health properties that it promotes heart and liver health, prevents cancer, boosts brain health and metabolism, etc. What's more, it tastes delicious!
WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN CEREMONIAL MATCHA AND CULINARY MATCHA?
With matcha, there are two different types. Culinary grade and ceremonial grade.
We are fortunate to have access to both culinary-grade and ceremonial-grade matcha. For these biscuits, any kind of matcha you can get your hands on will do!
CEREMONIAL GRADE
Ceremonial grade matcha is the highest quality matcha, made from the youngest matcha leaves. The result is a very fine powder with a delicate flavor and vibrant green colour!
This type of matcha is usually drunk so you can really experience the complexity of the flavor.
CULINARY GRADE
On the other hand, there is culinary-grade matcha, which is mainly used for cooking!
It is slightly more bitter and slightly less vibrant in colour, but it pairs great with ingredients like milk for lattes. Of course, there are other qualities within "culinary" matcha and prices vary accordingly.
I like to use high-quality matcha for baking, giving my desserts a bright green colour and a strong matcha flavor. My motto always remains: the better the ingredients, the better my final product.
Lower-quality matcha powders tend to turn brown during baking and have a less pronounced flavor. I recommend spending a little more on high-quality matcha powder for better flavor.
HOW NEWLY CAN YOU ADJUST THE INTENSITY OF THE MATCHA?
Matcha is quite a strong flavor and everyone has their favourite intensity. Some people like the intensely bitter flavor it can add. Others prefer a sweeter, balanced bitterness. By adding more or less matcha to your preparation, you can easily adjust the intensity of your dish.
INGREDIENTS FOR THE MATCHA BISCUITS WITH WHITE CHOCOLATE
- 110g unsalted butter: We are frying the butter brown, so it doesn't need to be at room temperature. Just make sure it is diced so it melts evenly
- 70 g Brown sugar: brown sugar gives the biscuits a slight chewiness and a slight caramel flavor.
- 100 g granulated sugar: Also known as white sugar, gives the biscuits sweetness without the density and chewiness that brown sugar does.
- 200 g all-purpose flour: Also known as plain flour, flour gives these biscuits their structure!
- ½ teaspoon of baking powder: Baking powder gives these biscuits a bit of rise time, so they don't become rock hard.
- ½ teaspoon baking soda: also known as Baking soda; also works as a raising agent, giving the biscuits a bit more air.
- 2 teaspoons of Matcha powder: Matcha gives these biscuits their green tea flavor. You can adjust the amount used to suit your matcha intensity preferences.
- 1 large egg: An egg is needed to bind all the ingredients in these biscuits together and give them a lighter texture.
- 1 egg yolk: Egg yolks add extra fat and flavor to the biscuits, making them more chewy and rich.
- 200 g white chocolate (callets): I like to use the chocolate callets. However, you can also cut up a block of white chocolate if you like.
- Fleur de sel: A sprinkle of flake salt over the top of these biscuits is a game changer. It balances the sweetness of the white chocolate and brings out the matcha flavor for the perfect bite.
- 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract: This is optional! Vanilla always works well with matcha to round out the flavor and add an extra dimension of flavor.
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat the oven to 180C and line the baking tray with baking paper.
- In a small saucepan, heat the butter over medium-high heat until golden brown (there should be speckles of brown milk solids at the bottom of the pan).
- Remove from the heat and leave to cool for 5 minutes
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and matcha powder.
- Add the white and brown sugar to the cooled brown butter, along with the egg and egg yolk, mix until well blended.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and stir until just blended.
- Fold in the white chocolate
- Divide the dough into 9 equal balls, flatten them a little and place them on the lined baking tray
- Place the baking tray in the freezer for 30 minutes to cool (or an hour in the fridge)
- Remove the baking tray from the freezer/refrigerator and bake at 180C for 15 minutes.
- Remove the biscuits from the baking tray and leave to cool on a wire rack. And we know... It's hugely tempting to eat those matcha biscuits right away. But so it's best to let them cool on a wire rack for the best results!
These biscuits are great with - how about - a nice cup of tea, of course!
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