Green Tea Shortbread - A fusion with western culture

Green tea is a traditional Chinese tea, and has become a popular ingredient in western cooking as well.  The recipe I have for you today is Green Tea Shortbread.  While shortbread is traditionally Scottish, in recent decades green tea-flavored shortbread cookies have become pretty widespread around Japan, sold in bakeries and pastry shops alongside green tea cakes and mousses.  And it's quite an addictive little snack.

Green Tea Shortbread Recipe

Ingredients (Makes about 3 dozen)

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup confectioner’s sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 vanilla bean or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 tablespoons matcha powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon black sesame seeds

Special equipment – round cookie cutter about 2 inches in diameter, or another cookie cutter about the same size.

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
2. In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter with the confectioners’ sugar and granulated sugar. Add the vanilla extract (if using instead of vanilla bean).
3. If you’re using a vanilla bean instead, slit bean down the middle with a pairing knife and scrape out the black seeds from both sides of the middle. Discard the outer shell or save for another use.
4. In another bowl, sift together the flour, matcha powder, vanilla bean seeds (if using instead of vanilla extract), and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the sugar butter mixture from step 2. Mix until a smooth dough forms.
5. Flour a clean working surface and a rolling pin. Roll out the dough until it is between 1/4″ to 1/3″ thick. Use a 2” wide round cookie cutter to cut out circles. (You may need to reroll the dough once or twice more to use up the remainder.) Place the circles on a baking sheet lined with a Silpat or parchment paper, about 2 inches apart. Sprinkle the black sesame seeds on top of each cookie.
6. Bake until the bottoms are just lightly golden, about 8 to 10 minutes, checking at the 8 minute mark. (Be careful not to overbake.) Transfer to wire racks and cool to room temperature.

You will end up with about 3 dozen small cookies for breakfast, afternoon tea, or dessert. They'll keep in an air-tight container for up to 4 or 5 days, but believe me, these cookies go very very quickly...