Inspired by my recent blog post about our trip to Japan, I got hold of some matcha green tea powder. The smell of it and the flavour took me straight back to the streets of Kyoto, the capital of matcha tea.
I decided to bake some matcha-flavoured cookies. These are not traditional cookies you will find in Japan. However, the combination of flavours, including almonds and coconut, really complemented each other and made for an irresistible treat with a cup of tea.
I wanted the matcha tea to shine, not just in colour, but also in flavour, and added two tablespoons to the mixture. If you are unsure whether you like the strong taste of matcha, you can always decrease this amount to just one tablespoon. I can assure you that they will still be delicious with a subtle taste of matcha tea.
These cookies are very low in sugar, which makes them a healthy snack. In the mixture, there are only two tablespoons of honey. I have decorated the cookies with white chocolate, which complements the taste as well as adding a slight hint of sweetness. However, this is optional and will not vary the taste as such, so you can leave it out if you wish.
Almond Matcha Cookies
A bite of delicious matcha, almonds and coconut combo
Ingredients
- 125g plain flour
- 50g ground almonds
- 2 tbsp unsweetened shredded coconut
- 2 tbsp matcha green tea powder
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- Pinch of salt
- 55g extra virgin coconut oil
- 1 egg
- 2 tbsp honey
- 50g white chocolate chips (optional)
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 175 degrees Celsius. Prepare a baking sheet with a baking paper/ silicon mat.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, almonds, coconut, matcha powder, baking powder and salt together.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the coconut oil, honey and egg.
- Pour the wet ingredients over the dry mixture and stir until just combined. Do not over-mix as it will result in very dry cookies. If the mixture is very dry, you can add a teaspoon of water. Be careful not to have a sticky dough.
- Take a spoonful; of the mixture (around 30g) at a time and roll it into a ball. Place it on the prepared baking sheet and flatten it down to form the cookie. Repeat with the remaining cookie dough. The cookies will barely spread but always leave an inch between each other.
- Bake in a preheated oven for 8-10 minutes/ The cookies will still be soft on tip but will firm up once they start to cool down.
- Let them cool slightly on the baking sheet before moving them onto a cooling rack to cool completely.
- Once cool, melt the white chocolate chips over a Bain Marie. Place the melted chocolate in a small piping bag, cut off a small hole and drizzle over the cookies. Let them sit for 15 minutes to allow the chocolate to set.
- Serve them with a cup of tea or store them in an airtight container.
