Indulge in the delicate harmony of Japanese Matcha Green Tea Cookies with a delightful hint of almond flavoring. These scrumptious treats blend the richness of ceremonial-grade matcha with the nutty notes of almonds, resulting in a delightful fusion of flavors. Each bite offers a perfect balance of earthy green tea and the subtle sweetness of almonds, creating a unique and satisfying cookie experience. Elevate your tea time or satisfy your sweet cravings with these delectable Japanese Matcha Green Tea Cookies infused with almond goodness.
Tasty Almond And Matcha Green Tea Cookies And A Christmas Eve In Tokyo
I’ll never forget one particular Christmas eve in Japan a few years ago. As I guided my reindeer over the rooftops of Tokyo, I came across the festive display at Tokyo Midtown. Oh, I can picture it now, one of the most beautiful illuminations I’ve seen in all my travels. Twinkling lights draped from corner to corner of Midtown. Families and friends were chatting beneath the pretty lights in anticipation of the night and morning to come.
Beyond the lights, I watched as folks skated across the full-size skating rink, giggling as they wobbled above the ice together, hand in hand. I love watching the precious scenes of Christmas eve as I twist and float above it all.
On this particular night, once everyone had gone to bed, I felt a little rumble in my tummy. This is not unusual for me. Just as the feeling came about, I happened across a pretty little tea house. Just outside the front door, someone had left a little plate with a sign beside it. What do you know…the sign had my name on it. Well, let me tell you, these were some of the tastiest Christmas cookies I’ve had in all my years.
Matcha green tea cookies. My oh my. The flavor of creamy almonds and earthy matcha is something you’ve just got to try. I learned that the white chocolate drizzled across the top of these Christmas cookies is the perfect flavor combination with matcha.
These matcha green tea cookies are a great option if you are looking for Christmas cookies that are made without eggs, butter, or sugar. If you are looking for Christmas cookies for diabetics, you can use diabetic-friendly chocolate, and off you go!
Substitutions and Variations Of Matcha Green Tea Cookies
- Almond flour: if you can’t find almond flour or are looking for a substitution for it, oat flour is a fantastic nut-free option to try. You can make your oat flour by grinding it up in a food processor until smooth. Look for gluten-free oats to keep this recipe gluten-free.
- Maple syrup: To keep this recipe vegan, use a plant-based sweetener like agave syrup or monk fruit syrup as an alternative.
- Matcha powder: you can vary the amount of Matcha you use. Add half a teaspoon if you want a lighter flavor in your matcha green tea cookies.
Storage and Shelf-life Of Matcha Green Tea Cookies
These vegan and gluten-free cookies can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for about five days. It’s important to note that these cookies are a little softer than ones baked with flour. You can expect them to get a little sticky over time. They are still perfectly tasty this way.
You can freeze these cookies for up to 3 months. Place them in an airtight container with layers of baking paper between them. Defrost them for about 2 hours before enjoying them once more.
What Is Matcha?
Matcha is a powder made from finely ground tea leaves and traditionally comes from East Asia. These are three different grades of Matcha:
- Ceremonial
- Culinary
- Ingredient
Ceremonial Matcha is considered the best quality and is usually used to make Matcha tea.
During the last few weeks of growing the leaves for Matcha, the leaves are shaded to intensify the nutrients within them as they grow. Fascinating!
Decoration Ideas For Your Japanese Matcha Green Tea Cookies
Matcha and white chocolate are a classic combination. If you’re not fussed about keeping this recipe vegan, go ahead and use regular white chocolate.
If not, look for a lovely, good-quality vegan white chocolate and melt it gently with a bit of coconut oil. Drizzle the melted chocolate mix over the cookies and add any edible decorations as you like.
5 fantastic health benefits of Matcha for your family.
- High in antioxidants: rich in catechins, a plant compound rich in antioxidants that neutralize free radicals in the body.
- Brain function: improves attention and reaction time.
- Cancer prevention: Matcha is packed with health-promoting elements that are proven to prevent certain types of cancer
- Heart health: As with green tea, consuming Matcha promotes heart health.
- Healthy Liver: studies have shown that Matcha supports the liver’s detoxifying process.
Wrapping It Up
And so, dear friends, I hope this recipe tickles your taste buds and is something a little special for you to try in the days leading up to Christmas. They are pretty enough to pack in a festive gift box and give to a friend or serve as a healthy snack with tea or a cup of white hot chocolate. You can always make up a batch and leave them out for me on Christmas Eve! Now, there’s an idea.
I will never forget that special Christmas Eve and those ladies’ kindness at the Tokyo tea house. I hope they’ll read this one day and know how much their gift of matcha green tea cookies meant to me.
Japanese Matcha Green Tea Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp green matcha powder
- 2 cups almond flour
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- ¼ cup melted coconut oil
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ¼ cup white vegan chocolate chips
- 1 tsp extra match powder
- Edible décor
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325 °F
- Line a baking sheet with greased parchment paper or a baking sheet.
- Mix the almond flour, matcha powder, and baking powder in a mixing bowl.1 tbsp green matcha powder, 2 cups almond flour, ½ tsp baking powder
- Stir in the maple syrup and melted coconut to form a tacky green dough.¼ cup maple syrup, ¼ cup melted coconut oil
- Combine all the ingredients with a spatula or spoon
- Place a little coconut on your hands to grease them. Roll the dough into balls – 2 TBS per cookie.
- Place the balls onto the baking sheet, leaving 1 inch/2.5cm between each cookie.
- Flatten each cookie slightly with your finger.
- Bake them for 12-15 minutes. Cool on their baking tray for 5-8 minutes, then transfer onto a cooling rack and cool.
- Melt the white chocolate in a little glass bowl in the microwave or over a small saucepan.¼ cup white vegan chocolate chips
- Drizzle the melted chocolate over the cookie and allow it to set.