Green Tea Cookies

"It pairs equally well with game, foie de gras, Neufchâtel, and green tea cookies".

What cookies could be better with tea, than cookies with tea?!  These are not your usual butter/sugar cookies, because they employ the use of green tea leaves, to add an unusual twist on a popular and fundamental cookie recipe. You're more likely to find something like this in Asian cuisine, in the style of Chinese or Japanese deserts. But they might often use Japanese "matcha powder", which is a type of green tea in powdered form, that is used in many ways, including as an ingredient in recipes. This is what can give such deserts a green colour. Matcha powder however, is very expensive to produce, and even more expensive to buy. Not to mention not easily available outside of specialty shops outside of Asia. So instead, I use what I already happened to have in my cupboard: green tea bags. You cut them open, add them to the flour, and away you go. That's why these green tea cookies are not green. They're "green tea" cookies. Not "green" tea-cookies. Get it? Sure you can make them green by adding food color. Please don't. Food coloring is gross and best left for making Play-dough or fake food in your child's Easy Crocker Bake n' Shake Oven. 

These cookies have a nice flavour, and are a good option, I think, for a party. I made small squarish ones on this batch, my first time out making these things. I watched them carefully as they browned, but they still turned out a little dark, because they were unevenly cut, and I wanted to be sure none would be underdone. Depending on the sturdiness of your baking tray and eveness of your oven heat, it may also be important to turn the tray every few minutes, to ensure even baking.  The next time I would try a more traditional form, a larger, round cookie (or perhaps a larger square). Of course, a larger size would necessitate a longer cooking time, and vice versa. They're a bit on the sweet side, so I think I would also avoid dipping them in sugar, for my second attempt.

  

Ingredients

1 cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup powdered sugar
3 bags green tea
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla (or peppermint extract liquid)
1 teaspoon water
1/2 cup unsalted butter, chopped into small cubes
1/4 to 1/2 cup sugar for coating (optional)

Preheat your oven to 375F. In a food processor, mix the dry ingredients on pulse. Add the vanilla, water, and butter. Pulse just until a dough forms. Roll the dough into a log onto a piece of wax paper. Wrap the paper around and shape the log until it is smooth (round or squarish, , long or short, whichever your preference.) Chill for 30 minutes before baking (cookie dough can be frozen up to a few months ahead, for later baking).

Slice the log into 1/3" thick pieces. Dip each cookie in a bowl of sugar to coat the top. Place on baking sheets and bake at 375F until the edges are just brown (about 10 minutes). Let cool on wire rack.