Leftover Matcha Powder Takes Shortbread Cookies To The Next Level

Shortbread cookies in their purest form are all about butter and sugar. (Okay, there's some flour in there too, but that's just to keep things together since it doesn't have much flavor to speak of.) Not everyone's a fan of simplicity, however, and shortbread cookies are also delightful when dressed up with chocolate chips, chopped nuts, candied ginger, orange zest, or any other add-ins that appeal. Here, however, Mashed recipe developer Kate Shungu is going with something that might not have occurred to you to use in cookies: matcha powder.

While matcha has a grassy, even slightly bitter, taste to it, this is tempered by the aforementioned sugar and butter. This results in matcha shortbread cookies that Shungu describes as " buttery, soft, [and] only lightly sweet." Not only does the matcha lend the cookies its unique flavor, but, as Shungu notes, it also gives them what she calls a "gorgeous green hue." In keeping with the green theme, she also stirs chopped pistachios into the cookie dough, although almonds would work just as well, if less verdantly. As a bonus, these nuts are readily available in shelled and chopped form and tend to be less expensive than pistachios.

Not only do these matcha cookies make for what Shungu terms a "fun spin on a classic shortbread," but they also make great leftovers. While they may be delicious fresh from the oven — she declares them to be "really nice with a cup of coffee, a glass of milk, or with a matcha latte for even more matcha" — realistically you won't be able to scarf down two dozen of them in a single sitting. That's no problem since Shungu says they'll stay reasonably fresh for up to a week even at room temperature as long as you store them in a covered container like a cookie jar or resealable tub.

Yet another option you have with this matcha shortbread is to use it as a slice 'n' bake log like the kind of cookie dough you find in the refrigerated section of the grocery store. All you need to do is follow the recipe up to the point where you roll the dough up into a cylinder and wrap it in plastic, then leave it in the fridge until you want a few cookies. The best part about doing it this way is that you can bake up just a cookie or two at a time, which means you'll be able to scarf down the entire (mini) batch while it's still warm.