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Green Tea Spritz Cookies

This recipe came from the Nook and Pantry blog,  and if you have a cookie press, it's easy to make these pretty little cookies in whichever shape you like.

Green Tea Spritz Cookies
makes nearly 5 dozen cookies with a cookie press

1 Tbsp matcha (green tea) powder
1 Tbsp hot water
1 1/3 - 1 1/2 C all purpose
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 C unsalted butter at room temperature (1 stick/4 oz.)
1/2 C granulated sugar
1 large egg yolk
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp almond extract

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Dissolve the matcha powder in hot water and set aside to cool.

In a bowl, whisk 1 1/4 cups of all purpose flour with the baking powder and salt. Set aside the remaining flour to add as needed to the dough later.

Cream the butter in the bowl of a stand mixer or with a hand mixer until fluffy. Add the sugar, egg yolk, vanilla extract, almond extract, and dissolved matcha. Beat until evenly mixed and fluffy.

Add the flour, baking powder, and salt mixture to the ingredients in the mixer bowl and mix until the flour is just incorporated. The dough should look shaggy and somewhat fluffy. If it is too wet, add a little more flour.

Load the dough into the cookie press barrel and press the dough onto a cold, ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake for 8 - 12 minutes or until the cookies are lightly golden brown around the edges. Rotate the cookie sheet 180 degrees halfway through baking. After removing the cookies from the oven, run a spatula under all of the cookies to separate them from the cookie sheet. Cool the cookies on the sheet.

Cool and rinse off the cookie sheet before each batch.

Some Christmas Ambiance

Aren't candles wonderful at this time of year to add seasonal scents to your home and an added ambiance through the flickering light?

Steeped Tea offers a selection of soy-wax candles, which being non-petroleum based, offer a healthy way to enjoy the beauty of candles. Soy wax burns cleaner and at a lower temperature (so it lasts longer). The scents of Steeped's candles are inspired by our teas - Green tea, Berry Mania, Vanilla Dream, and at this time of year, Old Fashioned Christmas.

If you have a few candles from your pre-Steeped days, get them out and use them up. Why not display them on a tea saucer in a grouping. Gorgeous!

Earl Grey Shortbread

Earl Grey Tea Cookies
(from the special issue Martha Stewart Holiday Cookies 2005)

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons finely ground Earl Grey tea leaves (from about 4 bags)*
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
1 tablespoon finely grated orange zest

1. Whisk flour, tea, and salt in a small bowl; set aside.

2. Put butter, sugar, and orange zest in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Reduce speed to low; gradually mix in flour mixture until just combined.

3. Divide dough in half. Transfer each half to a piece of parchment paper; shape into logs. Roll in parchment to 1 1/4 inches in diameter, pressing a ruler along edge of parchment at each turn to narrow the log and force out air. Transfer in parchment to paper towel tubes**; freeze until firm, 1 hour.

4. Preheat oven to 350F. Cut logs into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Space 1 inch apart on baking sheets lined with parchment.

5. Bake cookies, rotating sheets halfway through,until edges are golden, 13 to 15 minutes. Let cool on sheets on wire racks. Cookies can be stored in airtight containers at room temperature up to 5 days.

*You can grind the tea leaves in a small food processor, spice grinder, blender, or do as I did and use a magic bullet!
**Or just lay them carefully in your freezer on something long and flat.
These also make a lovely gift!

Green Tea Shortbread

Christmas is shortbread season it would seem. How about a twist on your shortbread recipe this season?

Green Tea Shortbread Cookies #1

2 cups all-purpose flour   2 tablespoons powdered green tea (matcha)   1/2 teaspoon salt   2 sticks unsalted butter at room temp   1/2 cup powdered sugar    Sift the flour, the tea, and the salt into a bowl. In another bowl, beat the butter until fluffy (I did this in my Kitchen Aid mixer), about 3-5 minutes. Add the sugar and continue beating until the mixture is light and fluffy, another 2 minutes or so. Add the flour mixture and mix on low until the dough just comes together (in other words, don't over beat).    2. Place the dough onto a Silpat or piece of parchment paper. Sprinkle with flour and roll until it's 1/4" thick. Chill until firm, about 30 minutes (I rolled my dough out on a Silpat then slid the Silpat onto a cookie sheet before placing in the fridge).    3. Preheat the oven to 325F. Line two baking sheets with parchment or Silpats. Cut the dough into various shapes--Martha used leaf cutters, and I used stars--and transfer to the baking sheets. Gather the leftover dough and reroll (and rechill if necessary) and cut. Bake each sheet about 15-20 minutes or until the cookies are firm and just starting to color. Rotate each sheet halfway through for more even baking. Remove cookies to a cooling rack and allow to cool completely. Cookies will keep in an airtight container for 3-4 weeks.

 

Green Tea Shortbread Cookies #2

 

Ingredients
Yield: Approx 25

3/4 cup (2.25 oz) Confectioners sugar
5 oz Unsalted butter, cut into cubes
1 3/4 cup (8.5 oz) All-purpose flour
3 Large egg yolks
1.5 TBS Matcha (powdered green tea)
1 cup Granulated sugar (for coating)

Directions

• Preheat the oven to 350F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
• Whisk the confectioner’s sugar and green tea together in a bowl.
• Add the butter and green tea/sugar mixture to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix until smooth and light in color.
• Add the flour and mix until well combined.
• Add the egg yolks and mix just until the eggs are fully incorporated and a mass forms.
• Form the dough into a disk and chill in the refrigerator until firm (about 30 minutes).
• Roll the dough out to ½” thickness.
• Cut the dough with a leaf cookie cutter.
• Toss each cut cookie in a bowl of granulated sugar to coat.
• Place the sugar-coated cookie on a parchment lined pan. Bake at 350F for 12-15 minutes, or until slightly golden around the edges.

Why not bake up a batch of both and decide which is your favourite?

Has the Christmas Crunch Really Begun?

I distinctly remember it because it shocked me so much - Monday, September 15th a radio dj announced that there were 100 shopping days left until Christmas. Goodness, our family was just sort of falling into new routines for the fall with school back on and Sarah's dance classes, our studies etc. and we're s'posed to be thinking about Christmas. And of course, 2 weeks have lapsed since then, so there are even fewer shopping days now!

I can see the good sense of planning now. It would reduce the stress of December if I knew now who I was buying for, and, more importantly, what I wanted to buy. If I started to shop now, it would ease the strain on the wallet (i.e. family budget) by doing a bit each month rather than all of it in December.  If I shopped now, I wouldn't be standing in long lines at the mall, getting zippo service from inadequately trained sales staff who've just been brought in for the holiday crunch. This is not to criticize professional sales staff - there are some fabulous ones out there. But who hasn't been served (can I call it that) by the minimum wage, who gives a crap, is my shift over yet, when's payday, whatever, parachuted in just for December only to be laid off as soon as Boxing Week is over and they know it, sales staff? Pleasant, isn't it? If I shopped now, I'd have the time to buy from direct sellers and support other professionals in this field, most of whom are well-trained, know their product inside out, and care that I make the right choice in my gift selection.

If you are one of those organized ones who has started planning for Christmas already, kudos to you. I admire you. I don't know if I'll ever be you, but I'd like to be you! If you are a little apprehensive about Christmas because it means your family budget is going to be stretched, and you live in Ontario, I'd be happy to share with you some information about becoming a direct seller on my Steeped Tea team of consultants. We are paid in cash, not product and we could get you started very quickly so you can start putting away for Christmas right away.

If you'd just like to receive some teas and beautiful teaware for Christmas, I have a solution for that, too. Browse the catalogue and make up your wishlist - you can download a wishlist form, from the sidebar just to the right. Email me your form and I'll gladly let your contact(s) know what you are hoping to receive this Christmas. I'll work with them directly, so you can still be somewhat surprised! Don't wait 'til December and leave your honey too little time to shop for you - do it now. :-)

Blessings and happy sipping, Ann