I’m generally more of a chewy cookie gal, but there is a place in my heart for a nice, crumbly, shortbread cookie. These matcha shortbread cookies actually use the same 3-ingredient base (sugar, butter, flour) as my pumpkin spice latte cookies. The dough is super easy to stash in the fridge or the freezer until you’re ready to slice and bake. Sesame seeds are optional, but I like the surprising nuttiness they add to the flavor. The sweetness of the white chocolate pairs well with the earthy matcha, but you could leave this out as well. OR mix in the white chocolate chips as part of the dough. Bonus: this shortbread recipe is EGG-FREE, so if you’ve got an egg allergy you can munch your matcha to your heart’s content.
Matcha Shortbread – Slice and Bake vs. Roll Out Dough
A traditional shortbread recipe uses only three ingredients: butter, flour, and sugar. It’s a pretty dry dough, which is what makes the resulting cookie crumbly, or “short.” However, because it’s so crumbly, you won’t be able to roll out and cut shapes from a standard shortbread cookie dough. Soft sugar cookies that you cut shapes from typically include eggs. Instead, for shortbread, you pat or roll the dough into a log and then slice them into rounds. It’s actually much easier and quicker than rolling out cookie dough.
These matcha shortbread cookies are the slice and bake kind. There’s no egg in this recipe, so I do not recommend trying to roll this dough out and cut into shapes. If you’re looking for that velvety soft shortbread texture great for rolling and cutting, check out my Honolulu Cookie Company copycat recipe.
How to Keep Shortbread Cookies from Getting too Dry
Like I said before, I’m usually team #chewycookie. But there is a time and place for crispy cookies, I suppose. The trick for me is to get a nice “short” cookie that’s NOT too dry. I am averse to crunchy, dry cookies. Every time I see Paul Hollywood talk about the snap of a cookie on GBBO, a part of my soul dies.
Anyway, even though this shortbread is crumbly, you can still achieve a softer texture by only baking until JUST done. For my oven, that’s about 10 minutes. If you’re looking for a more crisp crunch, try baking longer, maybe 12-15 minutes. Keep a close eye out so nothing burns!
*Note, when I wrote this recipe, baking for 15 minutes was the perfect time for me. Since then, I have gotten a new oven, and I now only need to bake 10 minutes to achieve my desired doneness. Your oven and the thickness of your cookie slices will determine your perfect bake time. As they say on the subreddit r/SkincareAddiction, YMMV (your mileage may vary).
Notes on Ingredients for Matcha Shortbread:
I use bread flour for all my cookies. I like the extra chew. But you could easily substitute all-purpose flour. For the sesame seeds and matcha, I found mine at our local Asian market. Of course, there’s always Amazon (*affiliate link). If you’ve made it this far and still have no idea what matcha is, take a gander at my little Asian food glossary.
Matcha Slice and Bake Recipe Video
Recently I’ve been trying to film myself making all my recipes, to make it easier for you visual learners out there. Check out this Reel of me making these cookies!
And that’s all I have to say about these cookies! They’re perfect paired with tea. And don’t you think they’d make a nice little gift all tied up with ribbon? Do let me know if you make these, and let me know in the comments what other shortbread flavors you’re interested in!
Matcha Sesame White Chocolate Shortbread Cookies
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick)
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 cup bread flour (can sub all purpose)
- 1 tbsp + 1 tsp matcha
- 2 tbsp toasted sesame seeds optional
- 1/4 cup white chocolate chips optional
- 1 tsp shortening, oil, or coconut oil optional
Instructions
- Cream butter, sugar, and salt
- Add flour, matcha, and sesame seeds and mix until combined.
- Roll dough into a log roughly 6 inches long. It should be 1.5-2 inches in diameter. Chill logs in the fridge until firm. (This dough can easily be chilled overnight or even stashed in the freezer for a later bake.)
- When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone.
- Slice the ends off the log (you can still bake these). Slice the log into half-inch thick cookies. You should get 12 if your log was around 6 inches log, more if you rolled it thinner.
- Arrange cookies on tray and bake for 10 minutes.
- Let cookies cool to room temperature.
- If dipping in chocolate, microwave chocolate and shortening in a heat-proof bowl in 15-20 second increments, stirring in between, until melted and smooth. This should only take about 45 seconds maximum.
- Dip each cookie about 1/3-1/2 of the way into the chocolate, using a spoon to help spread the chocolate over the cookie. Set each cookie back on the tray or on a wire rack to let the chocolate harden. Store at room temperature and enjoy!