Matcha White Chocolate Cookies

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Stand mixer or hand mixer
• •Fine-mesh strainer for sifting
• •Rimmed baking sheets
• •Parchment paper
• •Wire cooling rack
• •Cookie scoop (1 1/2 tablespoon size)

Instructions

1. 1

   Sift the dry ingredients

   Whisk together the flour, matcha powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. Sift this mixture through a fine-mesh strainer into another bowl, pressing any matcha clumps through with the back of a spoon. Matcha is notorious for clumping, and those green specks will become green streaks in your finished cookies if you skip this step. The powder should be uniformly distributed, tinting the flour a pale jade green.

   If you see any stubborn matcha clumps after sifting, crush them between your fingers and sift again. Patience here prevents regret later.
2. 2

   Cream butter and sugars

   In a large bowl or stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl halfway through. The mixture should look pale and hold soft peaks when you lift the paddle. This aeration creates the chewy texture you're after.

   Truly room-temperature butter dents easily when pressed but holds its shape. Cold butter won't cream properly. Warm butter makes greasy cookies.
3. 3

   Add eggs and vanilla

   Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition until fully incorporated. The mixture may look slightly curdled after the first egg. That's fine. It will smooth out. Add the vanilla extract and beat until combined. Scrape down the bowl again.

4. 4

   Combine wet and dry

   Add the sifted flour mixture to the butter mixture in three additions, mixing on low speed just until each addition is incorporated. The dough will turn a beautiful forest green. Stop mixing the moment you no longer see flour streaks. Overmixing develops gluten and produces tough cookies. A few small flour pockets are better than overworked dough.

5. 5

   Fold in white chocolate

   Remove the bowl from the mixer. Add the white chocolate chunks and fold them in by hand using a large spatula or wooden spoon. Distribute them evenly throughout the dough, working gently. The rough chunks will create pockets of melted chocolate in the finished cookies, far superior to uniform chips.

6. 6

   Chill the dough

   Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or up to 72 hours. Chilling is not optional. It firms the butter, hydrates the flour, and deepens the matcha flavor. Dough baked immediately will spread too thin and taste one-dimensional. The longer you wait, up to three days, the more complex the final cookie.

   For the most intense matcha flavor, chill the dough overnight. The 24-hour mark produces noticeably deeper, more complex cookies.
7. 7

   Portion and arrange

   Preheat your oven to 325°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Scoop rounded tablespoons of dough and roll them between your palms into balls about 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Arrange them on the prepared sheets with 2 inches between each ball. They will spread. Do not crowd them.

8. 8

   Bake until just set

   Bake one sheet at a time in the center of the oven for 10 to 12 minutes. The cookies are done when the edges are barely set and the centers still look slightly underdone and puffy. They will appear too soft. This is correct. The green color should remain vibrant. If the edges are browning, you've gone too far. Remove immediately.

   White chocolate and matcha both scorch easily. The lower temperature protects them. Watch your first batch closely to calibrate your oven.
9. 9

   Cool completely

   Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes. They will continue cooking from residual heat and will firm up as they cool. Transfer to a wire rack and cool completely before storing. Resist the urge to eat them hot. The texture and flavor both improve at room temperature.

Chef Tips

• •Seek out culinary-grade matcha, not ceremonial grade. Ceremonial matcha is meant for drinking and its delicate flavors get lost in baking. Culinary grade has a stronger, more assertive flavor that holds up to butter and sugar. Good culinary matcha costs less and works better here.
• •Chop your own white chocolate from a block rather than using chips. Chips contain stabilizers that prevent proper melting. Block chocolate creates those beautiful pools and streaks. Look for bars with at least 30% cocoa butter.
• •Store cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. Layer them between sheets of parchment to prevent sticking. The matcha flavor actually deepens over the first 24 hours.
• •For longer storage, freeze baked cookies for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature for 20 minutes. Or freeze portioned dough balls on a sheet pan, then transfer to a freezer bag. Bake from frozen, adding 2 to 3 minutes to the bake time.
• •If your matcha has faded to olive drab instead of vibrant green, it's stale. Fresh matcha should smell grassy and bright. Store opened containers in the freezer to preserve color and flavor.

Advance Preparation

• •Dough can be made up to 72 hours ahead and refrigerated. The flavor improves with time, peaking around 24 to 36 hours.
• •Portioned dough balls can be frozen for up to 2 months. Freeze on a sheet pan until solid, then transfer to a freezer bag. Bake directly from frozen, adding 2 to 3 minutes.
• •Baked cookies can be frozen for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature or warm briefly in a 300°F oven for 3 minutes to restore fresh-baked texture.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 cookie (about 47g)