A Recipe for Tea Lovers: Matcha Chocolate Sandwich Cookies

Perfect for tea lovers.
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PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF LEXI HARRISON

While matcha — the finely ground powder of green tea leaves — has been central to East Asian diets for centuries, the ingredient has recently exploded across the contemporary American food scene. It now makes appearances in everything from smoothies to baked goods like this vegan and gluten-free play on the classic Oreo cookie. “We love pairing herbal matcha with rich flavors like chocolate and coconut for a balanced dessert that’s not overwhelmingly sweet,” Lexi Harrison says.

Chocolate Shortbread Cookies:  

1 cup vegan butter, softened at room temperature

1 cup sugar

1 tsp. vanilla extract

½ cup cocoa powder 

1 cups gluten-free all-purpose flour

Matcha Coconut Butter Filling: 

1 cup coconut butter, softened (can substitute with raw cashew butter)

1 tsp. Eli Tea Japanese Imperial Matcha

¼ –  cup powdered sugar (depending on your taste)

THE FEATURED INGREDIENT: ELI TEA’S JAPANESE IMPERIAL MATCHA IS A PREMIUM GRADE OF MATCHA POWDERED FROM SHADE-GROWN GREEN TEA LEAVES. VISIT ELITEABAR.COM FOR STORES. // PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF LEXI HARRISON

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and soften vegan butter at room temperature. In a stand mixer, whip butter and sugar until creamy. Add vanilla and cocoa powder and continue beating until well incorporated. Add gluten-free flour and keep beating until the mixture starts to come together. 

Transfer to a non-stick surface sprinkled with some flour. Knead the dough slightly into a ball. Roll out the dough to about ¼-inch thickness, then cut with a small circular cookie cutter. Repeat the process until you’ve used as much dough as possible. Transfer to a 

parchment paper-lined baking sheet and bake for 14 minutes. Let cookies cool completely. 

Meanwhile, add softened coconut butter to a medium mixing bowl. Sift in matcha and powdered sugar and beat with a hand mixer until creamy and well combined. 

When cookies are cooled, pipe about two teaspoons of matcha filling on one cookie, then form a sandwich. Enjoy!

PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF LEXI HARRISON

Content provided for Hour Detroit’s ongoing local flavor series is not influenced by Harrison and Sinclair’s business partnerships with local brands.

For more recipes from Harrison and Sinclair, visit crowdedkitchen.com.