See me some Sesame Matcha Shortbread

Happy fall everyone! Just sharing a super quick recipe adapted from Molly Yeh's matcha shortbread recipe, a refreshing break from all things pumpkin (though I will admit the cooling weather did prompt a pumpkin ravioli dinner party). These were very simple and turned out well both in aesthetic and taste. There are definitely times when the latter outshines the former, which is perfectly fine, but it's always nice to give the gift of nice-looking cookies. heh. 

All in all, the dough came together in a matter of minutes and was ready for baking after chilling briefly and cutting. Instead of rolling them out as suggested in the original recipe, I shaped two logs, one circular and one rectangular, and cut them. For the circular log, I tried a tip I remember stumbling across--after wrapping in plastic wrap, put the log in a cardboard paper towel tube so it'll hold it's shape while chilling. You can certainly do this if you plan to freeze some for later. When you're ready to bake, just pull it out from the tube, and you've got gravity-defying circular cookies and not *rustic* ovaloid ones.

What I changed: I'm a big fan of matcha, so I increased the amount, in part also for more coloration. The original recipe also featured sesame only as a garnish. To incorporate it into the cookie itself, I replaced some of the butter with tahini. It wasn't enough to detract from the thick, just-crumbly texture of shortbread, but was just enough to complement the butter with an extra boost of richness and nuttiness that also helped mellow out the bitterness of the matcha. Talk about depth of flavor in a bite-sized cookie. Or not. You can eat it instead. They're just the right size to go well with a strong cup of tea, leisurely afternoon/book-to-read/journal-to-write-in optional. And maybe, for those so inclined, with a PSL as well. 

The last change I made was purely pragmatic. I didn't have black sesame on hand, but I did have toasted white sesame and shredded coconut on hand from another recipe, which I used to top these. No need to fret if you don't have either, as they don't affect the taste too significantly. Use what you have on hand! A light drizzle of chocolate isn't a bad idea.

Oh, and one more change I almost always do by default-- I used white whole wheat flour, which in most cases bakes up very similarly to all-purpose, but gives you an extra excuse to convince yourself--and others--that it's healthy enough to have one more. But honestly, everything in moderation, except for the days of good weather lately. I can't get enough of those. 

|| Sesame Matcha Shortbread ||

Adapted from Food&Wine

Makes about 40 cookies

Ingredients:

• scant 2 cups white whole wheat flour*
• 1 heaping Tb. matcha powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt**
• 2 sticks minus 2 Tb. unsalted butter (14Tb), softened
• 2 Tb. tahini (sesame paste)
• 1/2 cup loose-packed brown sugar
• 1-2 Tb. toasted white or black sesame seeds

*because white whole wheat is denser than all-purpose, I tend to under-measure by a little and adjust as needed. You'll ultimately want a soft dough that holds together and isn't crumbling.
**taste the tahini you're using; if it's well-seasoned in terms of salt, you may want to reduce the salt you're adding by a bit.

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper/reusable silicon mat. Combine first three dry ingredients in a medium bowl. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, at least 3-4 minutes (this step is important!), then blend in the tahini until well-mixed.
2. Add dry ingredients to butter and mix until soft dough forms. At this point, you can use your hand to gently knead a little to incorporate any crumbs. Divide the dough evenly in two and shape into logs, circular or rectangular both work. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for 5 or so minutes before slicing into 1/2" thick rounds/squares. You can also save them for later by storing in the fridge for a few days or in the freezer for a few weeks, for you know, when you get a matcha attack. Be sure to put them in a ziploc bag beforehand in addition to the plastic wrap!
3. Bake for 20-22 minutes, or until bottom is lightly golden and just starting to firm up. The cookies will get firmer as they cool! But that doesn't mean you can't eat one, or more, warm. In fact, you should. 
4. Share the love and enjoy!