Green Tea Shortbread

When I first saw this recipe on Tea Spot NYC I bookmarked it right away. Tea is perhaps my most favorite drink, so the combination of Green Tea and Shortbread sounded very appealing to me. I was concerned that I would not be able to find Matcha powder (we all know the issues I have with trying to find specialty ingredients in my country generic grocery stores!) but low and behold, I found Matcha in the health food section of my local Wegmans! It wasn't powdered, but that was nothing a quick trip through my magic bullet blender couldn't fix!

This was a fabulous recipe. The shorbread is buttery, crumbley and has a fantastic flavor. The texture is perfect. I was on the conservative side with the Matcha since I haven't used it before and didn't want the green tea flavor to be too overwhelming, but next time I would definitely use the whole tablespoon and maybe even a bit more! Also, I don't have a tart pan (don't worry, it's now on my list for my Birthday!) but I loved the look of the wedges, so I used my springform pan which worked perfectly! This is a great shorbread cookie recipe. Even my husband who doesn't like tea really enjoyed this cookie, it's a must try!

Ingredients
Source: Tea Spot NYC
Originally from: Pure Dessert by Alice Medrich

12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and still warm
5 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 tablespoon Matcha powder (Japanese green tea powder)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups minus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
Turbinado or demerara sugar, for sprinkling

1. Grease a 9 1/2-inch tart pan with removable bottom, or line an 8 x 8-inch baking dish with nonstick foil.

2. In medium bowl, stir together butter, granulated sugar, matcha, vanilla and salt. Add flour and mix until just incorporated. Pat dough evenly into prepared pan and let rest at room temperature at least 2 hours, or up to overnight.

3. Position a rack in lower third of the oven and heat to 300°. Bake shortbread for 45 minutes. Remove pan from oven, leaving oven on. Lightly sprinkle the surface with turbinado sugar, and let cool 10 minutes.

4. Carefully remove shortbread from the pan. Use a thin, sharp knife to slice into wedges or squares and place pieces slightly apart on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes, until lightly toasted, then let pieces cool completely on rack.