This twist on a traditional sugar cookie melds the richness of matcha green tea with the piquancy of fresh ginger. By Joshua McGee.
Ingredients
- 6 inches of ginger root, peeled
- 1 tsp matcha (Japanese green tea) powder
- 330 grams (about 2 3/4 cups) all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1 cup (2 sticks) butter
- 1 1/2 cups granulated white sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 16 – 20 ginger chew candies, refrigerated
(skip ahead to instructions without photographs)
Instructions with photos
In advance, remove butter from refrigerator, place in a bowl, cover bowl with plastic wrap, and allow to warm to room temperature (at least four hours or overnight).
Take the peeled ginger root and run through a juicer.
Let the juice sit under the spout to catch final drips and allow solids to precipitate out. Here I am using my Juiceman juicer, which makes short work of ginger on low speed.
Whisk together matcha powder, flour, baking soda, and baking powder in a medium bowl and set aside.
On low speed with a hand mixer, cream together the softened butter and the sugar in a large bowl.
Tip: The more integrated you can get them, the better the cookies will turn out.
Beat in the egg, vanilla extract, and 1 tsp (or 2 tsp, if you like a stronger ginger flavor) of the ginger juice. Gradually beat in the dry ingredients until fully combined.
Cover the dough tightly with plastic wrap (to prevent drying) and place in the refrigerator to chill for two hours.
Preheat oven to 375°F. Remove ginger chews from refrigerator, unwrap, and cut into thirds with a heavy knife.
Remove dough from refrigerator. Measure out a rounded teaspoon of dough into your palm and roll into a sphere. That is the size of dough ball you are going to be making. Lay the dough balls onto a cookie sheet covered with ungreased aluminum foil, evenly spaced, fifteen to a half-sheet pan (they will expand considerably while baking).
Into the center of each dough ball, lightly press one of the ginger chew segments.
Tip: If you lift each dough ball and set it down again before putting it in the oven, you will reduce the chances of it sticking to the foil.
Tip: The dough will stay easy to work with if you return it to the refrigerator between batches.
Bake each tray for 8 to 10 minutes, until golden. Remove cookies from the oven, allow to cool on the trays for three to four minutes.
Remove to racks with a thin spatula and allow to cool fully.
And you have your cookies!
Equipment Pictured
- Baker’s Secret Nonstick Cooling Rack
- Culinary Institute of America 12″ x 17″ Cooling Rack
- Ekogrips Max Heat Silicone Oven Gloves
- J.A. Henckels International Classic 7-inch Hollow Edge Santoku Knife
- Juiceman Juice Extractor and Food Processor
- Nordic Ware Natural Aluminum Commercial Baker’s Half Sheet
- OXO Good Grips 5-Quart Mixing Bowl
- OXO Good Grips Measuring Cups
- Pyrex Easy Grab Bakeware Set
- StarPack Premium Silicone Kitchen Utensils Set
Text Instructions
In advance, remove butter from refrigerator, place in a bowl, cover bowl with plastic wrap, and allow to warm to room temperature (at least four hours or overnight).
Take the peeled ginger root and run through a juicer. Let the juice sit under the spout to catch final drips and allow solids to precipitate out.
Whisk together matcha powder, flour, baking soda, and baking powder in a medium bowl and set aside.
On low speed with a hand mixer, cream together the softened butter and the sugar in a large bowl.
Tip: The more integrated you can get them, the better the cookies will turn out.
Beat in the egg, vanilla extract, and 1 tsp of the ginger juice. Gradually beat in the dry ingredients until fully combined.
Cover the dough tightly with plastic wrap (to prevent drying) and place in the refrigerator to chill for two hours.
Preheat oven to 375°F. Remove ginger chews from refrigerator, unwrap, and cut into thirds with a heavy knife.
Remove dough from refrigerator. Measure out a rounded teaspoon of dough into your palm and roll into a sphere. That is the size of dough ball you are going to be making. Lay the dough balls onto a cookie sheet covered with ungreased aluminum foil, evenly spaced, fifteen to a half-sheet pan (they will expand considerably while baking). Into the center of each dough ball, lightly press one of the ginger chew segments.
Tip: If you lift each dough ball and set it down again before putting it in the oven, you will reduce the chances of it sticking to the foil.
Tip: The dough will stay easy to work with if you return it to the refrigerator between batches.
Bake each tray for 8 to 10 minutes, until golden. Remove cookies from the oven, allow to cool on the trays for three to four minutes, then remove to racks with a thin spatula and allow to cool fully.
Makes about four dozen.