Healthy Bites with TGMC | Green Tea Power!

Green Tea Christmas Cookies

Green tea comes from a plant that is found in parts of India and China. In order to make the tea, the fresh plant leaves are lightly steamed. For convenience, many people buy the pre-made tea bags from their local grocery stores. There is evidence that green tea could enhance mental alertness due to the low amount of caffeine content. Other evidence suggests that both green and black tea may have beneficial effects on some heart disease risk factors, including blood pressure and cholesterol. Some even say that green tea provides other benefits such as relieving digestive symptoms, relieving headaches, and promoting maintenance of weight. However, none of these claims have been proven though research.

Matcha means powdered tea. The powder comes from green tea that is steamed, stemmed and then ground into powder. This powder can be added to warm water or milk, or even added to recipes to give them a green tea flavor. Try these green tea Christmas cookies using matcha powder for a light and flavorful holiday treat.

INGREDENTS

• 1 tablespoon green tea powder (matcha)

• 2 cups all-purpose flour

• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1 cup packed brown sugar

• 3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted

• 1/2 cup white sugar

• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

• 1 egg

• 1 egg yolk

DIRECTIONS

STEP 1

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Grease baking sheets or line with parchment paper.

STEP 2
Sift flour, matcha, baking soda, and salt together in a bowl. Beat brown sugar, butter, and white sugar together in a large bowl using an electric mixer until blended; beat in vanilla extract, egg, and egg yolk until light and creamy.

STEP 3
Mix flour mixture into creamed butter mixture until dough is just blended. Drop cookie dough, 1 heaping tablespoon per cookie, onto the prepared baking sheet 2 to 3 inches apart. Top with sprinkles.

STEP 4
Bake in the preheated oven until edges are lightly browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Cool cookies on the baking sheet for 2 to 3 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.