Green tea and matcha (the powdered form of green tea/whole leaf) is one of my favourite ingredients. It’s packed with compounds and antioxidants that are all linked with things such as lower inflammation, steady energy, better heart & brain health and longevity. I love to sneak it in wherever I can, so I added some matcha to these Christmas shortbreads which is also a great way to add a natural green colour.
For guidance on choosing good green tea and matcha see my post here.
If you want to learn even more about the benefits of green tea I’d recommend looking up the work by Dr William Li, he lays out the information in such a way that it’s easy to consume and understand.
Recipe
-110g butter or vegan alternative (soft/room temp)
-50g coconut sugar
-1 tsp orange extract (optional)
-1 tsp to 1 & 1/4 tsp of organic, Japanese matcha (I used Yin&Yang superfoods+5% of profits goes to families in need so do support them here if you can)
-170g flour (I used 130g plain flour & 40g wholemeal)
*If needed, 1 to 2 Tbsp of water, depends on the type of flour you use especially if part of the mix is wholemeal then you may need to add some liquid
To decorate you can use whatever you like, I chose some vegan white chocolate and dried fruit
Directions
-Cream together the butter/spread and coconut sugar, add the orange extract if using and briefly mix. Then add the flour and matcha and blend again until combined and smooth. Set the mix between two bits of baking paper and place into the fridge to firm up for around 20mins.
-Pre-heat the oven to 170c fan when chill time is nearly over.
-Once firm rollout and cut out shapes using your chosen cookie cutter and place onto a lined tray and bake for around 13min (this will differ depending on how thick you made your shortbread).
Once cooked remove and allow to cool before decorating.
