Cranberry White Chocolate Matcha Shortbread Cookies
By: Butterlust
The shortbread base stays true to its roots — butter, powdered sugar, flour — but with a hint of Culinary Grade Matcha to add a little holiday flare and earthiness to shortbread’s buttery simplicity.
SERVINGS: Enough to share
TIME: 2 hrs
CATEGORY: Desserts
INGREDIENTS
- Cranberry Jam
- • 12 oz. fresh cranberries
- • 1¼ cups granulated sugar
- • 1 2-inch orange peel
- • 1 cinnamon stick
- • ¾ cup water
- • 1 Tbsp light corn syrup (optional)
- White Chocolate Ganache
- • 4 oz. white chocolate
- • 2 oz. heavy cream
- Matcha Shortbread
- • 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling out the dough
- • 2 Tbsp Aiya Culinary Grade Matcha
- • 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
- • ½ cup confectioners’ sugar
- • 1 tsp vanilla
- • 1 large egg yolk
- • ¼ tsp salt
DIRECTIONS
- Cranberry Jam
- 1. In a food processor, grind the cranberries to a fine consistency.
- 2. Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan and set side to rest for 10 minutes. After resting, turn the heat up to medium and bring the mixture to a boil, stirring frequently.
- 3. Reduce heat to simmer and allow the jam to cook for 30-35 minutes or until thick.
- 4. Remove the orange peel and cinnamon stick and set aside to let cool completely before using.
- White Chocolate Ganache
- 1. Place the chopped white chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Heat the cream either in the microwave or small saucepan until just slightly simmering.
- 2. Remove from the heat and pour over the white chocolate. Let sit for 30 seconds to melt the chocolate then stir until smooth. Let sit at room temperature to thicken before using.
- Matcha Shortbread
- 1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour and the Matcha until well blended. Set aside.
- 2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beat the butter until smooth – about 2 minute. Add the confectioners’ sugar and mix until smooth. Beat in the vanilla extract.
- 3. Add the flour & Matcha mixture and mix until just incorporated, and a dough comes together.
- 4. Divide the dough in half. On a well-floured sheet of parchment, roll out half of the dough to about ⅛-inch thick. Life the dough using the parchment and place on a baking sheet. Put the refrigerator to chill and repeat with the other half of the dough.
- 5. Chill the dough for about 30 minutes or until firm. When firm, remove one sheet of dough and cut out cookies using a floured cookie cutter. Place cookie cutouts onto a baking sheet lined with parchment, about two inches apart.
- 6. Repeat until all of the dough is used, then, if you’d like your jam to show through, cut out smaller shapes from the middle of half of the cookies for the tops of the sandwiches (optional).
- 7. Place into the refrigerator to chill again, and preheat the oven to 325°F. Bake the cookies, one sheet at a time, 15-17 minutes or until firm and just barely golden. Cool completely on a wire rack.
- Assemble the Sandwiches
- 1. Spread a thin layer of white chocolate on each of the cookie bottoms, then spread another thin layer of cranberry jam on top of that.
- 2. Place another cookie (one with a window if you chose to cut those out) on top and press together very gently (shortbread will be fragile).
- 3. Dust powdered sugar over the top of the sandwiches. Store in an airtight container.
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To learn more about the Matcha used in this recipe, click on one of the product links below.