These buttery, crumbly biscuits literally melt in your mouth. They are magically short and the perfect match to tea and coffee. With a beautiful green hue from the matcha, these biscuits are a balanced blend of sweet and not-so-sweet.

These biscuits have a special place in my heart. They are my mum’s favourite biscuit. They were the last thing I made for my Mutti and they were the last thing she was able to eat before she became tube dependent. As I have such a special relationship with these short, crumbly cookies, I bake them regularly and a wide variety of them. This particular version was developed after my trip to Japan for my boyfriend - who is yet to become a Matcha man. Plot twist he loved these biscuits!

Makes 24 - 30 individual biscuits , 12 - 15 sandwich cookies

The Biscuit (adapted from Poh’s Kitchen pg. 220)

250 g salted butter,* room temperature*
40 g icing sugar
sprinkle of salt*
1 tsp vanilla bean paste
165 g plain flour
1-2 Tbs matcha tea powder
65 g corn flour

White Chocolate Buttercream

200 g white chocolate
250 g butter, room temperature
250 g icing sugar
milk*
extra icing sugar and matcha for dusting

To make the biscuit

Preheat the oven to 160’C (I use a fan forced oven)
Line two baking trays with a silpat or baking paper
Place butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat on medium speed until pale and creamy.* Add the vanilla and beat until combined.
Using a wooden spoon or a rubber spatula fold in the flours, matcha and salt. Once combined spoon the mixture into a piping bag fitted with a fluted attachment and pipe into rosettes of the 5 cm in diameter leaving a space between each biscuit.*
Bake for 12 minutes, they should be lightly golden around the edges. Allow to cool slightly on the tray then GENTLY move to a wire rack to cool. These cuties will be fragile.

To make the frosting:

Roughly chop the white chocolate and place in a heat proof bowl over a pot of simmering water. Gently melt the white chocolate and remove from heat when melted. Cool before using, not too cold so the chocolate is setting (obviously).
Place butter in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat until light in colour. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the sugar until fluffy and combined.
Gradually add the white chocolate with the beater running and combine until smooth and homogeneous. If not becoming homogeneous easily or buttercream is too thick, add milk to bring it together and make it more spreadable.

To Assemble:

Select two biscuits that are a similar shape and size.
Put frosting on one underside (the flat side under the rosette) of the biscuit and sandwich with the underside of another biscuit.
Repeat until you have 12- 15 sandwich biscuits.
Dust with icing sugar mixed with matcha or sprinkle powdered freeze-dried raspberries for something a little extra or Christmas-y.

Notes:

*I use Lurpak slightly salted butter in all my bakes

*Room temperature means not Australian hot summer temperature, but softened

*I add more salt if the cookies are for my mum

*Milk is added only for consistency, you might not need it

*If I am baking in Summer heat I use a whisk and cream the butter and sugar by hand

*I use this old-school metal cookie press to pipe these biscuits

final thoughts…

Warning, make sure you keep a plate handy when you eat these, they are crumbly and delicate.

These cookies are sentimental and are literally baking a moment for me. Keep those moments close. Remember what’s important and chug on.

Yes… you know as I do that Reynold has been sent home from Masterchef. I am coping with the loss of my dessert idol. I will not be watching the grand finale tonight but I hope you enjoy it (like I have enjoyed the season up until this point). I cannot watch it. My Masterchef journey ended the second Reynold left. So here’s to Reynold and here’s to matcha (one of his favourite flavours, try Moss it’s a beautiful dessert!).

Amelia xx

Matcha Melting Moments