Matcha Shortbread Trees

I have a confession to make. It may not go over well, but I’m compelled to be honest. So here goes. My husband and I decided not to get a Christmas tree this year 😱. If you feel like we can’t be friends anymore, I understand, but if you’d like to know the why behind our decision, keep reading.

First of all, my husband and I are going on a trip to Korea right after Christmas. With such a short time period between Thanksgiving and Christmas, it felt like a waste to get a tree for just three weeks. We’d also have to rush to take it down and clean up, which is not ideal when you factor in that we have to pack for an international trip!

Second, we live in a one-bedroom apartment. Although we’re comfortable, the seams are definitely starting to feel tight. Between all the sample ingredients I get for my day job and the various things the three of us (including Flower) have amassed over the last year, we’ve almost reached our limits. Quite frankly, I don’t even know where the tree would go 🤔. The spot where we had it last year is now occupied by Flower’s bed and my “photo” station (aka the only spot next to a window).

It’s a bummer and not a decision I made lightly, but I’m here to tell you that it’s ok, and the holiday spirit can still carry on. How? By listening to Christmas carols, buying little poinsettias, and (you guessed it) making these matcha shortbread trees.

The act of rolling out cookie dough and cutting it into festive shapes feels very much akin to stringing lights on a tree and hanging ornaments–it’s a ritualistic practice that fills you with the holiday spirit. The best part though is that the end result is edible and the “clean up” (aka eating the cookies), even easier.

So all in all, despite not having a tree, I’m still very much in holiday mode–if anything I’m compensating with a lot of tree-shaped cookies, which isn’t a bad thing, am I right?

These matcha shortbread cookies are incredibly crisp, buttery, and full of concentrated green tea flavors. I took a cue from the Great British Baking Off and added some hard-boiled egg yolks into my dough. The yolks prevent gluten or chewiness from developing, which results in a very short or crisp cookie.

More holiday cookie recipes:

Chestnut Macarons
Chocolate Biscotti
Sparkly Double Chocolate Cookies
Matcha Shortbread with Cranberries and Pistachios

Matcha Shortbread Trees

• Author: Jessica
• Total Time: 2 hrs
• Yield: Will depend on size of cookies
• Category: Cookies
• Method: Baking

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Description

An incredibly crisp and buttery shortbread cookie flavored with matcha. 

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Ingredients

1 cup (225 g) butter, cold 
2 2/3 cups (325 g) all purpose flour
1 cup (120 g) powdered sugar
2 tablespoons (13 g) matcha
1/2 teaspoons (3 g) sea salt, fine
2 large egg yolks, hard boiled
White chocolate (optional)
Sprinkles (optional)

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Instructions

1. Cut butter into small cubes. 

2. Sift the all purpose flour, powdered sugar, matcha, and salt together. Pass the egg yolks through the sieve, and mix with the rest of the dry ingredients. 

3. Cut the butter into the dry ingredients. Make sure the butter is evenly distributed throughout–it should resemble wet sand. Knead until the dough just comes together. 

4. Divide into two and flatten into a disc shape. Refrigerate for 30 minutes or up to 3 days. 

5. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper. 

6. Roll the dough about 1/8 inch or 2 mm thick. Cut into desired shapes.*

7. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until golden on the bottom. If baking small or very large cookies, adjust baking time accordingly. 

8. Dip in white chocolate and sprinkles if desired. 

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Notes

Precut cookie dough can be frozen and baked at a later time. Store the uncooked cookies in an airtight container with parchment inbetween layers. Bake straight from the freezer and add a few additional minutes to the baking time. 

Keywords: matcha, shortbread, christmas, holiday, baking, cookies