Matcha Amaretti Cookies

Matcha powder is made from the tenderest leaves of the tea plant harvested entirely by hand just once a year. The matcha plants take a 6 week long nap under blankets to increase the amounts of chlorophyll and amino acids, giving the tea that vivid green color and that amazing umami flavor. The tea is steamed and dried before being slowly and gently ground into a fine powder. In fact, it is this grinding process from which matcha - literally “ground tea” - gets it’s name. Here we’ve turned this delicious tea into bright and delicious cookies with just the right bit of chew and absolutely zero guilt.

Matcha Amaretti Cookie Ingredients

• 2 ¼ cups (200g) almond flour or very finely ground almonds, sifted
• 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon (5g) matcha powder
• pinch salt
• 2 large egg whites (about 60 grams)
• ¼ teaspoon lemon juice
• ½ teaspoon almond extract
• confectioners’ sugar, as needed

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Stack two matching, heavyweight, light to medium colored cookie sheets one inside the other to create insulation and keep the bottoms of the cookies from getting too brown. Line with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together almond flour, sugar, matcha and salt until evenly incorporated.
3. In a mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whisk egg whites and lemon juice until they hold soft peaks.
4. Add beaten egg whites and almond extract to dry ingredients and stir until mixture forms a soft, sticky dough, kneading with your hands if necessary. No need to be gentle here, the recipe is forgiving.
5. Lightly dust your hands with powdered sugar. Use a small cookie scoop to portion dough into 1-inch balls. Roll into a smooth ball, then roll in powdered sugar. Arrange on parchment or silicon-lined baking sheets, leaving 1 inch of space between cookies.
6. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes until tops are cracked and bottoms are just barely golden. If you are not using the doubled cookie sheets your cookies will brown much quicker, and will likely only need 25 minutes, so watch them closely. If you prefer crunchier cookies you can give them an extra 5 minutes or so or until the tops begin to brown too. Remove from oven; let cool a few minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.
7. Cookies will keep at room temperature in an airtight bag or container, for up to 5 days. If you can resist them for that long!