Description
Delicate and fragrant Hojicha Snowball Cookies combine roasted green tea powder with buttery, melt-in-your-mouth dough, rolled generously in powdered sugar for a sweet, nutty treat perfect for any tea lover.
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 270 g all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons hojicha powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Wet Ingredients
- 230 g unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 100 g powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Coating
- 150 g powdered sugar (divided in half)
Instructions
- Prep: Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside to prepare for baking.
- Flour mixture: In a medium bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, hojicha powder, and salt. Stir together evenly and set aside.
- Butter mixture: In a large bowl, use an electric hand mixer to beat the softened butter until it becomes very creamy. Then add the powdered sugar and vanilla extract, continuing to beat until the mixture is fluffy and well combined, about 3 minutes.
- Combine flour and butter mixtures: Add the dry flour mixture to the creamed butter mixture. Mix on low speed until just combined to form a dough without overmixing.
- Scoop cookies: Use a small cookie scoop to portion the dough into even-sized balls and drop them onto the prepared baking sheet.
- Roll cookies: Roll each dough ball gently between your hands to make smooth, round shapes. Place them back on the baking sheet spacing at least 1 inch apart. If the dough feels sticky, chill the dough balls in the refrigerator for 15 minutes before rolling.
- Bake: Bake the cookies in the preheated oven for 20-22 minutes, or until the edges on the bottom are lightly browned.
- Cool slightly: Remove from oven and let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5-10 minutes until they are warm but not hot and slightly firm.
- First powdered sugar coating: While still warm, coat each cookie with half of the powdered sugar. This can be done by rolling the cookies in powdered sugar by hand, shaking them in a ziplock bag with sugar, or sifting powdered sugar over them and turning to coat all sides. The heat will slightly melt the sugar to create a sticky, sweet layer.
- Second powdered sugar coating: Allow the cookies to cool completely. Then coat them again with the remaining powdered sugar using any preferred method to give a final snowy finish.
Notes
- Make sure butter is softened to room temperature for easy creaming and a smooth dough.
- If dough is sticky, chilling before rolling helps prevent sticking and makes shaping easier.
- Hojicha powder provides a distinctive roasted tea flavor, but can be substituted with matcha powder for a different taste.
- Cookies are best stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
- Rolling the cookies twice in powdered sugar creates a beautiful snowball effect and a sweet coating.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 22 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Japanese-inspired
