Black Sesame Matcha Sugar Cookies

Oddly enough, I’m not a huge fan of sesame, but I absolutely LOVE black sesame. There’s something about that unique, nutty flavor that always keeps me coming back for more. I also love matcha green tea so these cookies seemed like the perfect way to combine two of my favorite flavors in one sweet dessert!

I had a lot of fun making these cookies, and even more fun eating them, and I hope you do too!

Prep Time: 40 minutes

Bake Time: 10-12 minutes

Total Time: ~55 minutes

Yield: Makes 14-16 cookies

INGREDIENTS

• 1 & 1/4 cups granulated sugar (and more to roll the dough in)

• 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

• 2 & 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted

• 1 large egg, room temperature

• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda

• 2 tablespoons matcha powder (I use Maeda-en's Universal grade)

• 4 & 1/2 tablespoons black sesame powder (I use roasted black sesame seeds and finely grind them in a blender or food processor)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. Preheat oven to 350 F for standard oven.

3. Using a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, beat together the butter and sugar on medium speed until the mixture is smooth, about 1 minute. If you don't have a stand mixer, no problem! You can cream together the butter and sugar with some arm muscle and a silicone spatula.

4. Add the egg and vanilla and beat to combine.

5. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking soda and baking powder.

6. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix on low speed until just combined. Be careful not to over-mix.

7. Divide the dough into three equal portions. One will be the already prepared vanilla dough, the second will be the black sesame dough, and the third will be the matcha green tea dough.

8. For the black sesame dough, add the black sesame powder to the dough and combine until thoroughly mixed.

9. For the matcha green tea dough, use a sieve to sift the matcha powder into the dough. This will prevent clumps of matcha powder. Then combine until thoroughly mixed.

10. Take about a tablespoon of each dough and gently combine by rolling the dough between the palms of your hands.

11. After the dough balls have been combined, roll the dough in a shallow dish of granulated sugar.

12. Place the combined dough balls on the prepared baking sheet about 2 inches apart. If the dough has softened significantly, place dough in the refrigerator to chill. This will ensure the dough will not overspread in the oven, and will also allow each of the flavors to deepen and meld. I actually prefer chilling my dough before baking, but this step is not necessary.

13. Bake for about 10-12 minutes or until the edges of the cookies are a light golden brown. Be sure not to over bake the cookies as you're looking for a soft middle.

14. Allow the cookies to cool for about 10-15 minutes, then enjoy!