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5 from 1 vote

Matcha Shortbread Christmas Tree Cookies

These shortbread cookies are buttery and melt-in-your-mouth tender. I love that they are naturally green with no food coloring needed.
Prep Time: 40 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes
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Ingredients

for the cookies

  • 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup butter, softened to room temperature and cut into small pieces
  • 2 1/2 tablespoons high quality matcha powder, (see note)
  • 1/2 cup granulated white sugar

For the decorations

  • sprinkles or dragees
  • powdered sugar
  • store-bought chocolate frosting or homemade

Optional

  • 1/2 recipe for double chocolate shortbread cookies, (see note)

Instructions
 

  • Beat butter, matcha powder and sugar in a stand mixer until light and fluffy.
  • Add half of the flour to the butter mixer and mix on low speed. Gradually add remaining flour, mixing just until blended. The mixture should look crumbly, but if you squeeze it between your fingers, it will come together. Gather the dough into a large ball.
  • Place dough between two pieces of parchment paper. Roll dough with rolling pin until 1/4 inch thick. Make sure you use parchment paper, otherwise, the dough is too soft and sticky to roll out.
  • Use four cookie cutters of the same shape but with graduated sizes (stars and flowers work best) to cut cookie shapes. I ended up doing three of the biggest, one medium, two small, and one tiny one for each tree. Re-roll dough scraps and cut more cookies until no more dough remains. Decorate cookies with sprinkles that resemble ornaments. I used dragees and nonpareils.
  • Preheat oven to 325°F. Bake pieces of same size together. Bake until cookies puff up slightly and edges start to turn a light brown. I baked 11 minutes on the largest ones and 6 minutes on the smallest.
  • After cookies are finished and have cooled, add a small dollop of frosting to the bottom, then stack the cookies, deliberately not aligning them, to resemble trees. 
  • Optional: If desired, you can also make chocolate shortbread cookie for the tree bottoms. Cut to small squares before baking, then attach to bottom of trees with frosting. Sprinkle with some powdered sugar before serving.

Notes

The nutrition information provided are only estimates based on an online nutritional calculator. This is not a comprehensive list of all the nutrients in the recipe (i.e., does not include vitamins, cholesterol, etc). I am not a certified nutritionist. Please consult a nutritionist or doctor for accurate information and any dietary restrictions and concerns you may have.
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