These Hojicha Cookies has to be one of my favorites this baking season! A nice roasted tea flavor and great chewiness. They definitely deserve to be on your baking list this holiday season.
Baking season is happening in full force. This week was my baking week. I just finished baking yesterday and sent off some treats for Bryan to take to work. What are you baking this year?
Most years, I baked the same treats. Since I made quite a lot of them, using good old recipes is safe and gives the same expected results. But a couple weeks ago, I tested a new cookie, Hojicha Cookies. The cookies came out great, and they are fairly easy. So I decided to add them to this year baking list.
These cookies are like sugar cookies but with hojicha flavor. If you’re not familiar with hojicha, it’s Japanese roasted green tea. It’s similar to matcha, but has a roasted flavor instead of fresh and green.
When these cookies first came out of the oven, they’re crispy on the edges and chewy in middle. After a day or so, they’re chewy throughout. There is roasted tea flavor and earthiness coming from the cookie, and then you get a slightly stronger and sweeter hojicha flavor from the white chocolate. They’re seriously good! And I like that they’re not too sweet and not bitter either.
To make these cookies, combine the dry ingredients in a bowl. Then, cream the butter and sugar with an electric mixer. Add egg and beat together. Last, add the flour all at once, and mix until just blended. That’s it for the dough.
Divide the dough into 2 portions. Place one part in between 2 parchment papers. Roll into 1/4-inch thick disk. Transfer the whole thing to a baking sheet and chill in the fridge for 1 hour. Repeat with the other cookie dough. Rolling the dough out right now is easier because the dough is still soft. Also, thin dough can chill faster in the fridge.
Once the dough is chilled, cut into little rounds. Put on a baking sheet and chill for another 15 minutes. Bake until the edges are light golden brown. Because the cookies are dark brown in color, it can be a bit hard to check. If needed, use a flash light to help. Also, if the edges are set and firm, it’s a good indicator that the cookies are ready. Remove from oven and let them sit on the baking sheet for 2 more minutes. Transfer to cooling rack to cool completely.
For the topping, I made 2 different versions. One is plain white chocolate. It added extra sweetness and nice color contrast. The other one is white chocolate with hojicha. It added another boost of hojicha flavor to the cookies. Definitely a must! Feel free to change up the designs to anything you like. For example, dipping the cookies in hojicha chocolate.
These hojicha cookies are surprisingly delicious! Good texture and flavors. Bryan’s coworkers are really liking these. I’m happy that they’re a little different and they can be kept for a few days. This is no doubt why these cookies have made it to my baking list this year. You guys gotta try these!
Hojicha Cookies
Ingredients
- 219 grams all-purpose flour (1¾ cups)
- 2 tablespoons hojicha powder
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 151 grams unsalted butter (⅔ cup)(at room temperature)
- 150 grams sugar (¾ cup)
- 1 egg (at room temperature)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
White Chocolate Topping:
- 120 grams white chocolate chips
- 1½ teaspoons hojicha powder
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, Hojicha powder, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat together butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla, beat for 1 minute. With the mixer off, add the flour mixture all at once. Mix on low speed until the dough comes together and the flour has disappeared. Divide the dough into half.
- Place half the dough in between 2 parchment papers. Using a rolling pin, roll into ¼-thick. Transfer to a baking sheet (with the parchment papers). Repeat with the rest and place on top of the other sheet of dough. Chill in the fridge for 1 hour.
- Preheat the oven to 350˚F (177˚C). Line 2 baking sheets with parchment papers.
- Once the dough is chilled, remove 1 sheet from the freezer. Peel both parchment papers off. Place one of the parchment papers on a clean working surface and put the dough on top. Lightly dust a 1½-inch round fluted cookie cutter with flour, then cut out as many cookies as you can. Line them on the prepared baking sheet and space the dough apart for 1 inch. Transfer the baking sheet to the fridge and chill for 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, collect the leftover scraps and keep in the fridge.
- Bake the cookies for 10 – 12 minutes. Bake until the cookies are light golden brown on edges and bottom. Transfer the baking sheet to counter and let the cookies rest on the sheets for 2 minutes. Transfer the cookies to a cooling rack to cool completely.
- Repeat with the remaining dough. Gather the scarps and combine with the scraps in the fridge. Repeat until you have 48 cookie dough.
- For the white chocolate topping, prepare a double boiler. In a medium pot, add enough water to reach 1-inch deep. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Reduce heat to low. Add chocolate chips in a medium mixing bowl. Set it over the pot. Stir to melt the chocolate until just smooth. Remove from heat. Transfer half a pipping bag (or just use a fork or spoon), drizzle over the cookies. Return any leftover white chocolate to the original white chocolate mixing bowl. Set the bowl over the warm pot. Whisk in Hojicha powder until blended. Transfer to a new pipping bag, drizzle over the cookies, perpendicular to the white chocolate drizzle. Let the chocolate set for at least 1 hour at room temperature.
Notes
- I bought my hojicha powder from Hojicha Co.
- For an easier version, you can also turn these cookies into slice and bake. Roll them into log, wrap in plastic wrap, refrigerate, then slice into 1/4-inch thick and bake.
- For the chocolate topping, you can do anything you like. Do only the hojicha chocolate or dip the cookies into the chocolate. Anything is possible.
- For storage, these cookies can be kept in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.
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