Matcha Shortbread With Cacao Nibs
Green shortbread really? Yes really. This matcha shortbread is melt-in-the-mouth delicious, with a well defined, but not strong flavour of Japanese green tea. For extra vim and vigour this recipe contains cacao nibs, but you can replace those with chocolate chips if you prefer or leave them out altogether.
What Is Matcha?
Matcha is Japanese green tea powder. The process starts with young green tea leaves which are picked and dried and then stone-ground to a very fine powder. Once you have the powder, whisk it into hot water to make a beautiful bright green beverage.
Tea is a serious business in Japan and ceremonial matcha is the finest grade available. The youngest and sweetest leaves go into it. It is thus the most expensive; this 50g packet costs £18.95. If you want to use matcha for baking purposes only, then a coarser and cheaper version is a better way to go.
The Japanese have a special bamboo whisk called a chasen. They use it to whip the hot water and matcha together to create a layer of bubbles on the top. I have to say, although I have a chasen, I’ve never quite mastered the technique. Patience is not my strong point.
Matcha is a bit of a wonder and guess what? It has achieved “superfood” status. According to Healthline, matcha contains 137 times the antioxidants of normal green tea. It may also increase the metabolism, boost the immune system, improve concentration and help the body fight cancer.
Why I Like Matcha Green Tea
Since CT first bought some matcha back from Japan a few years ago, I have been in love with the stuff. The tea itself has a unique and distinctive flavour which I took to very readily. Then of course, there are the health benefits. But more than anything I love the colour of it.
So when Matcha Factory sent me a packet of ceremonial matcha to try recently, I was just a little bit excited. It’s been a while since I had any to drink and even longer since I did any baking with it.
And yes, you read that correctly. Matcha green tea works wonderfully well in baking. It not only gives a lovely colour, but acts as a good foil for all that sweetness. Scroll down the post to see a list of some of the bakes I’ve made with it.
The tea gave me the opportunity to try out the two new glasses I recently picked up for 40p in one of our local charity shops. I love a bargain.
Cacao Nibbed Matcha Shortbread
Given the wondrous properties that matcha has, the shortbread biscuits I made with it, are ideal fare for the leaner, meaner, healthier month of January. Yes there is some sugar in them, but for biscuits, it’s a relatively small amount and it’s balanced by all those health benefits.
I’ve used half wholemeal spelt in the mix and wholewheat semolina rather than white. You can replace the semolina with brown rice flour if you can’t get hold of any. As if this isn’t enough, cacao nibs are also packed full of health giving properties.
Oh my, this shortbread is good. It’s lovely and soft and melts in the mouth. There’s added textural interest with the chewy cocoa nibs which all adds to the fun. The flavour is perfect for me, not too strong but well defined and of course, I adore the colour.
If you prefer something a little sweeter, you could substitute the cocoa nibs for the chocolate of your choice chopped into bits or even leave out the chocolate element all together.
Other Matcha Bakes You Might Like
- Matcha and white chocolate cupcakes
- Triple layer matcha chocolate cake
- Chocolate and matcha battenberg
- Matcha chocolate roll
- Rhubarb, matcha and chocolate marble cake
Keep in Touch
Thanks for visiting Tin and Thyme. If you make this green matcha shortbread, with or without the cacao nibs, I’d love to hear about it in the comments below. And do please rate the recipe. Have you any top tips? Do share photos on social media too and use the hashtag #tinandthyme, so I can spot them.
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If you’d like more shortbread recipes, follow the link and you’ll find I have quite a lot of them. All delicious and nutritious, of course.
Choclette x
Matcha Shortbread. PIN IT.
Cacao Nibbed Matcha Shortbread – The Recipe
Cacao Nibbed Matcha Shortbread
Ingredients
- 75 g golden caster sugar plus extra for dusting (I use homemade vanilla sugar)
- 150 g salted butter softened
- 1 tbsp matcha green tea powder
- 100 g wholemeal spelt flour
- 100 g plain flour (all purpose flour)
- 50 g wholewheat semolina or brown rice flour
Instructions
- Cream the sugar with the butter until the mixture is light and fluffy.
- Add the matcha and cream some more.
- Sift in the flours and semolina, then stir to combine until you get a sandy mixture.
- Halve the mixture and press into two 15 cm (6 inch) tin foil flan cases, or place all of it in a 22 cm (9 inch) tart tin.
- Prick all over with a fork.
- Bake in a preheated oven at 150℃ (130℃ fan, 300℉, Gas 2) for 25 minutes.
- Dust with golden caster sugar (I used homemade vanilla sugar) and cut into 16 triangles triangles. Leave in the tin to cool before removing.
Notes
Nutrition Estimate
Giveaway
Not only has Matcha Factory offered me a 50g packet of ceremonial matcha to giveaway to one lucky reader, but it comes with a whisk (chasen) and scoop so you can create your own authentic cup of Japanese tea. This is worth over £40.
To be in with a chance of winning, please fill in the Rafflecopter below. You will need to leave a comment on this post which then gives you additional chances to enter if you so wish. Rafflecopter will pick a winner at random from the entries received.
Please give me some way of identifying you in the comment section as I will be verifying the validity of entries and will always check back to the comments to ensure that part has been done. Any automated entries will be disqualified.
This giveaway is only open to those with a UK postal address. Winners will need to respond within 7 days of being contacted. Failure to do this may result in another winner being picked.
Prizes are offered and provided by Matcha Factory and Chocolate Log Blog accepts no responsibility for the acts or defaults of said third party.
Closing date is Wednesday 5 February 2013.
turn it into match lattes….mmmmm
Id drink it to see what it tastes like, then if I liked it I’d buy some of the cheaper stuff to bake with. It seems a shame to use such an expensive product in baking.
first thing I’d do is to make a cup of tea to try it in its perfect form, than I’d try it with a dark chocolate sponge cake
I’d like to try and make the shortbread and if it was not so cold I would try using it in a sorbet. But just a refreshing glass of Matcha would do!
I would use it to drink as know it’s good for you as full of antioxidents.
I like the idea of the Battenburg cake ,so i think i would try and bake one of those first
Make shortbread like you did – looks delicious!
What an amazing giveaway !
I attended a Tea Ceremony course whilst visiting Kyoto in December.
Matcha is too precious to do anything else than drink but I’ve learned how to use the whisk and make it nicely foam 😉
If it was lesser quality sencha, I would make Sencha-misu 😉
I would love to make the shortbread
i would have to make a cake or some cupcakes yummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmy
drink it and make some matcha cupcakes
I would give brownies a go with it 🙂
defo shortbread- my fav!! – not very good when your on a diet then
It would have to be tea and biscuits. Well matcha cookies, to be exact 🙂
I would love to make Matcha Martinis!
Invite my friends around for a new experience of Japanese tea
Might try this for valentine’s tea.
I would have a try at the shortbread as it looks delicious x
think i would have to try out your recipe as it looks amazing
I love baking so I’d try your shortbread first, then maybe incorporate it into a cake x
I would love to try out your shortbread recipe. It looks scrummy!!!
@Anglorain
id drink it first and see if i enjoyed it like that
Attempt to make shortbread…I’m a terrible cook but I keep trying! 😀
@EmaKinsella
Give it to my boyfriend for Valentine’s Day – it’s right up his street and I’m sure he could make some lovely things with it 😀
Make the shortbread for my husband, he loves it!
I would perform a tea ceremony for my family. The kids will love it 🙂
I want to try to reproduce your Triple Layer Macha Chocolate Cake before Mother Day and if it works out bake one for my mum who sometimes I wonder if she loves chocolate more than me.
I’d probably start off with something easy like the shortbread or cookies or something like that but apparently you can add it to ice cream which sounds interesting
first thing I’d do is drink a lovely big, hot glass of it and then I’d try baking with it
I have never tried this but would love to! To drink and bake with.
I would love to try the shortbread recipe!
I’d want to try just drinking it as I’ve never tried it before! The health benefits sound amazing. 🙂
I would let my girlfriend have it and she loves baking so I would be able to try whatever creation she comes up with!
I would love to try it as a drink first as I am always a bit lethargic at this time of year and it certainly sounds like it would give me a boost!
I would try and make the shortbread.
I’d try your recipe for shortbread
I’ve always wanted to try some Matcha, looks brilliant!
This looks fascinating, I will have to try some 🙂
I’m a great fan of shortbread, and this looks amazing!
I would try the shortbread
I would drink it too keep myself nice and healthy.
Great giveaway, i want to win 🙂
I would drink it, as you say it is the finest quality, and it sound amazingly healthy
I have it on good authority that it’s great in a martini!
Oooft I think I’d have to drink first and then try Matcha shortbread!!
Kerys -ox
Come back to the Blog to find out what I could do with it.
i want to make ice cream with it
I drink it already, was thinking of making cookies with some 🙂
Simon.
I’ll definitely making your Matcha shortbread recipe! YUMMY!
Ahhh the shortbread is making me hungry! Looks fabulous.
I’d make some ice cream with it.
I’d probably use your recipe as I don’t have much imagination with these things.
@yyesidolikecake
I would definitely try your shortbread recipe
Jo Young
I’d certainly give the shortbread a go – have several cups of tea and maybe try a green tea cake !
I would make the shortbread, albeit nervously as the last time I made shortbread was at school and it caught fire (the shortbread that is, not the school!)
I love the look of that shortbread!
I’d make matcha green tea lattes!
I have a chocolate covered cashew recipe that needs it-yes please!
I don’t know, it would be so hard, i love shortbread but i love trying new tea, probably the tea 🙂 such a hard decision!
some gorgeous shortbread, a great delicacy in Bonnie Scotland xx
Definitely shortbread!
Would definitely like to try the shortbread. Love shortbread and that sounds delicious. 🙂 😀 Good luck to everyone x
I’d try to make the Matcha chocolate roll
Maybe drink it
I’d make it into some bitesize cakes to enjoy with a cup of the matcha tea
I’d love to try the shortbread recipe – and also try some as tea.
Would make the shortbread! Even though I’m useless at baking… Maybe that should be ‘attempt to make’.
Matcha Tea cakes!Great blog by the way
i think id try and drink it, and attempt a shortbread recipe with it, although my last attempt at shortbread failed badly… haha!
Make a Japanese style Matcha tiramisu like the ones that come in individual cups at the Japan Centre in London
would love to try anything out x
Being almost addicted to Battenburg I would have to try using it in your recipe.
I’d make a nice matcha chiffon
I would have a go at the shortbread,
use your shortbread recipe. im rubbish at cooking
My friend is obsessed with Japanese culture so I would make her drinks & biscuits
I’d make a Japanese Matcha Souffle Cheesecake
I’d give the shortbread a go and of course i’ll make some tea to go with it!
I’d make it into a yummy smoothie with yoghurt,berries & banana! xo
Maybe drink it or bake with it
I would definitely love to try the shortbread you made with some of it!! Sounds and looks lovely!!! 🙂 very different!!!
Thank you!
@SaladScoffer
I love a slightly savory ingredient to put into cakes. I’d bake one and then have a big slice with a nice steamy cup of tea.
I would try a green tea shot as I heard good things about drinking it with orange juice or similar.
@rachiegr
i would try out some of your recipes 🙂
MMM MAKE GREEN TEA FRAPPUCINOS!
Love the blog, and hadn’t heard of Matcha until today, definitely going to give it a try!
I’ll try something new – make a surprise for my family!
I would have to try the short bread recipe, ive never made it before this would be a great way to break me in
i`d make some healthy lunch box treats like flapjacks and cookies x
I’d love to make something with it but depends what I’d fancy!
I’d make green tea cupcakes
I would make a Green Tea and Carrot cake to share in the staff room!
lovely flavours – looks like just the sort of shortbread I love – I love the look of the cup of matcha tea but am unsure about the flavour as there aren’t many teas I like but I can see why it is in a glass mug 🙂
Use it in smoothies to make them extra nutritious
I have never tried Matcha, and would love to expand my tea drinking knowledge. Love the 40p glass for tea, reminded me of the long trips by train in Russia where tea has always been served in this type of glass. The recipe looks lovely.
I got given some cocoa nibs for Christmas and was hoping to make some shortbread with them. Great idea to use some matcha, especially for a January to create an antioxidant double dose!
Matcha tea loaf would be my choice.
I’d make a Matcha Green Tea and Sweet Chestnut Cake (recipe from JapanCentre.com) It’s gorgeous! but my son has recently visited Japan twice in the last year – so it will be a toss-up as to whether we drink it or I cook with it!
Love the colour of your shortbread! I’d love to make matcha martinis!
this looks like an interesting tea.I would used it to moist the sponge of a cake and fill it all with creme patisserie!
Hope that I can win this giveaway. I will use this to make a green tea sponge cake.
I would love to both drink the Matcha tea and use it in baking. This is a shortbread with colour, all good and delicious too, I just know it!
I’d love to use it in a Korean rainbow rice cake recipe as part of my aroundtheworldin80bakes challenge!
I would make Matcha Macarons with red bean fillings ~ served with green tea! Heaven!
Jessica
Hiuyun88@gmail.com
I will definitely try to bake your shortbread. I have a dear friend who adores shortbread. I will be a real treat for him.
Happy New Year to you, Choclette! I love Matcha – and making Matcha and rose macarons would be wonderful to use this but your shortbread? Wow. Bet the taste is just as fabulous as it looks.
Matcha chocolate roll
Your shortbread looks amazing! First time I see green shortbread….haha. Love that you used spelt flour. I have always been much intrigued by all the recipes using matcha but have not seen matcha here in Aberdeen. I would love to try it one day, especially your matcha shortbread. I like using spelt flour so I will be using spelt flour too. Thanks very much for the giveaway. Hope luck comes my way 😀
The shortbread looks great. Too bad I don’t live in the UK and can’t take part in the giveaway.
Hi, your short bread look awesome. I like green tea, excellent for our health.
Have a nice week ahead, regards.
I love green tea! Never thought of using it with cocoa though…the shortbread looks marvelous.
I love matcha in desserts and cakes!
I would use it in a cake as the subtle background flavour – maybe a madiera base
I would have it with my morning muesli mix
I’ve read a lot about matcha but not tried it, I’d definitely want to drink it first. GG
Bake with it, maybe make your shortbread recipe or cupcakes.
I would make the shortbread and then sit back relax eating it along with a cup of Matcha tea.
That is a lovely shortbread. I did some time ago some baking with earl grey tea.
Your shortbread looks amazing. I would like to try matcha in something similar, where the flavour would be quite concentrated. There are several biscuit recipes on my blog which would work well.
I would give it to my sister! She loves this sort of thing and needs a treat as she broke her foot on boxing day. x
I’ve seen lots of cake recipes using matcha powder so would try them out!
I would most certainly try the battenburg recipe as it looks and sounds scrummy
I would try the shortbread, looks amazing!
Would try making the Rhubarb, Matcha and Chocolate Marble Cake, sounds delicious!
I love shortbread so I’d use your recipe!
I would love to make the shortbread you made it looks amazing, I would probably end up drinking a lot of it too!
Give it to my daughter who spending several years in Japan now loves anything Japanese. She learnt the tea ceremony while there. Perhaps she will treat me to the whole experience