Baking Recipes,  Cookies

Another attempt at Matcha Chocolate Chip Cookies

These chewy and sweet Matcha Chocolate Chip Cookies add a taste of Japan to a classic Western treat. It’s a great combination of two worlds!


Spending the last few days sick has been exhausting for me. I don’t get seriously sick very often, so when it hits, it really hits. You’d think I would get to catch up on some sleep since I’m lying in bed all day. Ironically, it seems like my body is pushing itself to heal faster, making me feel even more tired. I’m a restless soul though. If I don’t have the energy to do anything physically, then I tend to daydream to distract myself. My thoughts drifted off to the impending spring season in Japan, and then, to these Matcha Chocolate Chip Cookies I made last week.

I told myself that once I felt well enough to sit in front of the computer, I was going to finally write about not just the Matcha Chocolate Chip Cookies, but also the last unfinished part of my ‘Spring in Fukuoka’ travel diaries.

There is actually some last few entries about this particular trip I have not published yet, but that’s a thing to watch out for in the next few days. For now, let’s talk about these Matcha Chocolate Chip Cookies that made me think so very fondly of this Fukuoka trip.

A couple of years ago, I shared a recipe for Matcha Chocolate Chip Cookies that looks totally different from this version. Although those cookies were good in their own right, they don’t look nearly as attractive as this 2.0 version I’m writing about now. I don’t remember the circumstances surrounding my coming across this recipe from Recipes with Rachel on YouTube, but the cookies looked so attractive I was compelled to try them out.

As always, I was hoping that I would find a recipe I could file away as THE ONE under the Matcha Chocolate Chip Cookies category. I definitely think this is an overall improvement from the last version, although my only qualm is that it is a bit sweeter than I would’ve liked. The matcha flavor hits you on first bite but it isn’t dominant to begin with, so the sweetness plus the chocolate tends to overpower.

These cookies have a great texture if you don’t overbake them. They’re the kind of chewy that sucks in the milk and releases it in your mouth. It’s the perfect kind of chewy, if you ask me. Now if only I could figure out how to make the matcha flavor clearer…

Recipe notes

Rather than softened butter, this recipe makes use of melted butter. The same principle applies: You have to incorporate the sugars into the butter very very well, except I find that it’s much easier to cream softened butter and sugar together. Though you can do this with a whisk and some manual labor, it will be immensely easier to use a stand or hand mixer for this task.

The butter in this melted state likes to stay separated from any other ingredients, so it will take you a while to get the sugars to mix with the melted butter if you’re doing it by hand. The oil will want to keep separating from the sugars at first, but keep at it until you get something that looks like thick caramel. You want a homogenous mixture that has no obvious sugar crystals anymore.

It’s actually easier from here on out, and I would advise that you switch to a spatula at this point. Gradually fold in the flour mixture.

Finally, we add in the chocolate chips. The original recipe uses 1½ cups chocolate chips but I find that it overpowers the matcha flavor of the cookies, so I opted to scale it down a little in the recipe I share below. I’m thinking I could even get away with using just 1 cup here, but you are certainly welcome to use 1½ cups if you so desire.

Here comes the part where I experimented with this dough. I found it to be a very “liquid” kind of cookie dough, so I assumed it would spread to a very flat cookie if I bake right away. I tried baking a batch straight from mixing, and another batch after leaving the dough in the fridge.

To be fair, the cookies didn’t really come out that differently texture-wise. Neither one stayed chubby as they did spread into a fairly thin chocolate chip cookie. The only thing that makes me like the refrigerated version more is the rustic appearance of the cookies baked from refrigerated dough. It has those lumps and dips that I like seeing on my chocolate chip cookies, whereas the non-refrigerated version pretty much just spread out evenly.

The decision is up to you whether you would like to refrigerate or not. Either way, the cookies will taste the same!

You can also try baking these cookies using a smaller scoop size to yield more cookies. If using a tablespoon-sized scoop, remember to bake for only 8 to 10 minutes. The cookies I made ended up being the size of a grown-man’s palm so they were a bit big.

The strange thing about these cookies is that they tend to set significantly further after a day inside an airtight container. I noticed the cookies became less chewy the next day compared to when I tried them fully cooled on the day they were baked. Still chewy, but with a firmer bite. In both cases, really really great with a cold cup of milk!

Matcha Chocolate Chip Cookies

These chewy and sweet matcha-flavored chocolate chip cookies add a taste of Japan to a classic Western treat!

Makes 16 cookies, using a normal ice cream scoop

Ingredients

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon matcha powder, culinary grade
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¾ cup 1½ sticks butter, melted and cooled
  • 1 cup brown sugar, packed
  • ½ cup white sugar
  • 1 egg, room temperature
  • 1 egg yolk, room temperature
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • cups semi-sweet chocolate chips, plus more for topping if desired*

Instructions

  • 1. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, matcha powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
  • 2. In a large bowl, beat melted butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar together until the sugar has completely incorporated into the butter. The mixture should resemble a thick caramel sauce. (It would be easiest to use an electric mixer but using a whisk works fine as well. Just make sure to mix it well.)
  • 3. Mix in egg, egg yolk, and vanilla extract, until the mixture is light, creamy, and smooth.
  • 4. Gradually fold in the flour mixture until dough is well-blended. Add in the chocolate chips and fold gently until chips are evenly distributed throughout the dough.
  • 5. Pop the cookie dough into the fridge for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 325°F (165°C). Grease baking sheets or line with parchment paper.**
  • 6. Using an ice cream scoop, portion cookie dough onto baking sheets, leaving 2 to 3 inches between each mound to give it room to spread. If desired, press a few pieces of chocolate chips on top of the cookie dough mounds to make them look prettier once they have spread. (While the previous batch is baking, return your cookie dough into the fridge.)
  • 7. Bake in the oven until edges are lightly browned, 12 to 14 minutes. (Don't bake for too long. I find that these cookies harden significantly as they cool.) Let cool on baking sheet for a few minutes before moving to a wire rack to cool completely. Repeat with remaining cookie dough.

Notes

*The original recipe uses 1½ cups chocolate chips but I find that it overpowers the matcha flavor of the cookies, so I opted to scale it down a little. You are certainly welcome to use 1½ cups if you so desire.
**You can skip this step if pressed for time. Just remember to preheat the oven before you begin the recipe!

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