Matcha Shortbread | A recipe {Baking}

I feel like I have not baked for a long time. I am cooking every day for us, but not actually baking. For once, I decided to make treats for the adults (basically that are not animal shaped) - so for Mr MiH and I to enjoy when Baby MiH goes to bed. As I am starting to be grazing rather than eating, little treats were appropriate, and I have been trying matcha green tea powder for the last couple of weeks, and was wondering how I could incorporate it into my baking. 

I came across this picture and I knew I needed to make those shortbreads, 

I followed this recipe exactly but not the steps. 

Makes about 30 shortbread

• 185g (6½oz / 1¼ cups) plain (all-purpose) flour, sifted
• 125g (4½oz / 1¼ sticks) unsalted butter, cut into cubes, at room temperature
• 60g (2oz / ¼ cup) caster (superfine) sugar
• 7g (1 tsp) matcha (green tea powder), plus extra for dusting
• 500g (1lb 2oz) dark (bittersweet) chocolate, to coat

Preheat the oven to 160C (325F / Gas 3). Put all the ingredients, except the tempered chocolate, into a bowl and mix until the ingredients come together in a dough.

Remove from the bowl. Leave to rest for at least 1 hour in the fridge. Roll the dough to 5mm (¼ inch) thick on a lightly floured surface. Cut into 4cm (1½ inch) squares and transfer to a baking tray (sheet) lined with a non-stick baking mat. 

Bake in the preheated oven for 20–25 minutes until lightly golden. Remove from the baking tray (sheet) and leave to cool. Coat with melted dark chocolate and dust with matcha powder.

So they do not look as good as on the picture, but they do not look bad - and still they certainly qualify as grown-up treats. To be honest the matcha powder does not add that much to the taste - but adds great colouring! I may make a version with an orange twang in it, I think it would work really well with the dark chocolate. 

They are really quick to make - except for the chocolate coating - and do not require any special ingredients, but would make really cute presents for Christmas... Here is a thought. 

As always let me know if you make this recipe, and what you thought,