If you love the alluring sweet and aromatic taste of green tea, you’ll fall in love with these soft, slightly sweet Matcha Green Tea Snowballs!
Since the first time I tasted the Green Tea Frappuccino at Starbucks, I immediately adopted a full-on love affair with anything matcha flavoured. I can still remember it, actually! I’m guessing it was in 2005. I had just been promoted to a director role at the college, and immediately found myself in a position to hire someone to fill my previous role!
I ended up hiring one of my best childhood friends, and contrary to what you might be thinking, she and I worked together very well. We both did our jobs brilliantly and not once did she take a laid back approach to her assigned responsibilities just because she was friends with her boss.
One day, she brought me a Green Tea Frappuccino from Starbucks. I thanked her and cautiously took the tiniest of sips through that popularly recognized green straw. I was so nervous, because it looked like one of those healthy green grass smoothies. Yuck!
Much to my surprise, I loved it! Since 2005, whenever I order a cold drink at Starbucks, it’s always a Green Tea Frap. I’ve tried the Pumpkin Spice Frap once, but hated it. So, if it’s not green tea, then it’s nothing at all for me, thanks. Oh, I did, however, graduate from the grande she bought me to a full-on venti cup! Calories do not count when they come in the form of a Starbucks Green Tea Frappuccino!
When it comes to hot beverages, I’m a coffee guy. But, on occasion, I will have a hot cup of green tea. And, I often take a green tea extract vitamin, because I’ve learned that green tea helps to speed up one’s metabolism. (I’m still waiting for a verdict on that one!) But, there are way more benefits to green tea!
Healthline, an online newsletter, reports that green tea is the healthiest beverage on the planet. It is loaded with antioxidants and nutrients that have powerful effects on the body. These include improved brain function, fat loss, a lower risk of cancer and many other impressive benefits. Those are reasons enough, if you ask me!
It is worth noting here that green tea and matcha are the same thing, however, most people think that they are not. Indeed they are, which is why I decided to include both green tea and matcha in the title of this recipe so that I could encourage both green tea and matcha lovers alike to make this cookie.
Both matcha and green tea come from the same type of plant. While green tea leaves usually come in the form of a tea bag, matcha comes in a powder form. Matcha is actually green tea leaves that have been ground into a fine powder. It is much more concentrated than regular green tea, and in comparison to regular green tea, when drinking matcha, you consume the whole tea leaf!
Regular green tea also goes through a much longer process during production, which involves the leaves being left in the sun. “Comparatively, matcha bushes are kept specifically under cover to increase the chlorophyll and amino acid levels in the leaves. In terms of taste, they both have a slightly grassy undertone. However, matcha has a much richer, more buttery flavour.” See the article at Nurished Life for more information.
Matcha Green Tea Snowballs are perfect as a on-the-go snack, or can certainly be enjoyed during those slow-down moments when you have the time for a quiet tea at home. I don’t know about you, Dear Reader, but on those afternoons when I’m home alone, I will always sit down with a hot beverage and a sweet treat, and always in complete silence. It’s my way of taking a break from my constant need to be busy.
How about you? Are you a green tea or matcha fan? Do you have an afternoon coffee or tea ritual? I’d love to hear about it! Leave me a comment below!
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Matcha Green Tea Snowballs
Ingredients
- 1 cup brown sugar, lightly packed
- 1 large egg
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup butter, softened
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 tablespoons matcha powder
- 1 cup confectioner's sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees and prepare a baking sheet with a silicone liner or parchment paper. Set aside.
- Using a hand-held mixer, blend together the brown sugar and butter until light and fluffy.
- Add the egg and salt. Mix into the butter mixture.
- Add the flour, baking soda, and matcha powder. Mix until just incorporated. Do not over mix.
- Use a small cookie scoop, about 1 tablespoon in size, to scoop the cookie batter into even portions. Roll into balls and roll into the confectioner's sugar until well coated.
- Place the dough on the baking sheet, about 1 inch apart. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and immediately transfer to a wire cooling rack to completely cool.
Nutrition
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Danielle Wolter says
you know i must admit i haven’t ever had anything matcha. i know it’s all the craze and we have cafes that serve everything matcha here (thank you california). anyways, these cookies sounds incredible. maybe i’ll be more willing to try matcha in cookie form LOL!
Jenni LeBaron says
The color on these is spectacular! I have never baked anything with matcha, but these look like the perfect little cookie to dunk in a mug of tea!
Cheese Curd In Paradise says
SO many great health benefits- I really enjoyed reading about them! I also really enjoyed your story about how your friend introduced you to matcha. I had a similar experience and didn’t know what to expect, but ended up really liking it!
Emmeline says
These snowballs look so yummy!! I’ve only made them for christmas before but these look absolutely perfect for spring!
Swathi says
This genius idea to make green tea snowballs perfect green treat for St Patrick day. I have some mach tea in my hand I can bake this sure kids will also like it as it is in cookie form.
Arielle Cunningham says
Omg! I had been looking for a matcha recipe for a long time. Something simple—because baking is not yet my strong suit. I’m also lactose-intolerant, so I need a recipe without milk—I substitute margarine when it calls for butter, so that is not an issue. I was planning on making matcha cookies, but never got around to it, because you had to make the dough and then refrigerate it overnight. When I finally decided I was going to make these cookies, I took one more research adventure to find cookies (or other fun matcha desserts) that did not require chilling the dough, but were also simple to make. That’s when I found these Matcha Snowballs! I love them! They were so simple to make, beyond delicious, and I felt like I knew what I was doing while making them. I shared the recipe with friends and bragged about how I am a baker now. Thank you for sharing this recipe! I’m planning on making more today and sharing them with a friend.
byronethomas@gmail.com says
Thank you, Arielle! 🙂 I’m quite fond of matcha too!
Susan says
Tried this tonight. I had salted butter so I omitted the 1/4 tsp salt. They turned out amazing. Thank you for sharing this wonderful recipe 🙂
Jola says
I love matcha and I drink it every morning. I am wondering if all its health benefits are destroyed during cooking and baking with matcha? They always say if you prepare matcha tea you shouldn’t use boiling water but wait a few minutes after boiling so that the temperature drops and doesn’t not destroy all healthy compounds that as good for us. Logically, cooking and baking must be harmful for matcha and we end up with only a beautiful color but all health benefits are gone.