Matcha Sugar Cookies

Preparation

1. Step 1

   Make the cookies: Mix the granulated sugar, matcha and salt in a large bowl to break up any clumps of matcha. Add the butter, and use a wooden spoon to gently smash and stir it into the sugar until it’s evenly green.

2. Step 2

   Add the yolk and stir vigorously to fully incorporate. Stir in both extracts until blended, then add the flour. Stir gently until no traces of flour remain and the dough forms large clumps. You also can mix the dough with a stand or hand mixer, keeping the beaters on the lowest speed at each step to avoid adding too much air to the dough.

3. Step 3

   Transfer half of the dough to a sheet of parchment paper, press into a rectangle and cover with plastic wrap or another sheet of parchment. Roll to a scant ¼-inch thickness, lifting the plastic wrap as needed to roll the dough smoothly. Repeat with the remaining dough. Slide both sheets of covered dough onto a baking sheet and refrigerate until very firm, at least 1 hour and up to 2 days.

4. Step 4

   When ready to bake, heat the oven to 325 degrees with a rack in the center. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. 

5. Step 5

   Peel the parchment or plastic wrap off both sides of dough and set the dough back on the parchment. This will help the cut shapes come off the paper more easily.

6. Step 6

   Using a floured cookie cutter, cut out shapes as close as possible to one another, transferring each shape to the prepared sheet as its cut, spacing the shapes an inch apart. Repeat with the other half of the dough, then gather all the scraps, roll them flat and cut out shapes. Refrigerate the dough if it gets soft as you work.

7. Step 7

   Bake one sheet at a time until the cookies are lightly browned on the bottoms, 10 to 12 minutes. This will preserve the cookies’ green color. If you prefer a deeper toasty flavor and snappier texture, bake until golden brown around the edges, 13 to 15 minutes. Cool completely on the sheets on wire racks. The cookies can be stored in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

8. Step 8

   Make the royal icing: Beat the powdered sugar, egg white, vanilla, cream of tartar and salt until shiny white and tacky, about 5 minutes if using an electric mixer and 10 minutes if beating by hand. 

9. Step 9

   Transfer the icing to a piping bag or small resealable plastic bag. Snip a small hole in the tip or one corner and squeeze the icing over the cookies to decorate. Let stand until set. Iced cookies can be stored in an airtight container for up to 1 week.