A Little Green Magic
My kitchen smells like sweet grass and toasted nuts today. I am making my Matcha and Sesame Snowdrift Cookies. The dough is a beautiful spring green. It makes me so happy to look at.
Matcha is a special green tea powder. It tastes earthy and a little sweet. Fun fact: The word “matcha” literally means “powdered tea.” I whisk it right into the flour. This matters because it colors and flavors every single bite evenly. No hiding the good stuff!
The Secret in the Dough
Now, here is my little trick. You add cream cheese to the sugar. I know, it sounds odd for a cookie! My grandson made a funny face the first time he saw me do it. I still laugh at that.
You whisk it with melted butter and oil. The oil keeps them chewy. The cream cheese makes them tender. This matters. It gives the cookie a soft heart under its crunchy sugar coat. Do you have a secret ingredient you love to use?
A Gentle Touch
The dough will feel very soft. That is perfect. Be gentle when you roll the balls. Pretend you are holding a little bird. Too much squeezing makes flat cookies.
Roll each ball in sugar. Then flatten it with a glass bottom. You will see the black sesame seeds peeking through the green. Doesn’t that look pretty? It is like a garden in a cookie.
Watching Them Bloom
In the oven they go. Watch them through the window. They will puff up and then settle. The edges will just start to turn gold. The smell is amazing. It is grassy, nutty, and buttery all at once.
Let them cool on the pan a bit. This helps them set. Then move them to a rack. The wait is the hardest part! What is your favorite smell from the oven? Is it bread, cake, or maybe roast chicken?
Time for a Story and a Bite
I first had a cookie like this years ago. My friend Hana brought them to our garden club. They were so unique. I just had to learn how to make them myself.
Now, take a bite. You get crunch, then a wonderful chew. The matcha is not too strong. The sesame seeds give a tiny pop. It is a quiet, thoughtful cookie. Perfect with a cup of tea. Would you have these with milk, tea, or all by themselves?
Ingredients:
| Ingredient | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| All-purpose flour | 2 ¼ cups (11¼ ounces/319 grams) | |
| Black sesame seeds | 3 tablespoons | |
| Matcha powder | 1 tablespoon | |
| Baking powder | 1 teaspoon | |
| Baking soda | ½ teaspoon | |
| Table salt | ½ teaspoon | |
| Sugar | 1 ½ cups (10½ ounces/298 grams) plus ⅓ cup for rolling | Divided use |
| Cream cheese | 2 ounces (57 grams) | Cut into 8 pieces |
| Unsalted butter | 6 tablespoons | Melted |
| Vegetable oil | ⅓ cup | |
| Large egg | 1 | |
| Milk | 1 tablespoon |
Matcha and Sesame Snowdrift Cookies
Hello, my dear. Come sit at the counter. I want to tell you about these special cookies. They remind me of a quiet, snowy garden. The matcha is like green tea leaves dusted with frost. The black sesame seeds are like tiny, tasty specks of earth. Doesn’t that sound cozy? I still laugh at the first time I made them. My grandson called them “snowdrift” cookies. The name just stuck. Let’s make some magic together. Your kitchen will smell amazing, I promise.
Instructions
Step 1: Move your oven rack to the middle. Heat your oven to 350 degrees. Line two big baking sheets with parchment paper. Now, grab a medium bowl. Whisk your flour, sesame seeds, matcha, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together. This is your dry mix. Set it aside for now. It looks like a little green garden, doesn’t it?
Step 2: In a large bowl, place 1½ cups of sugar and the cream cheese. Put the other ⅓ cup of sugar in a shallow dish. Pour the melted butter over the cream cheese. Whisk it together. A few little lumps are just fine. Whisk in the oil next. Then add the egg and milk. Keep whisking until it’s smooth. Now, add your dry mix. Stir with a spatula until it becomes a soft dough. (Handle this soft dough gently for the best cookies).
Step 3: Divide the dough into 24 little pieces. Roll each piece into a ball with your hands. Roll each ball in the dish of sugar to coat it. Place 12 balls on each baking sheet. Now, use the bottom of a clean glass. Gently flatten each ball until it’s about 2 inches wide. Sprinkle the tops with the sugar left in your dish. What kitchen tool is perfect for flattening these? Share below!
Step 4: Bake one sheet at a time. This helps them bake evenly. They need 11 to 13 minutes. Rotate the sheet after 7 minutes. You’ll know they’re done when the edges look set. They will just begin to turn a light gold. Let them cool on the sheet for 5 minutes. Then, move them to a rack to cool completely. Then, the best part. You get to try one.
Creative Twists
Add a white chocolate drizzle. Melt white chocolate and zig-zag it over the cooled cookies. It looks like real snow! Try a citrus sugar roll. Add a teaspoon of lemon or orange zest to your rolling sugar. It’s so bright and cheerful. Make a sandwich cookie. Spread a little sweet red bean paste between two cookies. A classic, delicious pairing. Which one would you try first? Comment below!
Serving & Pairing Ideas
I love these with a small bowl of vanilla ice cream. The cool creaminess is perfect. Or, arrange them on a simple blue plate. It makes the green color really pop. For a drink, a warm cup of hojicha tea is lovely. Its roasted flavor is so comforting. For a grown-up treat, a little sip of chilled sake pairs beautifully. It highlights the tea notes. Which would you choose tonight?
Keeping Your Snowdrift Cookies Perfect
These cookies stay wonderfully chewy for days. Just tuck them in an airtight container. They like to be at room temperature.
You can freeze the dough balls for a future treat. Roll them in sugar first, then freeze on a tray. Once solid, pop them into a bag. Bake straight from the freezer, adding a minute or two. I once forgot a batch in my freezer for a month. They baked up just as lovely!
Batch cooking means fresh cookies anytime. That matters for surprise visits or a sweet craving. Making a double batch is a gift to your future self.
Have you ever tried storing cookie dough this way? Share below!
Cookie Troubles? Let’s Fix Them Together
Is your dough too sticky? Chill it for 20 minutes. Your hands will be cleaner. The cookies will hold their shape better.
Did your cookies spread too flat? Your butter might have been too warm. I remember when my kitchen was too hot. My cookies ran into each other! Chilling the dough fixes this.
Are they not chewy enough? You might have over-baked them. Pull them out when the edges are just set. The centers will firm up as they cool.
Getting it right builds your kitchen confidence. It also makes sure every bite tastes just right. Which of these problems have you run into before?
Your Quick Questions, Answered
Q: Can I make these gluten-free? A: Try a 1-to-1 gluten-free flour blend. The texture might be a bit more crumbly.
Q: Can I make the dough ahead? A: Yes! Keep it covered in the fridge for up to two days. Let it warm up a bit before rolling.
Q: What can I use instead of matcha? A: You can use another tablespoon of flour. The cookies will be plain sesame, still delicious.
Q: Can I halve the recipe? A: You can. Just halve all the ingredients exactly. A kitchen scale helps a lot here.
Q: Any optional tips? A: A pinch of cardamom is lovely with the sesame. *Fun fact: Sesame seeds are one of the oldest oilseed crops known!*
Which tip will you try first?
From My Kitchen to Yours
I hope you love making these green and black speckled cookies. They always remind me of a mossy garden. My kitchen is always messy with sugar afterwards.
It brings me so much joy to share this with you. I would love to hear about your baking adventure. Tell me all about it.
Have you tried this recipe? I read every comment below.
Happy cooking!
—Elowen Thorn.
Matcha and Sesame Snowdrift Cookies
Description
Chewy Matcha and Black Sesame Sugar Cookies
Ingredients
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 large rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper. Whisk flour, sesame seeds, matcha powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in medium bowl. Set aside.
- Place 1½ cups sugar and cream cheese in large bowl. Place remaining ⅓ cup sugar in shallow dish and set aside. Pour melted butter over cream cheese mixture and whisk to combine (some small lumps of cream cheese will remain but will smooth out later). Whisk in oil until incorporated. Add egg and milk; continue to whisk until smooth. Add flour mixture and mix with rubber spatula until soft, homogeneous dough forms.
- Divide dough into 24 equal pieces, about 2 tablespoons each. Using your hands, roll dough into balls. Working in batches, roll dough balls in sugar in dish to coat, then set on prepared sheets, 12 dough balls per sheet. Using bottom of drinking glass, flatten dough balls until 2 inches in diameter. Sprinkle tops of cookies evenly with 4 teaspoons remaining sugar in dish (2 teaspoons per sheet); discard any remaining sugar.
- Bake cookies, 1 sheet at a time, until edges are set and just beginning to brown, 11 to 13 minutes, rotating sheet after 7 minutes. Let cookies cool on sheet for 5 minutes; using wide metal spatula, transfer cookies to wire rack and let cool completely. Serve.
Notes
- The final dough will be slightly softer than most cookie doughs. For the best results, handle the dough as briefly and gently as possible when shaping the cookies. Overworking the dough will result in flatter cookies.