Over the holidays, I participated in an amazing cookie charity auction with 9 other local bakers. We each contributed 4 cookies (these matcha linzer cookies weren't part of it but keep reading!) to each of the 6 boxes to be auctioned off, with all proceeds benefiting The Greater Vancouver Food Bank. We ended up raising over $1000! It was so much fun (and nerve wracking!) sharing my baked goods with complete strangers for the first time who paid over $100 each for a box of cookies. Talk about pressure!
For the cookie boxes, I made some classic linzer cookies - one with a raspberry rose jam and the other with a pear & sage jam. Naturally, I had leftover cookie dough in the depth of my freezer, all thanks to my panicking and making double the amount of dough I needed in case I screwed up and didn't have enough time to make another batch of cookies for the auction.
I'm still not over how cute linzer cookies look so I made these matcha linzer cookies with the leftover cookie dough. I randomly picked up this little gem of a triceratops cookie cutter from Bulk Barn, of all places. It's absolutely adorable! It's a perfect matcha paired with a thick matcha ganache filling.
Tips for working with buttery doughs:
- Keep the dough cold while you're working with it. You may need to leave the chilled dough on the counter for about 5 minutes before you start rolling it out to prevent it from cracking but after that, work quickly.
- Alternatively, roll out your dough and return it back into the fridge for 30 minutes before cutting out the cookies. I found that I didn't have to do this as long as I worked quickly! I did pop a whole baking sheet with all the cookie cut outs into the fridge while waiting for the first batch of cookies to finish baking though!
- Use an offset spatula to slide under the cookie dough cut outs and lift up to transfer onto your baking sheet to prevent warping the circular shape.
- For the top cookies, transfer the cookie dough rounds to the baking sheet first, THEN cut out out the middle shapes.
- Flour everything. Flour your surface, cookie cutters, spatulas, rolling pin, and hands very well to prevent the dough from sticking to things.
- When all else fails, just squish all your failed cut outs and dough scraps together, return it to the fridge, and re-roll it again.
These matcha linzer cookies are soft and crumbly. If you prefer a crispier cookie, bake them until they are golden brown. The matcha ganache makes for a cookie that is much less sweet than a traditional linzer cookie with a jam filling. I also appreciated how the ganache was much more stable than a jam and didn't "bleed" into the cookie like a jam would.
I wish I could say I gave these to some dinosaur obsessed kiddos but they were really just for me. The sauropods are my favourites though - someone please make a brontosaurus cookie cutter!
Also, did anyone else realize that Sarah from The Land Before Time is actually spelled Cera as in triCERAtops? Because I didn't and it took me over 20 years to find out. My whole childhood was basically a lie.
HOW TO MAKE MATCHA LINZER COOKIES
Matcha Linzer Cookies
Ingredients
Matcha Ganache
- 115 g white chocolate, roughly chopped
- 60 g heavy cream
- 1 tsp matcha powder, culinary grade
Linzer Cookies
- 225 g unsalted butter
- 135 g granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 100 g almond flour
- 380 g all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- powdered sugar or matcha powder, for dusting
Instructions
For the matcha ganache
- Measure out white chocolate into a small bowl.
- In a small saucepan, heat the heavy cream on low heat. Add in matcha powder and whisk until no lumps remain.
- When bubbles start forming on surface of the cream, pour over white chocolate and let sit for 2 minutes.
- Stir until all chocolate is melted and no lumps remain.
- Chill ganache in fridge for at least 1 hour or until it thickens enough to be spreadable.
Prepare the cookie dough
- In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, almond flour, and salt.
- In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until light and creamy.
- Add in eggs and vanilla extract and mix until smooth.
- Add in flour mixture and stir until combined.
- Turn dough out onto a large piece of plastic wrap and divide dough in half.
- Press each half into a flattened disc, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.
Bottom cookies
- Preheat oven to 350F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- On a floured surface, roll one disc of dough to ⅛ inch (3mm) thick.
- Using a 3-inch round cookie cutter, cut out the bottom cookies from the dough.
- Carefully transfer cookies to a prepared baking sheet. Re-roll the scraps and repeat.
- Bake bottom cookies for 10 minutes until the edges are lightly browned. Let cool on a wire rack.
Top cookies
- Roll out the other disc of dough to ⅛ inch (3mm) thick.
- Using a 3-inch round cookie cutter, cut out the top cookies from the dough.
- Transfer cookies to the other baking sheet. Re-roll scraps and repeat.
- With a mini cookie cutter in the shape of your choice, cut out the middle of each cookie round.
- Lift up the cut out with a toothpick and add to the empty space on baking sheet or re-roll as a scrap.
- Bake the top cookies for 9 minutes until edges are lightly browned. Let cool on a wire rack.
Assemble the cookies
- Invert the bottom cookies and spread 1 teaspoon of matcha ganache without going all the way to the edges.
- With a sieve, dust the top cookies with powdered sugar or matcha powder.
- Sandwich a matching top and bottom cookie together and press together gently.
Nutrition
Not what you were looking for? See the rest of my recipes!
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