Comparing Matcha Cookie Recipes of the Internet
The Rising Popularity of Matcha Cookies
In recent years, the delicate flavor of matcha has taken the culinary world by storm. Whether it's in lattes, ice creams, or our topic of discussion today – cookies, the vibrant green tea powder has found its way into the heart of bakers and dessert enthusiasts alike.
In this post, we dive into the details of various recipes of matcha cookies that we find in the internet. We compare these recipes sourced from Google's search results, and we analyse the differences the respective food bloggers have indicated in their unique recipes.
Understanding Matcha: More Than Just Green Tea
Before we delve into the details, let's take a moment to appreciate the star ingredient - matcha.
Matcha is a type of powdered green tea originating from Japan. It's much more than just green tea, it's a culinary adventure and an experience that lends a distinct flavor to any recipe it touches.
Unlike traditional green tea, where the leaves are steeped in hot water and then discarded, matcha is made by grinding the entire tea leaf into a fine powder. This method retains the nutritional value, flavor, and color of the whole leaf, resulting in a vibrant green powder rich in antioxidants and chlorophyll.
Culinary-grade matcha, the type often used in cooking and baking, is known for its robust flavor, a balance of umami and a subtle hint of bitterness. This unique profile allows matcha to stand out, even when combined with other strong ingredients, making it a choice addition to everything from lattes to baked goods, and in our case, cookies.
Moreover, when baking with matcha, it's important to remember that heat can slightly alter the flavor, giving it a toastier profile. It's these characteristics that make each matcha cookie recipe distinctive, with variations in the quantity and quality of matcha contributing significantly to the overall taste.
Key Ingredients in Matcha Cookies: A Comparison Table
Let's have a look at these amazing recipes we found in the internet.
The first recipe is from out blog post Matcha White Chocolate Chip Cookies.
We also take a look at the recipe provided by one of our favourite creators, Catherine Zhang.
And finally, we take a look at recipe from the cute couple Kat and Alec from The Heirloom Pantry.
Note: To make the comparison, we have normalized the recipes by converting everything into gram measurements as well as adjusting all ingredient quanities to use one egg.
Matcha Ingredient Analysis: The Devil is in the details
Let's dive into the details and analyse the differences in ingredient quantitites one at a time.
Matcha Content
Let's start with the main ingredient, matcha.
While the Matcha White Chocolate Chip Cookies call for a whopping 30g, Catherine Zhang opts for a modest 4g, and The Heirloom Pantry settles for an intermediate 18.75g.
Catherine Zhang did explain that for her recipe, she uses high-quality culinary grade matcha. I have not personally tried this variety, but I'm guessing it packs more flavour than regular matcha? She also does advise bakers to adjust the quantity of matcha depending on their taste.
The use of 30g grams of Matcha in our recipe was I think quite sufficient. It brought about the matcha taste without being too overpowering.
The Herloom Pantry's recipe uses around 19g of matcha powder, which is around in the middle of the two recipes. We have yet to try out this recipe.
The quantity of matcha powder used can drastically impact the color, flavor, and nutritional profile of the cookies. A higher matcha content will yield a more vibrant green color, a stronger green tea flavor, and a higher antioxidant content.
Flour Content
There's quite a difference in the amounts of all-purpose flour flour used in these recipes.
The Herloom Pantry recipe uses a hefty 300g compared to Catherine Zhang's conservative 200g.
More flour generally leads to a thicker, denser cookie, while less flour results in a lighter, more delicate texture.
Butter Content
The fat content, derived from unsalted butter, also varies across the board.
Both Matcha White Chocolate Chip Cookies and The Heirloom Pantry's version lean towards a richer, buttery cookie with over 220g of unsalted butter.
In contrast, Catherine Zhang's recipe calls for just 110g, potentially offering a lighter, less indulgent bite.
Sugar Content
Even the type and amount of sugar used could affect the final product.
Both Matcha White Chocolate Chip Cookies and The Heirloom Pantry use 200g of granulated sugar, albeit the The Heirloom Pantry's version calls for rolling the dough into sugar just before baking, leading to a sweeter dough.
Meanwhile, Catherine Zhang's recipe uses a combination of granulated and brown sugar, which could add a hint of molasses flavor and affect the chewiness of the cookies.
Baking Powder and Baking Soda Content
When it comes to leavening agents, both baking powder and baking soda play crucial roles in cookie recipes.
Baking powder, a combination of an acid and a base, helps the cookies rise by producing gas when mixed with wet ingredients.
On the other hand, baking soda, a base, reacts with the acidity in the dough to create lift.
The Matcha White Chocolate Chip Cookies recipe use only baking powder (5g), while Catherine Zhang's Matcha White Chocolate Cookies and The Heirloom Pantry's Matcha Cookies utilize a combination of both baking soda and baking powder.
The latter two might result in a cookie with a lighter, more tender crumb due to the double leavening action.
Vanilla Extract Content
The recipe from The Heirloom Pantry specifies 9.2g of vanilla extract, offering a hint of warmth and sweetness that complements the matcha's bitter notes.
The absence of vanilla in Catherine Zhang's recipe could result in a purer, more pronounced matcha flavor.
Egg Yolk Content
Lastly, the use of an egg yolk in Catherine Zhang's recipe is worth noting.
The yolk, rich in fats, can contribute to a tender, rich, and moist texture in the cookies.
Additionally, egg yolks can provide a slight yellow hue to the dough, which might slightly affect the final color of the cookie when combined with the green matcha powder.
White Chocolate Content
The addition of white chocolate adds more sweetness and gooeyness to the cookies.
The use of white chocolate is strongly recommended instead of dark or milk chocolate as these will overpower the matcha flavour.
Final Words
So far, we have only tried our version of the White Chocolate Matcha Cookie. In a future post, we will tell you about how the other recipes compare. Until then!