Tag: Cookie

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Garden’s Uji Matcha Flavoured Cream Wafers

Uji Matcha Flavoured Cream Wafers by Garden
Green Tea (Matcha)
$2.79 for 200g

First Impressions

I’m constantly on the look out for tea-flavoured or tea-themed treats, so when I spotted these Uji Matcha Flavoured Cream Wafers on the shelf at my local favourite Asian grocery store – they just jumped into my shopping cart.

For those unfamiliar with Garden Cream Wafers, the packaging is a shiny metallic plastic, and instead of the usual plastic tray – the Uji Matcha Flavoured Cream Wafers comes into 4 packets inside – also in the foil packets with each containing cookies instead. Each packet comes with 6 cream wafers inside. The one nice thing about the (excessive) packaging is that it keeps the cookies from going stale.

Uji Matcha Flavoured Cream Wafers consists of: wheat flour, vegetable shortening, sugar, whole milk powder, corn starch, matcha powder, artificial flavouring, leavening/raising agent, salt, and emulsifier. There’s a very light matcha aroma to the wafer cookies, I mostly smell the cookie base, which has a vanilla-esque cream aroma to it.

First Taste

Based on the packaging, I had expected the matcha cream layers to be darker in colour and, perhaps, more aromatic. The flavour of the Uji Matcha Flavoured Cream Wafers was pleasantly more vibrant that I had expected from when I had opened the smaller pack of cookies. The wafer layers have a nice crunch to them, and the cream layer has a decent matcha flavour to it that is both sweet and grassy at the same time. I feel like the matcha was recently fairly well. It is quite light in colour, but artificial colouring wasn’t listed as an ingredient (which is always a plus!).

My Overall Impression

I liked Garden’s Uji Matcha Flavoured Cream Wafers. I thought the overall cookie itself had a good crunch, and the matcha cream was both sweet and had those matcha qualities that I was looking for. While I appreciated the separate packaging inside for that freshness factor, it was also a bit disheartening to see because not everyone lives in an area where you can recycle soft plastics, especially soft plastics with metallic coatings. The cookie itself is great, and I appreciate the smaller servings for portion control and a snack, but the packaging leaves something to be desired from an environmental standpoint.

Curious about the cup rating system? Click here to learn more.

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Chai Spiced Sugar Cookies

If you’ve been a One More Steep reader for a while, you’ll know that I tend to share a new cookie recipe every December. I work in acute medicine with a fantastic group of nurses and other healthcare professionals. One of our annual holiday activities includes a cookie exchange among staff and ever since I started working there, I’ve brought in a tea related cookie. This holiday season is my last with this amazing group of individuals, so I’ve pulled out all the stops with my contribution to this year’s cookie exchange: Chai Spiced Sugar Cookies.

My previous cookie recipes included: Earl Grey Shortbread Cookies, Matcha Sugar Cookies, and Matcha White Chocolate Chip Cookies.

Chai Spiced Sugar Cookies
Yields: 4 dozen.
Baking Time: 8 minutes.

Chai Spice Mix
2 tbs ground cardamom
1 tbs cinnamon
1 tbs ground nutmeg
1 tbs ground ginger
½ tbs ground black pepper

Cookie Dough
1½ cups powdered sugar
1 cup butter
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs
2½ cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
2 tbs Chai Spice Mix¹

Vanilla Glaze
1 cup powdered sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
1-2 tsp water

¹ This is a great spice blend if you want to create some chai latte magic at home! You’ll get bonus points if you make a chai spice blend from scratch with whole or freshly ground spices. If you buy ground spices, make sure they’re in a dry, air-tight container so they can keep longer!

My Chai Spice Mix is a very similar blend to the Pumpkin Spice Mix that I shared earlier this year in my Pumpkin Spice Chai Latte recipe, but the ratios are a bit different as it’s more cardamom heavy and it includes black pepper (which I do freshly grind because I’ve got a pepper grinder in my kitchen).

Prepare Chai Spice Mix
Mix all ingredients together.
Store in air-tight glass container.

Make Those Cookies
Beat powdered sugar, butter, vanilla extract, and eggs together until well blended.
Mix in flour, baking soda, and Chai Spice Mix.
Cover and refrigerate for approximately 2 hours.
Preheat oven to 375°F.
Roll out dough to approximately ¼” thick, cut into shapes with cookie cutters.
On cookie sheets, lay out cookies at least 1″ apart.
Bake 8 minutes or until edges are light brown.
Remove from cookie sheets to cooling racks after 2-3 minutes out of the oven.

Recipe adapted from Betty Crocker The Big Book of Cookies, “Sugar Cookies”.

Vanilla Glaze / Decorate!
Mix powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and water together.
Add water slowly as you mix. You want it to be thin enough to drizzle, but not so thin that it’ll just run off. (I’m so technical, I know.)
Drizzle icing on the cookies – you can use a fork or toothpick (or scoop the glaze into a zip-top bag and snip the corner and get really fancy).
Allow glaze to dry and set before you stack or package the cookies.

If you make these delicious Chai Spiced Sugar Cookies, I’d love to see your photos! Be sure to tag me on Instagram (@onemoresteep #onemoresteep) or comment below with a link to the photo!

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Matcha White Chocolate Chip Cookies

It’s the season for holiday baking, work cookie exchanges, and another tea themed cookie recipe from yours truly! I’m spearheading the cookie exchange at my work this year, so I just had to create something new – my colleagues are starting to have expectations! This is my third year working on my unit, and this is my third cookie recipe on One More Steep! Previously, I shared my recipes for Earl Grey Shortbread Cookies and Matcha Sugar Cookies.

I’m a huge fan of chocolate chip cookies, and I just could not resist changing it up by adding matcha! These cookies have a crunchy exterior with a melt-in-your-mouth inside that is bursting with white chocolate sweetness and matcha goodness. It genuinely reminds me of a matcha latte – and I’m loving it! If you’re a fan of matcha, this is the cookie for you. If you’re a fan of matcha lattes, white chocolate chips, or cookies in general – this is also the cookie for you.

Recipe Yields: 3 dozen. Baking Time: 12 minutes.

Ingredients:

1½ cups granulated sugar
1 cup butter (softened)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg
2¼ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1½ to 2 cups white chocolate chips*
2 tablespoons matcha powder

* I used a full bag of Hershey’s Chipits White Chocolate Chips (225g) with each batch, which is just a smidge over 1½ cups. You can use or more white chocolate chips according to your personal preference.

Wanting to make this recipe vegetarian/vegan friendly? It’s easy! Substitute with vegan butter (or margarine), aquafaba (3 tablespoons of aquafaba is equal to 1 whole egg; aquafaba is the fluid from canned chickpeas!), and look for dairy-free white chocolate chips (they do exist!).

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375°F.
Beat sugar, butter, vanilla extract, and egg together until well blended.
Mix in flour, baking soda, and matcha until evenly green.
Stir in white chocolate chips (I found this easier to do with my hands).
Roll dough out into balls that are approximately the size of a rounded tablespoon, lay out cookies at least 2″ apart as these cookies will spread.
Bake 12 minutes or until edges are light brown.
Allow cookies to cool for 1-2 minutes before transferring to cooling racks.

Recipe adapted from Betty Crocker The Big Book of Cookies, “Chocolate Chip Cookies”.

If you make these delicious Matcha White Chocolate Chip Cookies, I’d love to see your photos! Be sure to tag me on Instagram (@onemoresteep #onemoresteep) or comment below with a link to the photo!