Flavored Shortbread Cookies

strawberry matcha checkerboard and chocolate pinwheels

My friends recently had a baby and I wanted to make them something as a gift. So I made these two cookies! I decided on these two flavors because I’m always a fan of anything strawberry matcha, and you can never go wrong with chocolate. I like this recipe because you just split the dough into equal parts and add your flavored powders to each batch. Simple yet so pretty! 

These cookies are quite subtle. My friends described them as not too sweet. So using good butter is super important in imparting flavor!

Ingredients
makes ~75 cookies

2 cups (4 sticks) salted butter, room temperature
240 grams (~2 cups) powdered sugar
2 egg yolks, save the egg whites
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
600 grams (~5 scant cups) all-purpose flour
20 grams ground freeze dried strawberries, ground (strawberry powder)
2 tablespoons matcha powder
2 tablespoons cocoa powder

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Directions

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat 2 cups salted butter on high until creamy. Then add 240 grams powdered sugar and continue to beat on high until light and fluffy. Add 2 egg yolks and 2 teaspoons vanilla extract and mix on high until fully combined. Once combined, add 600 grams flour and mix on low just until combined.

2. Separate the dough into four parts. My dough weighed 1274 grams so I separated my dough into 318 grams portions.

3. Add a quarter of the dough back into the stand mixer. Then add 20 grams strawberry powder to the dough and mix on low just until combined. Remove as much of the strawberry dough from the mixer as you can. Then add another quarter of the dough. This time add 2 tablespoons matcha powder and mix on low just until combined. Remove from the bowl. Add another quarter of the dough. Then add 2 tablespoons cocoa powder and mix on low just until combined. Remove. Leave the final quarter of the dough as is.

4. Roll out your plain dough into a large and thin rectangle onto parchment paper. Around 8”x14”. Repeat with the chocolate dough. Then brush some egg white onto the plain dough and firmly press the chocolate dough on top. With the long side facing towards you, roll the rectangle into a tight roll. Cover this log with parchment paper and then chill in the refrigerator for 30-60 minutes.

5. While that chills, roll out your strawberry and matcha doughs onto parchment paper. You want to form them into smaller rectangles but thicker at around less than a ¼ inch. Cover your rectangles with parchment paper and chill in the refrigerator for ~20 minutes. Once firm enough, brush your strawberry dough with egg white and then firmly press the matcha dough on top. With the long side facing you, cut this dough in half. Brush one half with egg white, then stack the other half on top. You want to make sure that the colors are alternating to create 4 lines of pink, green, pink, green. Now cut the rectangle into long strips. Using the egg whites as a glue, stack your strips onto each other making sure to flip the strip so that the checkerboard alternates. I stack three trips to make a 3×4 grid but you can stack an additional strip to make a 4×4 pattern. In the end, I made 3 logs. Cover your logs with parchment paper and chill for another 20 minutes.

6. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.

7. Cut your chocolate pinwheel dough into 1/4” slices and then arrange them onto a baking sheet. They don’t spread a lot so you don’t need to space them out too much. Bake for 13-16 minutes. Cool completely.

8. Cut your matcha logs into 1/4” slices as well and bake for 13-16 minutes. Cool completely.

9. Enjoy!