Matcha cantuccini are an elegant version of cookies. These crispy cookies are made with simple ingredients, they are packed with flavour and toasted almonds. They pair great with a cup of coffee, green tea, any herbal tea or a matcha latte.
It is cookies time! I don’t know about you, but when I crave for a quick sweet treat, I always grab a cookie. Cookies are small, mostly crispy and sweet.
Cantuccini are famous Italian cookies. The secret to getting them so crunchy is to bake them twice. Firstly, as the whole dough log and secondly, as single cookies. They are super easy to make, the ingredients are simple and there are plenty of flavours you can play with.
I wasn’t sure which flavour to pick. On my list were chocolate, lemon, chocolate and orange, coffee and matcha. As you can see, I decided on matcha. The matcha green tea powder got popular because of its health benefits and, of course, its versatility in the kitchen. But all I wanted was that light earthy, toasty matcha flavour and a light greenish nuance.
As a fun fact, cantuccini can only contain almonds. Also, when any other nuts or fruits are added to them, they are no longer called cantuccini. In fact, they become just a two-times-baked cookie. Wink. These are still cantuccini. However, if you would like to grab the classic recipe, then check out this cantuccini recipe.
Although cookies are supposed to be a sweet treat, these matcha cantuccini are not sweet at all. Sugar, which you can swap with honey or agave syrup, balances perfectly the bitter matcha flavour. Another ingredient that can be swapped is butter. In fact, I used olive oil instead.
Moreover, the real secret to making good cookies is to chill the dough. As a result, they won’t spread as much and they will even brown better (I’ve heard). Additionally, chilling the dough improves the cookie texture and it concentrates the flavour, too.
Ingredients for about 25 matcha cantuccini:
- 135 g flour
- 4 g baking powder
- a pinch of salt
- 75 g sugar
- 2 eggs
- olive oil
- 20 g matcha powder
- 100 g toasted almonds
In a large bowl, mix sifted flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. In another bowl, mix matcha, eggs and olive oil. Whisk until smooth. Then, stir the matcha mixture into the flour. Once well combined and thick, gently fold in the toasted almonds.
Wrap the dough into cling film by forming a long log, about 3-4 cm thick, and place it in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
In the meantime, preheat the oven to 180°C and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Then, take the dough out of the fridge, unwrap it and place it (the whole log) on the baking sheet. Place it in the oven and bake for 20 minutes.
Afterwards, take it out of the oven and allow it to cool for 10 minutes on a wire rack. Turn the temperature down to 160°C. Then, using a sharp knife, cut the log into 1 cm thick slices or cantuccini.
Carefully place them onto the baking sheet, cut side up, put them back in the oven and bake for 10-15 more minutes. Remove them from the oven, transfer them to a wire rack and allow to cool down completely.
Finally, serve the matcha cantuccini with a matcha latte, coffee, matcha tea or any other green or herbal tea.
Enjoy.
