Continuing along with the dessert Instagram lives I have been doing with Shari, we decided to do cookies as our next demonstration. This is funny to me, just because we went with something as technical as working with yeast to something even less forgiving like a souffle to something a lot easier, being cookies. I had to think long and hard about the flavor I wanted to demonstrate, truthfully. I did want to do a thumbprint cookie, but I had already done similar ones before, and I wanted to provide some variety. So I thought about doing a two-toned cookie instead. I have never attempted anything like this, and that’s saying a lot, because half of the things I test at milkbar lab are interesting cookies. So I went with a matcha cookie, made light and fluffy, with an almost coconut macaroon-like gluten free cookie pressed into it. I was really split between doing Thai tea(using instant Thai tea powder) or the matcha, but since this was a live demo, and I had never attempted Thai tea cookies using instant tea powder, I didn’t want to risk it and make something that completely flopped. I thought about doing a kaya(coconut custard jam) on top, and doing these crazy toppings with tempered matcha disks and cubes of coconut jelly, but I felt like that was too excessive for a cookie. It’s important to let the cookie be the focus, not the things on top. So I topped these cookies with a drizzle of matcha chocolate and toasted coconut flakes, to keep it artsy, colorful, and a little whimsical. That and to tie in with the flavors fo the cookies perfectly.

Makes 16 cookies:
For the matcha cookie dough:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 stick unsalted butter
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
a pinch of salt
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons matcha powder
1 teaspoon green spirulina powder

Whip your butter with sugar, matcha, spirulina, salt, and vanilla until light and fluffy(typically 10 minutes using a stand mixer). Sift your baking powder, soda, and flour together. Whisk an egg into your butter mixture, then fold in your flour. Divide into 16 balls and place onto a lined sheet pan.

For the coconut cookie dough:
1 cup coconut flour
2/3 cups coconut oil
2/3 cups granulated sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon xanthan gum
a pinch of salt
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Whip sugar with coconut oil, salt, and vanilla until light and fluffy. Whisk together your coconut flour with xanthan gum, baking soda, and baking powder. Whip an egg into your coconut oil mixture first, then fold in your dry ingredients. Scoop the dough into 16 balls and press into the matcha cookie dough. Freeze for 1 hour. Place 8 cookies on a separate sheet pan and make sure that there’s at least an inch between each cookie(they will spread!). Bake at 375 degrees F for 15 minutes, rotating halfway through to ensure even baking and browning. Cool completely before removing.

For the coconut flakes:
1/4 cup unsweetened coconut flakes

Spread on a sheet tray and bake at 375 degrees F for 2-3 minutes, or until browned(if you’re not comfortable toasting coconut, then I recommend you watch it closely if your oven has a window, or go by smell – you want to smell toastiness, but not acridness). Cool down completely before moving to a smaller bowl.

For the matcha chocolate drizzle:
1 cup white chocolate chips
2 tablespoons matcha powder
1/4 teaspoon green spirulina powder
a pinch of salt

Melt together over a double boiler. Transfer to either a piping bag or a parchment cornet and drizzle over the cooled cookies. Sprinkle on coconut flakes and freeze the cookies until the chocolate has firmed.