Green Tea Sablés

With the advent of the internet and all the thousands of recipes at our fingertips, it's easy to neglect actual cookbooks sitting on our shelves. I actually spend quite a bit of time perusing new cookbooks and their reviews on Amazon (I have a rather long wish list) but I've let the ones I already own collect dust for a while now. They're still my prized possessions though, especially after all the research I put in just to choose the special few.
Feeling a bit guilty about neglecting the cookbooks I had been so excited about on their arrival, I decided to turn to one for these cookies. I wanted to make something with matcha, also known as green tea powder, to take home for the family. I love my Okashi cookbook since it contains many popular desserts but with an Asian flair.

Sablés are simply French sugar cookies or icebox cookies. Sablé means "sandy" which perfectly describes its texture. It's crunchy and crumbly, and in this case, there's a little more than just a hint of green tea flavor. 
The green tea is strong with this one.

I went home last week following my mother's surgery (which was successful!) and I brought these for the family. My mother and grandmother are always drinking green tea. I've gotten so hooked on having chai in the morning or afternoon while they have switched entirely to green tea for all the health benefits that black tea can't provide.

I wasn't a huge fan of these cookies, mainly due to the fact that they weren't as sweet as my sweet tooth would prefer. But everyone else loved them so don't let my snobby taste buds decide for you. 
I always get more excited about green tea desserts in theory than in reality. I wonder if this is because I have so many friends who adore it...Green tea ice cream always sounds great until I actually take a bite and I realize how strong it is. Same with these cookies. While everyone was enjoying and savoring the flavor, I took one bite and couldn't finish the rest. And of course Joe wasted no time in finishing my scraps.

Green Tea Sablé Cookies
Makes about 25
From Okashi

120g cake flour

7.5g green tea/matcha powder
75g unsalted butter, at room temperature
65g icing sugar
pinch of salt
1 egg yolks

Sift flour and green tea powder twice. Set aside.

Beat butter, icing sugar and salt until soft and creamy. Add egg yolks and mix well. Add flour and green tea powder mixture and fold in with a spatula. Cover dough with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for about 15 minutes.

Shape the dough into a log and wrap in parchment paper. Refrigerate until firm.

If not using immediately, wrap with cling film and freeze. Cookie dough can be kept for up to 2 months in the freezer.

Preheat oven to 340 degrees F. Cut log into 7mm thick rounds. Place cookies on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for about 25 minutes, then remove and leave to cool on wire rack before serving. Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 10 days.

(Optional presentation : Prior to baking, you can dip the edges of each sliced cookie in granulated sugar. Also if you wish, you can brush a little egg white over each cookie and scatter with a few green tea leaves on top.)