Name: Any Tea or Coffee Shortbread Cookies
Cook time: 25 minutes
Total time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Yield: Makes about 18
Ingredients: ¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar; 2 Tbsp. whole or ground tea leaves, powdered tea (such as matcha or hojicha), ground coffee, or instant coffee or espresso powder (see cooks’ note); 1 large egg yolk; 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature; ¾ cup (83 g) powdered sugar; 1 Tbsp. vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract; 2⅓ cups (292 g) all-purpose flour; 2 tsp. Diamond Crystal or 1¼ tsp. Morton kosher salt; ½ cup (60 g) raw sugar

A variety of matcha coffee and tea shortbread cookies on a plate.

Photo by Elizabeth Coetzee, Food styling by Rebecca Jurkevich

The crumbly texture and buttery bite of shortbread can be turned into countless creations—you’ve probably seen it layered into bar cookies (like millionaire’s shortbread) and cut in sweet circles. Here it takes on a bolder flavor thanks to the addition of any sort of coffee or tea, turning the moreish cookie into a caffeinated treat fit for breakfast or dessert.

The trick is to blitz whichever tea or coffee you choose with the sugar in a food processor so the tea leaves or coffee grounds break down into tiny pieces and infuse the sugar. If using powdered tea or coffee (such as matcha, hojicha, instant coffee, or espresso powder) you can skip this step and simply mix your flavoring agent in with the sugar. That mixture is then combined with an egg yolk, butter, powdered sugar (for tenderness), and a hefty dose of vanilla extract to make the base of the shortbread dough. Once the flour and salt are mixed in, the dough is then rolled into a log, coated in crunchy sugar, and chilled. Whenever you’re ready to bake, simply slice the log and bake until tender and fragrant. Serve the cookies with coffee or tea for an especially energizing experience or pair with fresh fruit for a midafternoon pick-me-up.

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What you’ll need

Matcha
$20 At Amazon
Hojicha
$26 At Amazon
Espresso Powder
$10 At Amazon

Cooks' Note

If using any variety of powdered tea or coffee (such as matcha, hojicha, or instant coffee or espresso), reduce the amount of flour in the recipe by 2 Tbsp. (16 g) to preserve the cookie’s texture. If using tea bags, cut open the bags and measure out the tea.

Recipe information

Total Time
1 hour 30 minutes
Yield
Makes about 18

Ingredients

¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar

2 Tbsp. whole or ground tea leaves, powdered tea (such as matcha or hojicha), ground coffee, or instant coffee or espresso powder (see cooks’ note)

1 large egg yolk

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

¾ cup (83 g) powdered sugar

1 Tbsp. vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract

2⅓ cups (292 g) all-purpose flour

2 tsp. Diamond Crystal or 1¼ tsp. Morton kosher salt

½ cup (60 g) raw sugar

Preparation

Step 1
If using whole or ground tea leaves or ground coffee, process or blend ¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar and 2 Tbsp. whole or ground tea leaves or ground coffee (see chef’s note) in a food processor until tea or coffee is ground to a coarse powder, 1–2 minutes, then transfer to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.
Step 2
If using powdered tea or coffee, mix ¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar and 2 Tbsp. powdered tea (such as matcha or hojicha) or instant coffee or espresso powder in the bowl of a stand mixer to combine, then attach bowl to mixer fitted with paddle attachment.
Step 3
Add 1 large egg yolk, 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature, ¾ cup (83 g) powdered sugar, and 1 Tbsp. vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract and beat on medium-high speed, scraping down sides of bowl as needed, until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Turn off mixer.
Step 4
If using whole or ground tea leaves or ground coffee, add 2⅓ cups (292 g) all-purpose flour. If using powdered tea or coffee, add 2 cups plus 3 Tbsp. (276 g) all-purpose flour. Add 2 tsp. Diamond Crystal or 1¼ tsp. Morton kosher salt and mix on low speed just until a soft dough forms with no dry streaks left, about 1 minute.
Step 5
Transfer dough to a surface and roll into a 9½x1¾" log. Sprinkle ½ cup (60 g) raw sugar onto a rimmed baking sheet or large rimmed plate and roll log in sugar, gently pressing it into sides to adhere, until evenly coated. Tightly wrap in plastic and chill in freezer at least 30 minutes.
Step 6
Place racks in upper and lower thirds of oven and preheat to 350°. Cut log into ⅓"-thick rounds. (If the dough is too cold to slice and starts to crumble, let sit at room temperature 10 minutes, then try again.) Divide shortbread between 2 parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing at least 2" apart. Chill in freezer 15 minutes.
Step 7
Bake shortbread, rotating pans top to bottom and front to back halfway through, until matte looking, fragrant, and golden brown around the edges, 20–24 minutes. Let cool on baking sheets.
Do ahead: Dough can be made 1 week ahead. Keep frozen.