Delightful Zebra-Striped Matcha Shortbread Cookies made with only 6 ingredients. They are easier to make than they look and totally worth the effort.
Do you still remember my previous Zebra-Striped Shortbread Cookies? These Zebra-Striped Matcha Shortbread Cookies are the matcha version from those cookies. This time, I use matcha cookie dough instead of chocolate dough for these cookies and alternating the layers with vanilla cookie dough.
It looks complicated, but trust me that it is much easier than you think to pull off. If you have watched the previous video tutorial, I believe that you know that these cookies are so easy to make. You don’t need any rolling at all. The layers and shape are all created by hands. They are made into a log and when you are ready to bake, you just need to slice it into thin layers with a knife.
How to Make The Striped Pattern
You start by making the basic vanilla and matcha shortbread cookie dough. I already have my ideal ratio from my previous Matcha Shortbread Cookies. After you have made both flavors, it is time to layer them.
To do this, I divide each dough into two and stack them into 4 alternating layers. Press them gently but not evenly or your zebra pattern will be too neat. Then, cut vertically in the middle. Put one part overlay the other. Not you have 8 alternating layers.
Press, cut, and stack the dough again until you get 16 alternating layers. Press and roll the dough into a log. Cover with parchment paper or plastic wrap and chill until the dough is firm for at least 2 hours.
When ready to bake, cut the log into thin slices about 1/8 to 1/4-inch or about 3-5 mm. Put them into a prepared baking pan and make sure to leave about 2-inch in between because these cookies spread a lot. Bake for 13-15 minutes until the edges turn light brown. Transfer them to a cooling rack immediately.
I also provide the tutorial video on how I made these cookies. You will find the video below the recipe card and on my YouTube channel.
The Best Flour to Make Shortbread Cookies
You can use both all-purpose or cake flour for shortbread cookies. I personally like to use cake flour because it gives light, crisp, and tender textures to the cookies. If you use all-purpose flour, I find them softer and chewier than the ones made with cake flour.
If you still want don’t have cake flour but still want these lighter cookies, try converting from all-purpose flour to cake flour. Take one cup of all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled. Remove 2 tablespoons, and then add two tablespoons of cornstarch to the all-purpose flour.
Pro Tips
- Crumbly dough. After adding the flour, the dough will look crumbly at first. You need to work it with a spatula more until the dough is well incorporated. Make sure to use softened room temperature butter because you will need to work on it longer if using cold butter.
- Refrigerating the dough after mixing. If your dough is too soft or sticky to touch, refrigerate it for 20-30 minutes. The dough should be like a play-doh texture and not too soft and not too hard so that you can easily stack the layers and shape them into a log. Don’t leave it in the refrigerator too long or it will be too hard and the dough will not stick to each other when you stack them.
- Stacking the layers. It is best to use your hands to flatten the dough because the layers will be too neat if using a rolling pin. Try shaping the layers into a rectangle as much as possible after each cut and stacking so that you will get the same amount of layers on each slice.
- Shaping the log. Place cookie dough in the center of a large piece of parchment paper and use your hands to shape it into a rough log. Fold parchment in half over dough. Grasp bottom half of parchment. With your other hand, press a bench scraper or a ruler into a crease that forms between dough and parchment. Then, move scraper back and forth along the length of dough to even out cylinder. Roll parchment into cylinder and firmly twist ends together to form a tight seal.
Make These Cookies in Advance
These Zebra-Striped Matcha Shortbread Cookies can be made several days in advance. After you make the cookie log, you can refrigerate it, covered, for up to 3 days prior to baking.
If you are making shortbread dough longer than 3 days ahead of time, it is best to freeze the rolled and cut cookies. To do this, freeze the cut cookies on a parchment paper-lined baking pan for 1-2 hours. Then, remove them and stack them in an airtight freezer bag for up to 3 months. Make sure to bake the frozen cookies for a few minutes longer.
More Matcha Recipes
If you don’t know, I have tons of matcha dessert recipes on my blog. Here are some of them:
- Almond White Chocolate Matcha Cookies
- Matcha White Chocolate Brownies
- Matcha Pancakes
- Eggless Matcha Tiramisu Cake
- Matcha Panna Cotta
More Shortbread Cookies Recipes
While you are here, check out also these shortbread cookies flavors.
- Earl Grey Shortbread Cookies
- Matcha Shortbread Cookies
- Zebra-Striped Shortbread Cookies
- Masala Chai Shortbread Cookies
Zebra-Striped Matcha Shortbread Cookies
Delightful Zebra-Striped Matcha Shortbread Cookies made with only 6 ingredients. They are easier to make than they look and totally worth the effort.
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter (225 gr)
- 3/4 cup confectioners' sugar (90 gr)
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 1/4 cups cake flour/all-purpose flour (285 gr)
- 1 1/2 tbsp matcha powder
Instructions
Make The Cookie Dough
- Using a hand mixer or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream together butter, sugar, and vanilla extract, until well incorporated.
- Sift in the flour and salt. With a spatula, scrape the bowl and mix until the dough starts to come together with a spatula. The dough will look crumbly at first, but it will come together as you continue mixing.
- Divide the dough into 2 bowls evenly. Sift in matcha powder into a bowl and mix until well combined with a spatula.
- If the dough is too sticky to handle, refrigerate it for 20 minutes until just a little bit firmer.
Assemble
- Take half of the vanilla cookie dough and flatten it with your hand into a rough 6x3-inch/15x7.5 cm rectangle. Put the flattened dough onto a floured work surface. Take half of the matcha cookie dough and flatten it again into the same size rectangle. Put the flattened matcha cookie dough on top of the flattened vanilla cookie dough. Repeat the entire process so you have 4 alternating layers. (See video for the visual guide)
- Cut the layered dough vertically in the middle with a sharp knife. Then, put one part overlay the other and press and pat the dough. Cut again in the middle and stack the dough again. Press the dough into a log about 1.6-inch/4cm wide. (See video for the visual guide)
- Wrap the dough with parchment paper or plastic wrap. If the dough is too long, you can divide it into two and wrap them individually. Chill until very firm for at least 2 hours.
Bake
- Preheat oven to 355°F/180°C and line two baking pans with parchment papers.
- Slice the log into a 1/8 to 1/4-inch or about 3-5mm thick with a sharp knife. Arrange the slices on the baking pan, spacing 1-inch apart.
- Bake for 13-15 minutes or until the bottom edges of the cookies are golden brown in color. Rotate the baking sheets halfway through for even baking.
- Transfer to a wire sheet to cool completely.
Notes
Use cake flour for light, crisp, and tender cookies. Use all-purpose flour for softer and chewier cookies.
You can chill the cookie log, covered, for up to 3 days in the refrigerator.
If you plan to freeze, roll and slice the dough. Place the slices on a parchment paper-lined baking pan and freeze for 1-2 hours. Store the frozen slices in a plastic ziplock and freeze for up to 3 months. Make sure to bake a few minutes longer for frozen cookies.
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