Hojicha Shortbread (Print Version)

Buttery shortbread cookies delicately infused with roasted hojicha tea for warm, nutty notes. Easy to make and perfectly melt-in-your-mouth.

# What You'll Need:

→ Dry Ingredients

01 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 2 tablespoons hojicha powder
03 - 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

→ Wet Ingredients

04 - 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
05 - 2/3 cup powdered sugar
06 - 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

# How To Make It:

01 - In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, hojicha powder, and salt. Set aside.
02 - In a large mixing bowl, cream the softened butter and powdered sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, approximately 2 minutes.
03 - Add the vanilla extract and mix until fully incorporated.
04 - Gradually add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture, mixing just until a soft dough forms.
05 - Divide the dough in half. Shape each half into a log approximately 1.5 inches in diameter. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes until firm.
06 - Preheat oven to 325°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
07 - Slice the chilled dough into 1/4-inch thick rounds and arrange on prepared baking sheets, spacing them 1 inch apart.
08 - Bake for 18–20 minutes, or until the edges are just lightly golden.
09 - Cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • They're buttery enough to dissolve the moment they hit your mouth, but the hojicha gives you this sophisticated, toasty flavor that feels like a secret.
  • No mixer drama, no temperamental doughs—just straightforward mixing that lets you focus on the actually fun part: eating warm cookies with tea.
02 -
  • Overworking the dough is the one real mistake you can make here—mix just until you don't see flour anymore, then stop, because a few extra turns of the mixer means tough, dense cookies instead of melt-in-your-mouth ones.
  • The temperature of your butter matters more than you'd think; if it's too soft, your cookies spread into thin wafers, but if it's too cold, they won't cream properly and you'll end up with a grainy texture.
03 -
  • Slice your dough with a very sharp, thin-bladed knife dipped in hot water and wiped dry between each cut—this prevents smudging and gives you clean, pretty rounds that bake evenly.
  • If your kitchen is warm, work quickly and return your dough log to the fridge if it starts getting soft; warm dough spreads in the oven instead of holding its shape.
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