We doubled up on the matcha in this recipe- the cookies themselves are made with matcha, and the candy coating has matcha in it too! Because you can never have too much matcha.

The cookies are crisp and buttery like the original, but more delicious and higher quality because they’re made with real ingredients!

The matcha animal cookies are dunked in candy melts that we added matcha to, making the coating just like the original too!

Ingredients for frosted matcha animal cookies

 

 

Here’s everything you’ll need to make these:

• Unsalted butter
• Powdered sugar
• Egg
• Vanilla
• Jade Leaf Culinary Grade Matcha
• All-purpose flour
• Baking soda
• Salt
• White candy melts
• Vegetable oil
• Rainbow nonpareils

 

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How to make frosted matcha animal cookies

 

 

Make the dough

First, lets make the dough. Beat the butter and sugar together until the mixture is creamy. Next, incorporate the egg and vanilla. Lastly, the dry ingredients are added and mixed until a dough starts to come together.

Turn the dough out onto a piece of plastic wrap, and form it into a ball. Wrap the ball in the plastic wrap and flatten it into a disc about 1 inch thick. Transfer the dough to the fridge to chill for about 30 minutes.

 

Roll the dough and bake

When you’re ready to make the cookies, pull the dough out of the fridge and let it sit at room temperature to soften a bit, so it’s easier to roll.

Lightly flour your work surface, your rolling pin, and the top of the dough and start rolling out the dough, until it’s about ¼ inch thick. Start cutting out your animal shapes!

Tip: use an offset spatula to lift the delicate shapes from your work surface to the baking sheet without damaging them.

Keep gathering together the scraps and rolling out the dough until all of it has been used up.

Bake the cookies for 8-10 minutes at 350ºF.

Decorate

To decorate these frosted matcha animal cookies, we did three different colors/ flavors: 

• White: vanilla, plain candy melts
• Light green- ½ teaspoon of matcha
• Dark green- 2 teaspoons of matcha 

Feel free to add or subtract the amounts of matcha based on your coloring/flavor preferences!

First, melt white candy melts in a microwave safe bowl in 30-second intervals, stirring in between, until they are completely melted. At this point, you can add some vegetable oil the the melted candy to loosen it up and make it easier to work with.

Divide the melted candy between three bowls. Sift in ½ teaspoon to one bowl, and 2 teaspoons to another. Leave the third one white.

Using a fork, dunk the animal cookies into the candy melts. Allow the excess to drip off, then transfer to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Sprinkle with the rainbow nonpareils immediately after coating.

Alternate dunking the cookies between the white, light green, and dark green. Pop the bowls back into the microwave for 30 seconds if the candy starts to harden as you’re decorating. Also, feel free to add more vegetable oil as you see fit.

Allow the cookies to harden before removing them from the parchment paper. Store the cookies in an airtight container, up to two weeks.

We know you are going to absolutely love these frosted matcha animal cookies! Enjoy and happy baking!

Frosted Matcha Animal Cookies

 

 

 

Ingredients:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• ¼ cup Culinary Grade Matcha
• 1/ teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 12 tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature
• ¾ cups powdered sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

For the coating

• 24 ounces white candy melts
• 3 tbsp vegetable oil
• 2 ½ teaspoons culinary grade matcha, divided and sifted
• Rainbow nonpareils 

Directions

1. In a large bowl, sift together flour, matcha, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
2. Place butter in the bowl of an electric mixer. Beat butter until creamy, about 1 minute. Add powdered sugar, beat again until creamy and well-combined. Add the egg and vanilla; beat until combined. Add flour mixture; beat on low stepped until dough comes together, about 1-2 minutes.
3. Turn dough out onto piece of plastic wrap, and form it into a ball. Wrap the ball in plastic wrap and flatten it into a disc about 1 inch thick. Transfer the dough to the fridge to chill for about 30 minutes.
4. When ready to make the cookies, take the dough out of the fridge and let it sit at room temperature to soften, so it’s easier to roll. Remove from plastic wrap; lightly flour your work surface, your rolling pin, and the top of the dough and start rolling out the dough, until it’s about ¼ inch thick. Start cutting out animal shapes. Using an offset spatula, transfer shapes to a parchment lined baking sheet and bake at 350ºF for 8-10 minutes.
5. To decorate: Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Melt candy melts in a microwave safe bowl in 30-second intervals, stirring in between, until they are completely melted. Stir in the vegetable oil. Divide melted candy between three bowls. Add ½ teaspoon sifted matcha to one bowl and whisk to combine. Add 2 teaspoons sifted matcha to another bowl, and whisk to combine.
6. Using a fork, dunk the animal cookies into the candy melts. Allow the excess to drip off, then transfer to prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle with rainbow nonpareils immediately after coating. Alternate dipping cookies between the three colors. Allow the cookies to harden before removing them from the parchment paper. Store the cookies in an airtight container, up to two weeks.

Lauren is a food photographer and recipe developer originally from southwest Florida, currently living in Boston, MA. She is a graduate of the University of Central Florida, where she studied anthropology and humanities and cultural studies. When Lauren isn’t creating delicious matcha recipes for Jade Leaf, you can find her in the kitchen dreaming up unique recipes for her blog Lala’s Kitchen Table, or posting mouthwatering food pics on her Instagram @lalaskitchentable!