Oh those cookies!!

Yes. These little beauties. Well they could have been, except if you missed last weeks episode of New Zealand's Hottest Home Baker I burnt them! Oops. I didn't mean to, I was just under a little pressure.
These cookies were a chance to show I could do different and slightly exciting, but done well. And I didn't do them well. So here's a chance at redeeming myself as well as offering everyone a chance to get in the kitchen and try them too.


Green Tea and Almond Cookies
125g butter
1/4 cup caster sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg
1 cup plain flour
1/4 cup cornflour
1 tablespoon green tea leaves
1/2 cup ground almonds


Cream butter and sugar together and then add the vanilla and egg. Stir in the flour, cornflour, tea and almond and mix until it forms a ball of dough like this:


Then knead and roll between two pieces of baking paper to about 5cm thick. Cut with any shaped cookie cutter you like. Cover and pop in fridge for 30 mins if its warm or if you are in a hurry don't worry too much. Place on tray and sprinkle lightly with some extra caster sugar:


And bake for 10mins in 180 deg C oven.

These are lovely and light and not at all sweet. Extra nice if served with a cup of green tea too!

This china set was bought by my father in law in Japan in the 70's for my mother in law as a gift and comes complete as a whole dinner service. So I thought it was quite fitting to feature it in this post.

And check out these GORGEOUS little stackable doll measuring cups! I got them from an old school friend for a birthday present and I've been dying to feature them in this blog. I love love love them! Thanks Vanessa!!


Also, as an aside I DID try so hard to find Matcha (green tea powder) for that episode but to no avail. It is certainly not available in any of the major supermarkets around here, and not all Asian groceries stock it. It's also quite expensive. $20 for a 30g pot is not something I'm gonna use often. So green tea leaves are perfectly acceptable and much easier and cheaper for your average (but hot) home baker.