, Okay so any tips on how to cure intense weeks-long cravings for croissants, puff pastry, kouign amann, cream puffs, baklava, basically any kind of pastry would be GREATLY appreciated because ever since I returned from Barcelona (occasion: work trip #holla), I cannot stop dreaming about puffy golden dough with flaky melt-in-your-mouth layers.
And no, these cravings definitely have nothing to do with my newfound addiction to the Great British Bake Off (about 8 years late to the party as usual) and no, eliminating it is not an option. I have basically commandeered Dan’s shared Netflix account to the point where a co-Netflixer said that he “accidentally checked Dan’s viewing history and saw that it was 100% GBBO.” To which Dan said, in his best Australian accent,* “yes, that is definitely all me.”
*FYI the accent was not a put-upon accent, it was just his real-life voice because I fell so in love with Australia that I had to ensnare a genuine Australian in Houston for the short-term output of finding a GBBO watch companion and pancake-maker and the long-term goal of being kidnapped by him and stowed in a suitcase back to Melbourne to live in a tasteful townhouse ideally located within walking distance to the best pancake in the world. And that is my definition of #goals I’ve even gone as far as to look for apartments that would suit these goals on sites like https://buymelbourneapartments.com.au/ and to be honest I only want it more now. The plan is teasing my soul, I might do it.
But…on the way to the long-term, there is the short-term, and in the short-term I go to coffee shops where two times too many I’ve gotten matcha lattes that taste like dirty water *thumbs down* Houston needs to step up her game!
I finally ended up in my kitchen to combine my undying cravings for pastry and unfulfilled feels about matcha in these cookies. Which evolved into s’mores because we had marshmallows leftover from my roommate’s birthday camping trip. And random chocolate pudding in the fridge. Because am I the only one who hates the Hershey bars that get stuck into normal camping s’mores? The chocolate never melts even when you plunge it into the center of a toasted s’more, so you always get this weird hybrid of gooey warm marshmallow and cold, rock-hard chocolate and the ratio is all wrong.
Thus, I made s’mores 3 ways: traditional (normal chocolate), chocolate-dipped (I melted chocolate and coconut oil together for a magic shell-like layer) and with a spoon of chocolate pudding smeared over one cracker. The pudding version reigned supreme with my tastebuds, but chocolate rant aside, using good-quality matcha also definitely helps with the finished product. I’d be v curious to try the matcha cookies with white chocolate too. In my humble opinion, matcha and marshmallow is a combo knocking on heaven’s door, so you should get on these crispy yet tender, vaguely flaky, sort of good-for-you (the health benefits of matcha could wallpaper my room!) cookies stat!
Notes
I tried these cookies with olive oil and they were just not the same–coconut oil combined with the almond extract adds a subtle perfume to the cookies that balances the grassy notes of the matcha. Make sure to sift your ingredients since powdered sugar and cornstarch can be clumpy and you want the matcha to be smoothly incorporated! The fork marks are not only for decoration but also to keep giant air bubbles from ballooning through your cookies (which happened to me anyway, but they’ll deflate out of the oven). Feel free to stamp these out in 4-leaf clover shapes for next St. Patrick’s Day since I think that would be the second most perfect usage for these.
Thanks Aiya Matcha for sponsoring this post, and thank you for reading, as always! All opinions are my own, and I think this socially-conscious, family-owned matcha company is very cool and worth checking out.
Matcha S'mores
Ingredients
For the matcha shortbread:
- ½ cup + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1.5 teaspoons Aiya matcha powder
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoons coconut oil melted
- ¼ teaspoon almond extract
- 1-2 teaspoons water
To assemble:
- ~6 marshmallows
- dark chocolate or your favorite chocolate pudding
Instructions
Make the shortbread:
- Sift the flour, powdered sugar, cornstarch, matcha and salt together. Whisk in the coconut oil and almond extract in the center of the dry ingredients to form a paste, then gradually incorporate the rest of the dry ingredients. If dough is too crumbly, add additional water 1/2 teaspoon at a time.
- Roll out dough to about 1/4" thickness. Score the cookies in a square pattern and use a fork to stab a few holes in each square.
- Bake at 325 for 12-14 minutes, or until cookies are still soft to touch, but are just barely brown and set around the edges. Let cool before breaking along your scored lines.
To assemble:
- Preheat broiler to 475 and place marshmallows on a small greased baking sheet. Broil until golden, keeping an eye on them the entire time. Sandwich each marshmallow between two cookies with a smear of pudding or a block of dark chocolate and eat!
laurasmess
Not Melbourne, PERTH!!! PERTH I TELL YOU!!!
I totally 100% claim rights to determine your Australian residency before Dan because, well, I knew you first, right??! Although I prob can’t complete against Top Paddock pancakes and… well, Dan. Ah romance.
Just promise you’ll both come visit me k?
And these s’mores. HEART EYE EMOJI xxx
erika
Haha he actually is from Perth!!! I just want him to take me to Melbourne 😉 But he legit is going back to renew his visa probably next year so I WANT TO COME WITH AND SEE YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Cathleen @ A Taste of Madness
This looks amazing!! I LOVE matcha and smores! I think I will save this recipe for the summer.
erika
Thank you so much Cathleen!! Let summer be here ASAP so we can eat allll the s’mores 😉
Shikha
I hope there will be photos to come of your Spain trip soon – even if it was just for work!!
erika
Thanks lady!! They are coming!!
fatimah
so yummy!! and those toasted marshmallow *drool*
erika
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Tori//Gringalicious.com
These are wonderful! Such a brilliant combination of flavors.
erika
Thank you so much Tori!