Today’s topic is: This is How We Do Christmas

Ah Christmas. It always sneaks up on us!

We usually keep it simple during Christmas. Christmas tree, presents, and cookies!

I’m just going to focus on cookies I made for Christmas this year.

So the past few years, I’ve been making and sending cookies to Seattle. That’s where my husband’s mentor lives – they used to work together but his mentor since retired. A few years ago, his wife sent a big box full of Christmas goodies, from fudge and peanut brittle to cookies of all sorts. It was

This year, I made stamped matcha shortbread and melt-in-your-mouth peanut cookies (links are to recipes). The matcha shortbread recipe is adapted from a citrus shortbread recipe, I just added about two tablespoons of matcha powder to the recipe instead of the citrus zest and flavour.

I was quite pleased with this adaptation. This is a matcha Neapolitan cookie. The original recipe calls for both matcha and hojicha powder. I didn’t have hojicha but guessed that cocoa powder would do fine. And it did work. Also, I like that it’s relatively easy to make.

This is a delightful cookie. As I can’t leave recipes alone, I added some five spice powder and some freeze-dried strawberries. Five spice powder after all has cinnamon and cloves right, so I figure it’s Christmassy in an Asian way keke. I think I’ll add more five spice next time. And yes, there will be a next time. These cookies were delicious. A little bit harder to cut from the logs though, so just be careful when slicing them.

I always use this recipe for biscotti. But this year, I added some black sesame seeds.