Freedom! Yesterday I finally took my last final, wrapping up my last first semester at Penn. It was a bittersweet feeling to be halfway through senior year already, but instead of dwelling on mixed emotions, what was I most eager to do next? Blog about cookies!

I always love baking cookies, but there’s no time for cookies like the holidays. For the third year now, Crystal and I have baked and delivered cookies (read: brain food) during finals week to our friends. And this year, we collaborated with our good friend Amy for an 8-hour marathon of cookie baking (the easy part!), goodie bag assembling, card writing, route optimizing, and at long last delivering!

The trifecta: Amy’s salted cashew toffee bars + Crystal’s peanut butter blossoms + Felicia’s matcha candy cane cookies

As an only once-a-year tradition, deciding on the right cookie to make is always a cherished challenge. This year I had in mind something seasonally flavored of course but also festively colored, which led me down the path to peppermint and matcha. An unconventional combo that’s a new favorite in my book!

Matcha Candy Cane Cookies

Makes 25 small cookies

Ingredients

• ¼+ ¾ cup sugar, divided
• ¼ cup crushed candy canes
• 1 stick butter, softened
• 1 egg
• ½ tsp vanilla
• 1 ⅔ cups (200g) all-purpose flour
• 1 tbsp matcha powder
• ½ tsp baking soda
• ¼ tsp salt

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line cookie sheet with silicon mat or parchment paper.
2. In a small bowl, mix together 1/4 cup sugar and the crushed candy canes. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, beat together 3/4 cup sugar, butter, egg, and vanilla with an electric mixer.
4. In a separate bowl, mix together flour, matcha powder, baking soda, and salt. On low speed, add this mixture to the butter mixture till just combined.
5. Refrigerate the dough for an hour (Don’t skip this step! If you do , the cookies will flatten when baking and you won’t get that crinkled look).
6. Scoop dough into 1 tbsp portions. Roll in sugar/candy mixture to coat.
7. Bake 10 minutes; cookies will be puffed with tops slightly cracked. Let cool fully before transferring.

Ready to be baked!

Fresh from the oven

Cooling

Cooled