This is one of my favorite cookies for an afternoon tea. For the coarse sea salt I like to use the Flor de Sal d’Es Trenc Sri Lanka, which contains a blend of coriander seeds, turmeric, fenugreek, cardamom, chilli, black pepper, cayenne, cinnamon, cloves, and, of course, coarse sea salt. I was lucky enough to have a great harvest of chamomile flowers in my garden this year, which I dried in the dehydrator for about 24 hours at 95 degrees Fahrenheit.
Makes approximately 40 1 1/2 inch cookies)
INGREDIENTS
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp matcha powder
½ tsp kosher salt
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
½ cup lightly packed brown sugar
½ tsp almond extract
1 TB dried chamomile flowers
Coarse sea salt, such as Flor de Sal d’Es Trenc
PROCEDURE
Preheat the oven to 325°. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, matcha powder and salt. In a large bowl or bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar until fluffy. Add the almond extract. Add the dry ingredients and mix until a dough forms (it may be slightly crumbly).
Turn the dough out onto a work surface and knead once or twice to bring any loose crumbs together. Roll the dough out to 1/2-inch thickness and cut out 1 1/2-inch squares. Place the squares about 1/2 inch apart on the baking sheets and sprinkle with the chamomile and coarse sea salt.
Bake for 20-25 minutes until the cookies are just lightly browned. Let cool and serve.
