Matcha Gingerbread Men

Preheat an oven to 325°F (165°C). Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the flat beater, beat together the butter and confectioners’ sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the vanilla and beat until incorporated, about 1 minute.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, matcha and salt until well blended. Sift the flour mixture over the butter mixture and beat on low speed until the flour is completely incorporated and the dough has come together nicely, about 2 minutes.

Transfer the dough to a work surface. Gently knead the dough and shape it into a flattened disk. Place the dough between 2 sheets of parchment paper and roll out into a rectangle that is uniformly 1/4 to 3/8 inch (6 mm to 1 cm) thick.

Cut out gingerbread men (or any other shape). Place on the prepared baking sheet, spacing the cookies about 2 inches (5 cm) apart. Gather up the dough scraps, gently knead them into a ball, shape into a flattened disk and reroll, then cut out more cookies.

Bake until the cookies are set, about 15 minutes. Transfer the baking sheet to a wire rack and let the cookies cool completely on the sheet.

In a double boiler over low heat, melt the white chocolate, stirring continuously until just melted.

Remove the white chocolate from the double boiler and stir until completely smooth, then scoop the chocolate into a piping bag fitted with a #2 decorating tip. If you are decorating little men, start by outlining the edges of each cookie, then decorate the cookies as desired. Makes about 16 cookies.

Recipe by Bella Karragiannidis, creator of the blog ful.filled