Happy Birthday to Me

I had the best birthday yesterday!  

No, I didn't celebrate. I was working from 8.30am to 5.30pm and attended class from 7pm to 9pm.  My bosses don't even know it is my birthday.

Why did I say I had the best birthday?  Well, it's because I am grateful that the man in house take care of the kids when I have to attend class 4 times a week.  On top of that I was flooded with lots of love and birthday wishes from all my Facebook friends.  Truly blessed 100%!

I saw Adeline posted picture of her latest bake - Matcha sablé cookies - shaped into monster fingers, it's cute and just in time for Halloween treats.  

Today, I baked a test batch and I plan to bake more to give to my colleagues and 
classmates.

Matcha sablé cookies 
Recipe by Keiko Ishida

Ingredients

240g cake flour* (chilled)
15g matcha powder (green tea powder)
150g butter (at room temperature)
90g icing sugar (note: the original recipe calls for 130g icing sugar)
pinch salt
2 egg yolks
Egg white (for brushing)

Method
1. Sift chilled cake flour and matcha powder twice. Set aside.
2. Beat butter, sugar and salt in a stand mixer until soft and creamy.
3. Add in the egg yolks one at a time, mixing well after the addition of each yolk.
4. Fold in the flour/green tea powder mix with a spatula. 
5. Wrap the dough with clingfilm, and chill in the fridge for 15 minutes. 
6. Divide dough into two portions. Place both portions on two pieces of parchment paper of clingfilm, and shape them into logs of about 2.5 cm diameter. Wrap the logs up and chill in the fridge until firm (I left it overnight). The dough can be frozen in the freezer for about 2 months.
7. Preheat the oven to 150°C.
8. Take the dough out of the fridge, and roll them in granulated sugar. Cut logs into 7mm thick rounds, and place the sliced cookie dough on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.**
9. Bake for 20 minutes (until the cookies start to brown slightly), then remove and leave to cook on a wire rack before serving. Cookies can be kept in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 10 days.

**to shape into fingers, take 20g dough and roughly shape into a narrow log, placed one blanched almond as the finger nails and brush red colouring at the sides.


Enjoy!