Unusual Colored Tea Cookies Without Dyes

I like to cook very much and do it often, but I rarely do any baking. It should be something truly unusual, interesting and extremely attractive.

One of these recipes, which won me over with its simplicity in preparation, unusual appearance and interesting composition, I want to share with you.

These are cookies made using tea.

I used 2 types of tea: ground green Japanese matcha tea and ground blue Thai flower tea anchan.

As a result, these 2 teas gave completely different taste and aroma in baked goods. The blue tea cookies turned out to be more delicate in taste, slightly sweeter with a light floral aroma, I personally liked a little more.

Green cookies will definitely become a favorite dessert for matcha lovers, they are very similar in smell and taste to this brewed tea. Very rich and vibrant.

In general, the recipe is striking in its simplicity, and due to its unusual appearance, it is an ideal dessert to amaze guests with delicious and unusual cookies.

Step 1: Ingredients

For green cookies:

1.5 tsp. matcha tea, 120 g powdered sugar, 120 g cold butter, 200-220 g flour, 1 egg, 2 tbsp. black sesame

For blue-violet cookies:

1.5 tsp. ground blue Thai flower tea anchan, 120 g of powdered sugar, 120 g of cold butter, 200-220 g of flour, 1 egg, 2 tbsp. white sesame

Powdered sugar can be bought ready-made, or you can grind the sugar in a blender or coffee grinder. I have flour, powdered sugar and butter for both types of cookies in the same plate for ease of photography and use. In the future, I just took half of the ingredients for each colour, weighing them.

Step 2: Prepare the Flour

Sift the whole flour through a sieve so that it is light, clean, airy and well saturated with oxygen.

Step 3: Ingredients Separating

Divide flour and powdered sugar in half (120g powdered sugar and 200g flour) for use with different types of tea.

Step 4: Combine Dry Ingredients for the Green Cookies

Combine the powdered sugar, green tea (matcha) and flour in a blender.

Step 5: It Should Become a Dough

Add diced butter and egg. Mix in a pulse mode until the mass begins to collect around the knives.

Step 6: Make the Dough Even More Interesting

Pour black sesame seeds into the prepared mass and mix well.

Step 7: A Cold Green Sausages

Form 2 cylinders from the finished dough, wrap them in baking paper, tightly twisting the ends of the paper, put in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.

Step 8: Do You Want Blue-purple Sausages? Repeat It!

Repeat the same for blue-purple cookies only with blue Thai tea and white sesame seeds.

• In a blender, combine the second half of the flour, the other half of the powdered sugar and blue tea.
• Then add the diced butter and egg. Mix in the same way in a pulse mode until the mass begins to collect around the knives.
• Then add white sesame seeds.
• Also, divide the dough into 2 parts and form 2 cylinders from them, wrap them in baking paper, tightly twisting the ends of the paper and also put them in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.

Step 9: Colored Sweet Circles

Get the cylinders out of the refrigerator, remove the paper, cut each cylinder into circles about 1.5 cm thick. I first cut a little thick, about 2 cm, then I realized that it was too thick and cut each piece in half. My thickness turned out to be rather 1 cm.

Step 10: It's Cold Not Enough

Cover a baking sheet or other suitable shape (I have a large glass baking dish) with baking paper. Put the circles on a baking sheet, leaving a sufficient distance between them, my cookies are a little cramped, this becomes visible a little later, so put them away from each other. Put it all back in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Step 11: We Are Really Close to the End: Bake It!

Preheat the oven to 180°C/356°F, take out the cookies and bake immediately on the upper oven level for about 10-12 minutes. It is important to ensure that during the baking process, the cookies are browned only from the bottom, and the sides and top are not.

Step 12: Chill It... Again?

The hot cookies are very soft, they need to be cooled on a baking sheet for 5-7 minutes, and then gently transferred to a flat surface to cool completely. I took it out right along with the paper and put it on the board. Then it was carefully separated from the paper and left to cool completely on the board. After the cookies have cooled, they will harden.

Step 13: Enjoy!

Finish! Incredibly simple unusual bright cookies without the use of dye is ready!

Can be served in the classic style with milk or tea. What is another cool thing about this cookie? It can be easily cut into shapes even after cooling completely. I experimented with round shapes and the photos show how both types of cookies cut beautifully and hold their shape perfectly.

In the process of cooking, my team of eating eaters and I came up with some more interesting ideas that we ourselves have not yet had time to try. But just in case, I'll tell you if someone wants to try.

1. You can take lavender flowers, which is very often used in cooking, finely grind it into dust in a coffee grinder or a small blender bowl. Presumably, you will get a delicate lilac color and, of course, a unique aroma and taste of lavender.
2. You can take African rooibos, which is used to brew herbal tea. It is extremely healthy and slightly sweet in taste, so you may need a little less sugar. The suggested color is red-orange or red-brown. The taste is indescribable herbal aroma.
3. You can take karkade tea of bright red or burgundy color with hibiscus petals. It tastes sweet and sour, I think it will add a gentle sourness to the cookies, making it even more interesting.

And, of course, you can experiment with spices add vanilla, cinnamon, mint or lemon, or something else that seems tasty and appropriate to you :)

I wish you a bright flight of imagination and daring experiments! Let everything work out!