Ingredients

Basic Cookie Dough
• 1/2 cup / 113 g unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1/4 cup / 55 g granulated sugar
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp fine salt
• 1 cup / 150 g all-purpose flour
Matcha Snowball Variation (makes 24 cookies)
• 1/4 cup / 20 g Japanese toasted brown rice (dough inclusion)
• 1/2 cup / 70 g icing sugar (finishing)
• 1 tbsp / 7 g matcha powder (finishing)
Coffee Walnut Variation (makes 12 wedges in a 7 inch fluted tart pan)
• 1/3 cup / 40 g toasted walnuts, roughly chopped (dough inclusion)
• 1 tbsp / 4.5 g finely ground coffee (dough inclusion)
• 2 tbsp coarse sugar or granulated sugar (finishing)
Coconut Thumbprint Variation
• 1/4 cup / 20 g toasted unsweetened fine shredded coconut (dough inclusion)
• 15 g / 2 tbsp unsweetened fine shredded coconut (finishing)
• good quality jam and/or good quality white chocolate (finishing)

Method

Basic Cookie Dough
1. In a stand mixer bowl, with a paddle attachment (or use an electric mixer) beat butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes, add vanilla extract to incorporate.
2. Add flour and salt, mix on low speed only until a dough starts to form, stop mixer, scrape bowl.
3. At this stage mix in the respective dough inclusions and incorporate briefly until they are evenly distributed. Do not over-mix! (For example, if you are making the coffee walnut variation, you would add the toasted walnuts and ground coffee.)
Matcha Snowball Variation
4. Preheat oven to 400 F / 205 C. Line a cookie sheet with parchment
5. Divide the dough in half. Roll one half into a 12 inch rope, divide into 1 inch pieces. Roll each piece into a round ball with your palms. Continue with the rest of the dough.
6. Place cookies evenly spaced in cookie sheet. Bake for 10-15 minutes, rotating halfway, until the edges turn slightly golden brown.
7. While baking, prepare the dusting mixture - sift icing sugar and matcha powder into a medium mixing bowl.
8. After the cookies have come out of the oven, cool them for 5 minutes, and coat them in the dusting mixture, working 3-4 pieces at a time. Cool on cooling rack. When they have completely cooled, dust them again in the mixture to ensure a nice and even coating.
Coffee Walnut Variation
9. Preheat oven to 350 F / 175 C.
10. Turn dough into the tart pan or cake pan with a removable bottom, pat down dough so it is leveled to the edges. Prick the dough all over with a fork. Sprinkle sugar evenly onto the surface.
11. Bake for 30-35 minutes, until the edges are golden brown, rotating halfway through. Cool completely. Carefully cut into 12 wedges with a serrated knife.
Coconut Thumbprint Variation
12. Preheat oven to 350 F/ 175 C.
13. Divide dough evenly into quarters, divide each quarter into 4 balls, roll in shredded coconut.
14. Place onto cookie sheet, make an indentation onto each cookie. If you are making ones with white chocolate, gently press a piece of white chocolate into the center, and bake for 20-22 minutes, rotating pan halfway, until lightly brown.
15. If making jam thumbprints, bake cookies for 10 minutes, take out, gently reshape the center cavity with a spoon, fill with about 1/2 teaspoon of jam. Return to oven to bake for 10-12 more minutes until lightly brown.