Genmaicha is a green tea with roasted, popped brown rice. It has a warm, full, nutty flavour and it is one of my favourite teas to drink in the evenings! No milk or sweeteners are needed because the tea is delicious on its own.
As a child, I knew genmaicha as popcorn tea, which is the colloquial term used amongst Japanese individuals. This tea can also be known as brown rice tea or roasted green tea, and it is becoming a popular option at bubble tea shops and cafés. If you are looking to try it, large packages of genmaicha can be purchased from major grocery stores for about $5, which is great value.
At Whisk Matcha in Vancouver, I tried a genmaicha oat latte on my first visit. This was the first genmaicha latte that I have seen, and the latte was made from ground genmaicha powder. In order to make my own genmaicha lattes at home, I purchased stone-milled powder from Paragon Tea Room. Using a powdered form of tea is a way to get stronger flavours into lattes and baked goods. The absence of needing to steep the tea also allows you to add tea flavours to recipes that do not use water or milk.
For my first ever genmaicha baked treat, I present to you a chunky genmaicha cookie filled with red bean paste. Red bean paste is known as anko in Japan, and I purchased the smooth, red bean paste used in this recipe from a local Asian grocery store. This paste is sweetened and ready to use, and I store it in the freezer for longer shelf-life.
For the dough, I used a chunky, thick base that mimics Levain bakery cookies (those jumbo thick cookies from New York City). To preserve the bumpy surface which gives you more crispy surface area with pockets of soft cookie, do not press and roll the dough together. When forming the dough balls, lightly collect and press the dough. This makes stuffing these cookies a little bit more challenging than other stuffed cookie recipes, but it still works.
Note that I used 1 heaped tablespoon of genmaicha in these cookies, however this amount of tea flavour can be too overpowering or bitter for some people. You may wish to try 1/2 tablespoon (1.5 – 2 teaspoons) first.
Also, the cookies here are a soft-baked variety. If you prefer a more set cookie, keep them in the oven for the longer suggested time. Whenever you are following a cookie recipe, check your cookies often as bake times vary between ovens and living area.
If you try the genmaicha red bean-filled cookie recipe, let me know on Instagram at @takeontreats and #takeontreats!
Genmaicha Red Bean-Filled Cookies
Ingredients:
- 190 g cold, cubed butter or vegan butter
- 125 g white sugar
- 125 g brown sugar
- 420 g flour
- 10 g baking powder
- 1/2 – 1 tbsp genmaicha powder, depending on desired strength of flavour
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 eggs
- couple tbsp of red bean paste
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 350F/180C. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Optional: Scoop red bean paste and form small balls. Place in container and freeze while combining dough.
- Combine butter and sugars until butter is broken into nuggets and covered with sugar. Do not mix to a point the mixture is smooth and creamed. Note: All mixing steps can be done in a stand mixer, with an electric hand mixer or by hand.
- Mix in flour, genmaicha powder, baking powder, and salt. Do not overmix – stop when everything has combined and no large clumps of flour are visible.
- Beat the eggs together in a separate bowl. Mix in eggs until the mixture is combined. Dough will be loose but will hold together when pressed.
- Gather about 25 g of dough and flatten slightly with a dent in the centre. Take red bean paste balls out of freezer and place one ball into dough, or scoop about a tsp of red bean paste and place onto the centre. Gather 25-30 g more dough and put on top of the other half of the dough and red bean paste. Gently press together and form a ball. Do not press and roll the dough together to avoid compacting the dough.
- Place dough balls onto a baking sheet. These cookies do not spread a lot, so leave about an inch or 3 cm of space between each ball.
- Bake on centre rack for 10-14 minutes, depending on desired firmness and your oven.
- Allow to cool for a couple of minutes on the baking sheet before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
The base dough recipe is adapted from Cupcake Jemma.
