March Ends

As March ends so does a month of kale, quinoa and chicken. Some recipes more successful than others, all fun, and I’m glad to be moving on to April, or am I? After this endless, snowy, dreary, cold, really endless, winter, which I seem to have spent 99% of in my kitchen, cooking and eating, maybe a bit too much, I am giving myself a new challenge. April, in addition to being the start of quarter two, is also the start of a new year for me; my 56th. Inspired by a (much) younger friend I created a Birthday Celebration Pinterest Board of quotes that are meaningful to me, and which I invite you to peruse. So, on to the April challenge…

If you’re a regular reader, you’ve probably noticed I’m not a huge fan of self-improvement, though I did join a gym in January, and now swim three and sometime even four times a week! I try to sneak these things in when I’m not looking. For my April challenge, I am giving up sugar! As my daughter says; there’s a lot of things that have sugar in them… Yes, that’s true, so obviously stuff like ice cream and matcha-white chocolate chip cookies are out, but there are all those things that aren’t so blatant, like gefilte fish. OK, I know I only eat that once a year, but that once will be happening soon.

My plan is to get through April and then assess how I’m feeling and how many casualties have resulted. I like to think I’m not a sugar junkie, but who am I kidding? Just because I don’t drink soda, or eat cereal doesn’t make me all that virtuous. I like chocolate, and I’ve certainly admitted my love of ice cream, I eat pancakes with maple syrup, and though I don’t like ketchup I do like hoisin sauce and spring roll sauce. There is definitely a whole lot more that I’m not admitting to you or myself… And there is dining out, and dessert, and drinks, and sauces, sauces of all sorts. I will try to do this without driving myself or my loved ones insane.

This past weekend was the last weekend of spring break, and it poured most of the last two days. I have been meaning to make this cookie recipe for a few months, I’ve had the ingredients on hand, and for one reason or another kept putting it off. Yesterday, a day too soggy to venture out, and anticipating a month (at least) sugar-free, my daughter and I made them. I used a recipe found online, but have adapted it. The cookies aren’t overly sweet, and if you like a green tea flavored beverage from your favorite coffee house, you’ll love these matcha-white chocolate chunk cookies! The recipe made a lot of cookies, but we brought some to a friend who had a lovely birthday party for Rachel and me, and we’ll finish them tomorrow, the last day of March! 

Green Tea and White Chocolate Chunk Cookies

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Serves	40
Prep time	30 minutes
Cook time	20 minutes
Total time	50 minutes
Website	Mikasa Modern Meals

Ingredients

• 2 1/4 cups flour
• 2 heaped tablespoons green tea powder (matcha)
• 2/3 cups butter (softened)
• 3/4 cups powdered sugar
• 2 egg yolks
• 1 egg
• 3oz high quality white chocolate (chopped)
• pinch of salt

Directions

Step 1

Sift flour and matcha together

Step 2

Cream butter, salt and sugar until fluffy

Step 3

Add the egg yolks one at a time, finishing with the whole egg, beat until egg is completely incorporated

Step 4

At low speed slowly add flour-matcha mixture, add chocolate and mix until blended

Step 5

Shape dough into two long logs, 1" think and about 10" long Wrap in plastic and refrigerate at least one hour, can be kept overnight

Step 6

Preheat oven to 300F Slice dough into 1/4" rounds, bake on parchment paper, for twenty minutes, rotating halfway through