stop throwing out your matcha latte and use it to make mochi cookies instead

why do people treat Asian food and ingredients like garbage?

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dear friend,

oh I was so mad this week. I WAS FUMING. Usually, I don’t get very mad. But I saw a girl throw a large cup of iced matcha latte into the sink. You know it’s been hot lately and there are people who are dehydrated across America. But here you have this “influencer” tossing a matcha latte, which she or someone bought, to make a clouty point on social media.

Here’s the reel in case you’re curious:

alexandra_ozz

A post shared by @alexandra_ozz

anyhoo, I won’t spend another second thinking of her and her wastefulness. But I did get an idea to turn matcha latte into another perfect summer cookie that is vegan and gluten-free: a matcha latte mochi cookie!

The outside is crispy while the inside is tender and chewy, like the finest boba or bounciest mochi. THESE ARE SO GOOD that my kiddo ate three the moment they came out of the oven and cooled a bit!!

This one-bowl recipe is relatively easy to perfect at home, though many have told me their batter ends up a little too runny or the cookies become too flat.

Here are some keys for success:

1. Don’t overmix the batter. You want it to be a mashed potato consistency. Once the batter is well-combined and reaches that consistency, stop mixing it. Let it rest for a few minutes on the counter.

2. Use mochiko or glutinous rice flour. I'm sorry, but if you use regular rice flour, you’ll have a very runny batter and a very flat cookie. Glutinous means sticky or glue-like by the way, not of gluten. These cookies are 100% gluten-free. Also I have had success 100% of the time using KODA FARM’s Mochiko. Someone used the green bag of glutinous rice flour you find in Asian supermarkets and the batter ended up too runny.

3. If the cookies are too sticky, grease your parchment paper. Because we’re adding blueberries, they will be stickier than my normal mochi cookies.

4. I will leave more tips and keys for success below for my premium subscribers. Please also check out my Blueberry Lemon Mochi Cookies recipe!

Kat Lieu’s One-Bowl Vegan and Gluten-Free Mochi Cookies Recipes (MATCHA LATTE with your favorite toppings)

Makes about 10 to 12 large cookies
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: About 14 minutes

Reel for reference:

katlieu

A post shared by @katlieu

Ingredients

For the cookies:

• 2 1/3 cups (about 350g) glutinous rice flour (like KODA FARM’s Mochiko)

• 2 cups (480ml) cold or warm matcha latte (I made it with 1 tbsp high-quality matcha, mixed with 1 cup of water, then 1 cup oat milk)

• 1 tablespoon neutral oil or olive oil (the oil keeps the cookies from sticking to the parchment paper)

• 1/2 cup (67g to 100g) granulated sugar, to taste (Sugar is the key to the crispness, by the way! Add more if you like sweeter cookies)

• 1 1/2 cups (about 200g) mix-ins of your choice (chocolate chips, dried fruit, nuts, etc.) Here I used a mix of chocolate chips, pistachios, sesame seeds, and dried cranberries.

• Note that a tablespoon of red or white miso will add a pleasant flavor, so feel free to also mix that in, or a little salt

For changing the cookie flavor

• 1 teaspoon ube or pandan extract

• 1 tablespoon cocoa powder for chocolate cookies

• Tips: You can divide the batter into separate bowls and add different extracts or powders to create fun, colorful flavor variations in one batch!

• Also, use dark brown sugar instead of granulated sugar if you want to have brown cookies instead of the plain white version.

• For the matcha cookies, you can also mix in a tablespoon of peanut butter for amped up flavor!

Instructions

1. Gather your ingredients. Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C).

2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. (Never wax paper! Silicone mats work too.)

3. Combine glutinous rice flour, matcha latte, oil, and sugar, and miso if using, in a large mixing bowl. Stir just until smooth, mashed potato consistency.

4. Fold in your mix-ins last. Or place on top of the cookies before baking.

5. Drop spoonfuls of batter onto your baking sheet. Use damp fingers or a spoon to round them into cookie shapes. Leave about 1 inch (2.5cm) between each cookie—they don’t spread much.

6. Bake for 13 to 14 minutes, or until tops are firm and slightly crisp, edges golden, and bottoms browned.

7. Immediately transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool. If left on the baking sheet, they may steam up and soften. Top with sea salt flakes if desired.

Storage: Keep cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.
To refresh the crispiness, pop them in the toaster oven for a few minutes the next day.