Hojicha chocolate chip cookies

These hojicha chocolate chip cookies have lots of delicious toasty caramel notes from the hojicha powder giving these cookies an extra depth of flavor. They're easy to make and incredibly easy to eat. A fantastically tasty treat!

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Matcha has grown massively in popularity, and don't get me wrong, we are big fans. Whether as a latte, ice cream or other treats like mochi, it's a flavor both me and the kids enjoy. But I do find it a shame that hojicha goes relatively unknown.

Hojicha tea, like matcha, comes in powder form, and while it may not be as pretty a color, it has a fantastic depth of flavor. It's no understatement to say my hojicha ice cream is a big family favorite, and these cookies are another delicious use.

What is hojicha?

Hojicha is green tea but it is prepared quite differently from other types of tea. The leaves are roasted over charcoal, giving them a distinct red-brown color. The roasting also gives the tea a slightly toasty flavor that's that bit more complex.

As well as changing the flavor, the roasting process also reduces the caffeine, making hojicha a popular choice later in the day. You can buy hojicha as loose leaf tea, in tea bags as well as in powder form. While all can make a great cup of warm or cold tea, the powder in particular is ideally suited to use on other ways.

Hojicha powder can add a lovely depth of flavor to baked goods, with slight caramel and nutty notes. These cookies really show how that depth can make a simple classic that bit more special.

Ingredient notes

These cookies come together with a relatively short list of ingredients, and other than the hojicha powder (which is, of course, kind of key), all are common staples.

• Hojicha powder - this is the one less common ingredient that you may need to hunt down a little, but you can buy it online and it does store well. It's worth getting a good quality one for better flavor. While that's maybe not as key here, it may well be for other uses like my ice cream or making hojicha drinks.
• Flour - just regular, all purpose (plain) flour is fine here.
• Sugar - these use a mix of regular (granulated) sugar and brown sugar as they both add slightly different qualities. Regular sugar adds neutral sweetness and helps them crisp. Brown sugar, meanwhile, adds more caramel notes from the molasses, and makes a softer, chewier cookie. Some of both gives some of each quality, with a little more brown here.
• Butter - I always use unsalted butter and then add salt as salted butters can vary in how salted they are. I prefer butter over oil to give more depth of flavor.
• Egg - this gives structure, moisture and acts as a binding agent. It also adds to the flavor and chewiness.
• Vanilla extract - while the main flavor is the hojicha, a little vanilla is always good to add as it helps bring out the other flavors (and is delicious in itself).
• Raising agent - I use a mixture of baking powder and baking soda (bicarbonate of soda). As with the sugars, the different agents act a little differently, so a little of both gives a balance. Only a little, though, as these aren't overly cakey cookies.
• Chocolate chips - the other key ingredient to make these fit their name! You can use as you have and prefer, though personally I prefer bittersweet or dark chocolate.

Tips for making these cookies

These cookies are easy to make, being much like many others where you mix the dry ingredients then separately mix the wet ingredients then combine. The one slight exception to that is how you add the hojicha powder.

Just as with matcha powder, hojicha is best combined with a small amount of liquid to help ensure it dissolves and blends properly. In the case of these cookies, that means first combining it with the melted butter. This lets you get any lumps out and have the flavor evenly distributed in the final cookie.

To try to avoid the cookies spreading too much, chill the dough before you scoop and bake them. It also helps the flavors develop a bit. Then as you scoop onto the baking sheet/tray, allow a bit of space between the cookies.

If you want to freeze the cookies, freeze them scooped on a baking sheet. Then, once frozen transfer to a freezer bag for longer storage. You can then bake from frozen, just allow a few minutes longer. Or, defrost overnight first in the fridge if you prefer. I find baking from frozen they don't spread quite as much and maybe don't taste quite as good, but are still really tasty.

These hojicha chocolate chip cookies are a delicious variation on the classic with lovely depth of flavor and caramel, nutty notes. They're soft with a slight crisp outside, and easy to make. Well worth enjoying any excuse.

Try these other favorite cookies:

• Coconut oatmeal chocolate chip cookies (another tasty variation with lots of great texture)
• Strawberry shortbread cookies (wonderfully soft and tender with a lovely light strawberry flavor)
• Lemon almond cookies (technically more for the festive season, but enjoyable anytime, these cookies have a lovely delicate flavor and chewiness)
• Plus get more snack recipes, both sweet and savory, in the archives.

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