BEST BAKERY RECIPE
Green Tea Sweet

Kelli Bernard
Owner/Baker
Amai Tea & Bake House
171 3rd Avenue
New York, NY 10003
(212) 863-9630
www.amainyc.com

About Kelli Bernard
Kelli Bernard's passion for baking arose from a hereditary love of sweets. She grew up in a house where cookies were fair game for breakfast and there was always a freshly baked dessert waiting to be eaten. After working in web design for several years, Kelli decided to switch tracks and pursue her love of sweets professionally. She began writing for Chocolatier and Pastry Art & Design magazines, and created Lovescool (www.lovescool.com), a blog dedicated to the love of dessert. Writing about the diverse set of cafes and bakeries in New York City inspired Kelli to bring her own ideas to life, and in 2005 she created Amai Tea & Bake House.

As the Owner and Baker of Amai, Kelli draws on influences from around the world to create recipes, particularly focusing on the different flavors and dimensions of tea. Amai's first retail store is expected to open in Manhattan in 2007, and will serve freshly made sweets and a range of loose leaf tea. When not working on Amai, Kelli enjoys traveling back home to California, where mom still does the baking.

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Yields about 25 two-inch leaf-shaped cookies

3/4 cup (2 1/4 ounces) confectioners' sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons matcha (powdered green tea)
5 ounces softened unsalted butter, cubed
1 3/4 cup (8 1/2 ounces) all-purpose flour
3 large egg yolks, room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar (for coating)

Preheat oven to 350°F. In a bowl, combine confectioners' sugar and matcha and mix until well combined. In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar mixture until light and smooth. Add flour and mix until incorporated. Add egg yolks and mix until fully incorporated and dough comes to a mass. Flatten dough into a disk and chill in the refrigerator until firm, about 30 minutes. Roll dough on a lightly floured surface to 1/2-inch thickness. Cut out cookies using a 2-inch leaf shaped cookie cutter. Toss each cookie in a bowl of granulated sugar to coat. Place sugar-coated cookies on a parchment paper-lined sheet pan and bake for 12 to15 minutes, or until slightly golden around the edges. Allow to cool completely before storing in an airtight opaque container.

Note: Matcha (powdered green tea) can be purchased in many Asian grocery stores, specialty tea shops, or online. The higher the quality of matcha, the brighter green the cookies will be. The color will fade when exposed to sunlight so store cookies in a tin or other container that blocks out sunlight.

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