Green-and-White Cookies

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St. Patrick’s Day is the one national holiday observed all around the world where everyone becomes Irish for a day, putting on their favorite green outfits and enjoying some amazing comfort food, from corned beef and cabbage to Irish soda bread. When I was walking past a bakery one day, I saw the iconic black-and-white cookies in the window and I immediately thought that I had to make green-and-white cookies for St. Patrick’s Day! Not only are these cookies really pretty for springtime, they also have a wonderfully fresh combination of flavors: lemon and green tea. Erin Go Bragh!

Makes 10 4-inch cookies

For the cookies:

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup buttermilk (shake well before measuring)

1 tablespoon fresh lemon zest

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

5 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 large egg

For the icing:

1 1/2 cups confectioners sugar

1 tablespoon light corn syrup

2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon vanilla

2 tablespoons water

1 scant teaspoon matcha green tea

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Mix together the flour, baking soda, and salt in a bowl, then stir the buttermilk, lemon zest, and vanilla together in a measuring cup. Using an electric mixer, beat together the butter and sugar until creamy, then add the egg and combine. Add the dry and wet ingredients, alternating, on low speed, scraping sides of the bowl as needed, until you have a smooth batter.

Place1/4-cup spoonfuls of the batter (an ice cream scoop works perfectly) onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, about 2 inches apart. Bake in the center of the oven for about 15 minutes, or until they have puffed up slightly, are golden, and spring back lightly when touched. Remove from oven and transfer to a rack to cool completely.

To make the icing, mix the confectioner’s sugar, corn syrup, lemon juice, vanilla and 1 tablespoon of water in a bowl together until smooth. Remove half of the icing to another bowl, and mix in the matcha green tea, adding more water as necessary until smooth.

To ice the cookies, turn the cookies over so that the flat side is up and spread half the flat side with the white icing and the other half with the green icing. Can be stored in an airtight container for up to three days.