Matcha Black Sesame Marble Cookie

In Japan, people call the classic cookies that most people in the U.S. know as regular cookies (like chocolate chip cookies, snickerdoodle, sugar cookies, etc.) “American Cookies”. I find that SO funny because I grew up just referring to them as cookies, so when I gifted these matcha black sesame cookies to my friend, they said (in Japanese) “Wow! These are like the American cookie texture!” 

I wonder what makes them “American” cookies? Is it the amount of butter? Hah. Or maybe it’s because this particular cookie recipe has pudding mix in it? Which leads me to another American vs. Japanese different: pudding carries a whole different meaning in the two countries. When I think of pudding in the U.S., I think of the chocolate pudding cups in the plastic cups with the red foil packaging — do you remember those? If you try to buy pudding in Japan, though, you will find an egg and cream based flan-like, custard-y dessert, most often with a caramel syrup on the bottom. They are both called pudding but I treat them as entirely different desserts! Let me know if you’ve ever tried either or both the American and Japanese puddings — which one do you like better?

Okay, back to the matcha black sesame cookies!

I adopted this recipe from my mom’s chocolate chip cookie recipe that uses instant pudding mix because her classic cookies are the ones that make you drool WHILE you’re eating them. Fresh out of the oven, they are slightly crispy on the outside and soft and gooey on the inside. If you can wait long enough for them to cool down, they get crispier on the outside and chewy on the inside. Both are heavenly, obviously.

In a way, these matcha and black sesame marbled cookies represent me…

Or at least I feel the most drawn to them on a deeper level, and it’s not just because of the way they look and taste! I feel like I am this “American cookie” marbled with Japanese flavors? Okay, maybe that is WAY too deep for a cookie recipe, but growing up in a city with little to no Japanese people or stores nearby, the kitchen and the food my mom made was my tie to Japan. Food has always been a way for me to explore my Japanese identity and I love adding a Japanese twist to my recipes!

My favorite part of this marble cookie is that when you bite into it: sometimes you get a taste of the vanilla, or sometimes maybe just the matcha, or maybe the matcha and black sesame…and if you get the perfect bite — you can get matcha, black sesame AND vanilla!

Itadakimas! いただきます！

It’s truly a cookie full of joy and I hope you enjoy it as much as I do 🙂 Leave me a comment if you have any questions and as always, ITADAKIMAS! My favorite word that people in Japan say before a meal that means “I humbly accept this meal and thank the ingredients that went into the food as well as the people who made it.”

Matcha Black Sesame Cookie 抹茶黒胡麻アメリカンクッキー

Lina Takahashi

A swirl of matcha, black sesame and vanilla in a buttery, soft but crispy cookie! Fresh out of the oven and onto your plate for the perfect cookie snack!

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 50 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Freeze 20 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 30 minutes mins

Servings 24 Cookies

Equipment

• Bowls
• Measuring spoons
• Sift
• Whisk Electric or manual
• Spatula
• Baking tray
• Parchment paper

Ingredients

  

• 2 1/4 cups flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 2 sticks softened butter
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 box 3.5oz vanilla instant pudding
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 eggs
• 1 tbsp matcha
• 1 tbsp ground roasted black sesame

Instructions

 

• Sift flour and baking soda into a bowl.
• In a separate bowl, beat softened butter with brown sugar and white granulated sugar until it’s well blended and becomes a lighter color.
• Add vanilla instant pudding and vanilla extract into butter mixture.
• Beat in eggs just until combined.
• Add flour mixture (from step 1) to the wet batter.
• Split the dough into 3 sections.
• Mix in matcha to one section and black sesame to another section of dough and knead until uniform in color.
• Spiral the 3 sections of dough together to create the marble appearance and roll it out into a cylinder until the diameter is 2-3 inches (Tip: If the dough is becomes sticky to handle, pop it into the freezer for 15-20 min).
• Place the marbled dough in freezer and preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
• Once your oven is ready, take out your dough and cut your cookies into 1/2 inch slices and place onto a baking tray lined with parchment paper. (*Note: You can also slice and place back into the freezer to bake at a later date for freshly baked cookies! Be sure to bake for 3 additional minutes if baking from frozen.)
• Bake for 12-14 minutes or until the vanilla parts get a little golden on the edges.

Notes

You can stores these cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.

You can also freeze the batter for up to 2 months and bake when you want a fresh batch of cookies! Be sure to bake for 3 additional minutes if baking from frozen.