Easy Hojicha Shortbread Cookies with Chocolate Chunks (buttery + crisp)

These hojicha chocolate chunk shortbread cookies are buttery, crisp, and deeply fragrant with roasted green tea. Hojicha is a Japanese green tea that’s slowly roasted, giving it a warm, toasty, slightly nutty flavor. Paired with rich dark chocolate, it creates an earthy-sweet cookie that’s simple to make ahead, slice, and bake — perfect for cozy afternoons or gifting.

i used (makes ~24 cookies):

• 1 cup unsalted butter, room temp
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 2 cups all purpose flour (250g)
• 3 tbsp hojicha leaves, ground up in a spice grinder (5g)
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup dark chocolate, roughly chopped (85g)
• optional: flaky salt

to make hojicha shortbread cookies:

• in a large mixing bowl, beat the butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla together until smooth and creamy
• mix in the salt and ground hojicha until evenly combined
• gently fold in the flour, mixing just until a soft dough comes together
• stir in the chocolate chunks until they’re evenly distributed throughout the dough
• divide the dough in half and roll each portion into a log about 2 inches in diameter. wrap the logs tightly in parchment or plastic wrap
• chill the dough for at least 30 minutes in the freezer or 1–2 hours in the refrigerator until firm.
• preheat the oven to 350F. line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• slice the chilled dough into 1/2 inch thick rounds and arrange them on the baking sheet about 1/2 inch apart
• sprinkle the tops with flaky sea salt, if using
• bake for 12–15 minutes, or until the edges are just starting to turn golden brown
• let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely